Alex Foxen

Last updated

Alex Foxen
Alex Foxen 2019.jpg
Foxen in 2019
Residence Huntington, New York
Born (1991-02-01) February 1, 1991 (age 34)
Cold Spring Harbor, New York, U.S.
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s) 1
Final table(s)7
Money finish(es)66
Highest ITM
Main Event finish
40th, 2019
World Poker Tour
Title(s)2
Final table(s)3
Money finish(es)18
European Poker Tour
Money finish(es)5
Information last updated on 26 June 2022.

William Alex Foxen (born February 1, 1991) is an American professional poker player from Huntington, New York. As of March 2025, his total live tournament earnings exceed $44 million. [1]

Contents

Early life

Foxen played tight end for the Boston College Eagles. [2] In 2012, at the age of 21, he won the first World Series of Poker Circuit event he entered in New Orleans. [3] However, he stated that he did not begin taking poker seriously until the age of 23, after graduating from university.

During this period, Foxen played online for a couple of years before transitioning to live poker in 2016, starting with tournaments featuring buy-ins ranging from $200 to $500. [4]

Career

World Series of Poker (WSOP)

At the 2019 WSOP, Foxen finished 40th in the Main Event. [5]

In 2021, Foxen publicly opposed the WSOP’s decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for players, describing the policy as illogical and emotionally driven. He voiced his concerns on Twitter, questioning why natural immunity was not considered an exemption and arguing that vaccines did not prevent transmission. Foxen, along with his wife Kristen, was among the more vocal critics of the mandate within the poker community, expressing concerns about pharmaceutical influence over the WSOP. His stance sparked debate, with some players supporting his position while others criticized it as misinformation. The controversy reflected broader divisions within the poker community regarding COVID-19 policies and individual freedoms. [6]

In June 2022, Foxen won his first WSOP bracelet by capturing the $250,000 Super High Roller, earning a career-high $4,563,700. He led throughout the tournament in a field of 56 entrants, ultimately defeating Brandon Steven heads-up after a strong final table performance. Notable eliminations at the final table included Phil Ivey in seventh place, Adrian Mateos in fourth, and Chris Hunichen in third. [7]

World Poker Tour (WPT)

In December 2017, Foxen finished second in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic on the World Poker Tour, earning $1,134,000. Despite initially taking the chip lead, Foxen lost a key pot when his bluff with king-high was called by Tosoc’s pair of sevens. Tosoc gradually built his lead, and although Foxen managed a late double-up, he was unable to regain momentum. In the final hand, Foxen’s ace-ten was defeated by Tosoc’s queen-ten when a straight completed on the turn, securing Tosoc's victory and leaving Foxen just short of the title. [8]

In 2019, Foxen won the Season XVIII WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, earning $1,694,995 and securing a significant victory in his career. After finishing as the runner-up in the same event in 2017, he returned to claim the title, positioning himself as a contender for back-to-back Global Poker Index Player of the Year (POY) honors. Foxen had a strong performance at the final table, eliminating Jonathan Jaffe, Seth Davies, and ultimately Toby Joyce heads-up to secure the win. His aggressive play and key hands, including a runner-runner flush against Danny Park, contributed to his success. [9] [10]

PokerGO Tour (PGT)

In 2018, Foxen finished as the runner-up in Super High Roller Bowl V after a competitive heads-up battle against Isaac Haxton. Foxen briefly held the chip lead during five-handed play but lost momentum as Haxton controlled the later stages of the tournament. In the final hand, Foxen’s ace-six initially took the lead on the flop, but Haxton made two pair on the turn and river to secure the victory. Foxen’s deep run concluded a strong year, though he fell just short of the title. [11]

Triton Poker Series

In December 2024, Foxen won the $100,000 Triton Main Event at the 2024 WSOP Paradise, earning $3,850,000 and securing his third WSOP bracelet. He defeated Joao Vieira in heads-up play after a strong final table performance, which included a key coin flip win with pocket jacks against ace-king. The tournament featured a competitive field, with notable eliminations including Fedor Holz, Ossi Ketola, and Samuel Mullur. [12]

Other Notable Tournaments

In February 2018, Foxen won a $25,000 High Roller event at the L.A. Poker Classic, earning $424,625. His success continued in March with a $50,000 High Roller victory in Macau on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour , adding $963,880 to his tournament earnings. One of the most talked-about moments of 2018 came in June when Foxen won a $5,000 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) event at the Venetian, securing a $239,000 payday. In a notable heads-up match, he defeated his girlfriend, fellow professional poker player Kristen Bicknell, to claim the title. [13]

Player of the Year

Foxen won the 2018 Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year (POY) title after securing the top spot from Stephen Chidwick. He earned over $6.6 million in tournament winnings that year, bringing his career earnings to more than $8.8 million.

