Kristen Foxen Defends Title In Final PokerGO Tour Kickoff Event

Kristen Foxen already sits atop one of the vital prestigious leaderboards in poker, along with her 5 World Series of Poker bracelet wins being essentially the most of any feminine participant. The 38-year-old is now additionally on the verge of changing into the highest-earning feminine poker participant ever.

The Canadian poker professional took down the $10,000 buy-in finale of the 2025 PokerGO Tour Kickoff collection on Saturday, Jan. 25 for a $197,625 payday, bringing her lifetime match haul to $10,676,511. As a outcome, she now sits simply $222,516 behind present ladies’s cash checklist chief Vanessa Selbst ($10,899,027).

This was her second consecutive victory on this occasion, having additionally received the finale of final 12 months’s PGT Kickoff Series as nicely, that point beating Daniel Negreanu heads-up for $165,000.

Foxen overcame a area of 93 entries on this no-limit maintain’em occasion to safe her 14th recorded title and her 248th lifetime money. This victory additionally got here with 540 Card Player Player of the Year factors.

It was her second final-table end of the brand new 12 months, with a runner-up exhibiting within the $10,000 finale of the PGT Last Chance pageant a few weeks earlier for $187,550 and 550 factors. With 1,090 complete factors, Foxen is now ranked tenth within the 2025 POY standings offered by Global Poker.

Foxen cashed in three of the 5 PGT Kickoff occasions on this 12 months’s schedule, accumulating a complete of 525 PGT factors alongside the best way. As a outcome, she surged into first place on the tour’s season-long leaderboard.

The 93-entry turnout for this occasion constructed a $930,000 prize pool, with the highest 14 finishers receiving a share. By the tip of day 1 motion on Friday, simply seven gamers remained in competition.

Foxen held the chip lead when day 2 obtained underway contained in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. Two-time bracelet winner Joao Simao scored the primary knockout of the day, eliminating occasion no. 3 runner-up Neil Warren in seventh place ($37,200).

Nick Seward was the following to fall, along with his A-J suited operating into the A-Okay of Foxen. Neither participant related with the eight-high runout and Foxen’s superior excessive playing cards earned her the pot. Seward was awarded $46,500 for his sixth-place exhibiting.

Foxen pulled even additional forward throughout early five-handed motion, solely to take a success by way of a giant three-way all-in. 2021 Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno’s final chips went in with AOkay racing in opposition to Foxen’s 33 and main Simao’s A9. The board got here down 77449 to see Simao river nines up for the win. Moreno was eradicated in fifth place ($65,100) whereas Simao doubled as much as transfer into second on the leaderboard behind Foxen, who was nonetheless out in entrance regardless of taking a success within the hand.

Reigning PGT Player of the Year and up to date PGT Championship winner Jeremy Ausmus bowed out in fourth place ($83,700). He misplaced the vast majority of his stack in a conflict with Foxen, risking all however one 25,000 from his stack with a three-bet holding A-4 suited. Foxen known as with A-J and made a queen-high straight on the tip after it checked by way of on the flop and switch. Ausmus folded to her river guess and was left with a fraction of a small blind. He was routinely all-in from the small blind on the next hand and Foxen, who was within the large blind, made queens as much as finish Ausmus’ newest deep run. The six-time bracelet winner now has greater than $24.7 million in profession earnings to his title.

Bracelet winner and reigning European Poker Tour Barcelona champion Stephen Song obtained the final of his stack in with a chilly four-bet shove from the massive blind holding AOkay. He was appeared up by Simao, who had three-bet from the small blind with 55. Song flopped a gutshot straight draw to go together with his overcards, however blanks on the flip and river resulted in a third-place end for the $111,600. He now has practically $9.2 million in complete cashes.

The ultimate two gamers ended up making a deal that evenly break up the remaining prize cash, leading to $197,625 payouts for each Simao and Foxen. They then performed out the match to find out who would safe the trophy and the rating factors that got here with it.

The ultimate hand of the match started with Foxen limping from the button for 200,000 with 97. Simao raised to 700,000 from the massive blind with A10 and Foxen made the decision. The flop got here down 743 and Simao checked. Foxen fired 550,000 with high pair, solely to be met with a check-raise to 1,700,000 from her Brazilian opponent. Foxen known as and the 8 rolled off on the flip. Both gamers checked and the 8 accomplished the board. Simao moved all-in for 4,025,000, sending Foxen into the tank. She ultimately made the decision to lock up the title along with her eights and sevens with a 9 kicker. Simao grew his profession earnings to just about $8.2 million after gathering his negotiated payout.

Incredible Call! Kristen Foxen Wins PGT Kickoff Event #5 for $197,625 pic.twitter.com/FbKaoinhO1

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) January 26, 2025

Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the ultimate desk:

Photo credit score: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.