We're only a few weeks into the 2024 tournament poker season, but one thing is clear: two players are looking to make their mark on the upcoming season. Kristen and Alex Foxen did well in the first action of 2024 and Kristen picked up a tournament win at the PokerGO Tour Kickoff. Now Alex can improve his 2024 belt even further after winning the High Roller tournament at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood's Lucky Hearts Poker Open.
Two for one offer
Players may have lamented it, but it was a two-for-one deal with the Foxens at the final table of the $25,000 High Roller. The two were part of the five-handed action at the final table (Viktor Ustimov had been eliminated the night before), vying for the $426,075 first place prize. However, there were some difficult customers for the Foxens to deal with, with Kevin Rabichow taking the lead and Justin Saliba also in the mix (along with Thomas Bolvin).
A Foxen would take a step from the start. Alex put his chips in the middle in the fight against Saliba and emerged victorious. That left Saliba on the short stack and shortly afterwards Foxen took care of the rest of Saliba's chips to send him out of the tournament in fifth place.
Rabichow took care of Foxen's half by eliminating Kristen from the final table. On a board of KQ-9-8-K, Foxen had to feel good about her KJ for trip kings, but the fall king was in Rabichow's hands. He also had a queen that matched that king, meaning he had made a full house on the river to improve Foxen's trips. If Foxen were to win the tournament, it would be Alex, while Kristen hit the rail in fourth place.
Rabichow continued to run recklessly across the table. In three-handed play, he defeated Bolvin when he caught a queen with KQ on a J-10-6-Q-3 board to beat Bolvin's pocket sevens. Rabichow took a 3-1 lead into the heads-up game against Alex Foxen.
Alex Foxen scored a crucial brace to level the stacks and then finished the tournament after a break. On an AA-7-4-9 board, Foxen would bet enough to put Rabichow all in, forcing Rabichow into the tank. After burning a few Time Bank chips, Rabichow called and showed a QJ, believing Foxen was on a bluff. Foxen wasn't bluffing; He put pocket jacks on the table to secure the hand and the title for his first win of 2024.
1. Alex Foxen, $426,075
2. Kevin Rabichow, $284,050
3. Thomas Bolvin, $172,900
4. Kristen Foxen, $117,325
5. Justin Saliba, $80,275
6. Viktor Ustimov, $61,750
7. Anton Wigg, $49,400
8. Stoyan Madanzhiev, $43,225
Will the Foxen dynasty be built?
The Foxens' power play at the start of 2024 should come as no surprise to those watching the tournament poker world. Kristen, the better half of the partnership, is coming off a season in which she won the Global Poker Index Women's Player of the Year award. This wasn't the first time she'd done this either; Foxen had previously won the GPI Ladies' POY twice. Add three World Series of Poker bracelets and Kristen has her claim to being not just the best player in the game, but the best player ever, regardless of gender.
Alex is no slouch in this respect either. He has won one WSOP bracelet and two World Poker Tour titles in his career, with his biggest money coming from his $4.5 million win at the 2022 WSOP Super High Roller. All in all, Alex Foxen is one of the top money earners of all time in the world of poker with more than one Lifetime earnings of $31 million (good for thirteenth all-time).
It's a long road for players on the tournament poker circuit, but it's fair to say that to HAVE a great year you have to get off to a good start. So far it looks like Casa Foxen got the start of 2024 it wanted!