Foxen’s 2018 results included 24 recorded cashes, 18 final table appearances, and five titles. His biggest tournament victory came in the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Super High Roller in Macau, where he won nearly $963,000. However, his largest cash prize of the year was $2.16 million for finishing runner-up in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl V. This achievement marked a breakthrough for Foxen, who had finished 12th in the POY race the previous year. [14]

Following his POY win, Foxen was ranked No. 1 on the Global Poker Index for 38 consecutive weeks from October 2018 to June 2019, setting a GPI record. [15]

Other poker activities

In 2022, Foxen publicly accused Ali Imsirovic of cheating in both live and online high-stakes poker, citing specific incidents, including alleged card peeking and the use of RTAs. Foxens claims, shared on Twitter, sparked widespread debate, with other professional poker players supporting his claims. Ryan Leng and Jason Wheeler backed the idea of a poker advisory board to regulate cheating, while others raised concerns about potential misuse of such a system. Justin Bonomo suggested that irrefutable evidence exists against multiple players. The controversy reignited discussions on poker integrity and the need for a unified blacklist. [16] Imsirovic, who had been banned from GGPoker and PokerGO Tour events, later admitted to multi-accounting but denied some of Foxen’s accusations. [17]

Personal life

Foxen is married to fellow professional poker player Kristen Foxen. In June 2018, he defeated her heads-up to win the Mid-Stakes Poker Tour Venetian event. [18]

World Series of Poker bracelets

YearTournamentPrize (US$)
2022 $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold'em$4,563,700

References

  1. "William Alex Foxen's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  2. "Alex Foxen - Football". Boston College Athletics. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  3. Dalla, Nolan (May 16, 2012). "OUTFOXED! ALEX FOXEN WINS FIRST GOLD RING". WSOP.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  4. SomuchpokerNews (March 13, 2019). "An interview with Alex Foxen - #1 GPI". Somuchpoker. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  5. Rinkema, Remko (July 12, 2019). "ALEX FOXEN BUSTS 2019 WSOP MAIN EVENT IN 40TH PLACE – "I JUST GOT TO LIVE WITH THIS RESULT."". Poker Central. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  6. Burnett, Andrew (September 3, 2021). "Anti-Vaxxers Unhappy with WSOP COVID-19 Mandate and Rules". PokerTube. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  7. Holloway, Chad (June 25, 2022). "Alex Foxen Goes Wire-to-Wire in $250K Super High Roller on Way to Maiden Bracelet ($4,563,700)". PokerNews.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  8. Cross, Valerie (December 11, 2017). "Ryan Tosoc Wins WPT Five Diamond at Back-to-Back Final Table". PokerNews. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  9. "Foxen Poised for GPI Player of the Year Title After WPT Five Diamond Victory". www.pokernews.com. December 22, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  10. Chaffin, Sean (December 22, 2019). "OUTFOXED THEM ALL: ALEX FOXEN WINS RECORD-BREAKING WPT FIVE DIAMOND". WPT.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  11. Schult, Steve (December 20, 2018). "ISAAC HAXTON CAPTURES SUPER HIGH ROLLER BOWL V TITLE FOR $3.6 MILLION". Poker Central. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  12. "Alex Foxen Adds Another Career Highlight by Winning the $100,000 Triton Main Event ($3,850,000)". www.pokernews.com. December 12, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  13. Chaffin, Sean (January 14, 2019). "High-Stakes Poker Crusher Alex Foxen: "It's Not Fun To Play Against Me"". CardPlayer. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  14. Harris, Martin (January 3, 2019). "Global Poker Index: Alex Foxen Wins 2018 GPI Player of the Year". PokerNews. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  15. Rinkema, Remko (June 1, 2019). "BET ON YOURSELF: ALEX FOXEN TURNS $1,500 WSOP EVENTS INTO NOSEBLEEDS WITH BRACELET BETS". Poker Central. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  16. Seaton, Paul (April 18, 2022). "Alex Foxen Accuses Ali Imsirovic of Cheating at Live and Online Poker". PocketFives. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  17. "Poker Pro Ali Imsirovic Admits to Multi-Accounting, Denies Some Cheating Allegations". www.pokernews.com. June 25, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  18. Holloway, Chad (June 18, 2018). "The Muck: Did Couple Foxen & Bicknell Take It Easy on Each Other?". PokerNews. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.