The latest high roller saw both Alex and Kristen Foxen reach the final table as the Lucky Hearts Poker Open as the poker powerhouse couple excelled once again with the highest of stakes on the line. Taking place in Florida, one of the Foxens became the champion in The Sunshine State, but which one?
Wigg Won’t Win
With a total prizepool of $1,235,000 on the line, there were a total of 50 players in the mix, with just eight of the getting paid. The player who scraped into the money was the Bulgarian player Stoyan Madanzhiev. He won $43,225 in eighth place, and was shortly followed by Swedish professional Anton Wigg, who left in seventh place for $49,400.
As the final six kicked off, one of the most significant pots was won, though it came without an elimination. Alex Foxen doubled up through Justin Saliba as a crucial coinflip went Foxen’s way and his 28 big blinds turned into just short of 60.
The player who exited in sixth place was the talented Russian professional Viktor Ustimov. Ustimov, who cashed three times in the PGT Kick Off festival last week, has now won over $135,000 in the first three weeks of the year. This time, the Russian won $61,750 in sixth place as he was the first to leave the final table.
One Foxen Falls
With five players left, Alex Foxen continued his early work at the final table by finishing his fight with Justin Saliba. Taking out a player who is more than familiar to him, the American swiped aside his countrymate to bust Saliba in fifth place for a score of $80,275. At that point, one Foxen was at the top of the chipcounts, but the other, Kristen, was struggling.
All-in soon after, Kristen couldn’t survive, with famed poker player and coach Kevin Rabichow knocking her out. As the end of Day 1 chip leader won with a full house against Kristen’s trip kings, he vaulted up the leaderboard at her expense as the PGT Kick Off Event #5 winner cashed for $117,325.
Rabichow was building quite the stack and continued his impressive domination of the business end of the event when he took out the Belgian in third place for $172,900. The popular pro, who sits comfortably inside the top 250 players ever to play the game according to The Hendon Mob, and who has won over $6.6 million in live tournament earnings in his career, couldn’t make the heads-up and that gave Rabichow over 170 big blinds with which to make an assault on the title.
Alex Foxen Turns the Tables
The heads-up match saw the script flipped in dramatic circumstances as the two men battled for a top prize of $426,075. Rabichow lost the lead in a hand where the board of saw Foxen shove all-in and Rabichow make the fold. Soon, he had lost the lead and it was then that Foxen struck.
After a flop of bumped the pot up, the turn of was followed by a on the river. Alex Foxen moved all-in with pocket jacks and after agonizing for some time, Rabichow decided on the call despite holding only . That was enough for him to slip in second place for $284,050.
Alex Foxen was joined by wife Kristen for the ‘family’ photos along with their pet dog Riley as the camera bulbs flashed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, having won their collective second title of the year in Florida at their eight final table.
On this form, who would bet against both of them returning to the final table felt in an upcoming tournament very soon.
Lucky Hearts Poker Open $25,000 High Roller Final Table Results: | |||
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
1st | Alex Foxen | United States | $426,075 |
2nd | Kevin Rabichow | United States | $284,050 |
3rd | Thomas Boivin | Belgium | $172,900 |
4th | Kristen Foxen | Canada | $117,325 |
5th | Justin Saliba | United States | $80,275 |
6th | Viktor Ustimov | Russia | $61,750 |