Poker's power couple eyeing WSOP history

13 July 2024

By Gary Trask

LAS VEGAS -- With over $32.6 million in career earnings, Alex Foxen is no stranger to the spotlight at the poker table.

But at this year’s $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event, he's playing a supporting role.

As his wife, Kristen Foxen, continues to make a historic deep run, poised to shatter a glass ceiling in poker's most prestigious tournament, Alex is on the rail, experiencing the emotional rollercoaster of every hand, every win, and every setback alongside her.

The 55th Main Event has been a record-setter from the very beginning, breaking last year’s previous all-time high with 10,112 entrants. And as that field dwindled to less than 40 players during Day 7 on Saturday afternoon at the Horseshoe Las Vegas on the Strip, 37-year-old Kristen, along with surging unknown Shundan Xiao, remained in the hunt to become just the second woman in history to make the Main Event final table and the very first to take down the coveted gold bracelet.

Throughout her thrilling run over the last few days, Alex’s role has been far from passive. He's the ultimate railbird, a confidant, and above all, a husband navigating the emotional rollercoaster of watching his wife play for poker immortality.

"Loss of control is my biggest fear," Alex, 33, admitted during the first break in the action on Saturday as Kristen rose as high as 12th place overall. "It's definitely more nerve-wracking being on the rail."
The helplessness of watching from the rail is a stark contrast to the control he usually wields at the poker table. But Alex’s anxiety is tempered by an unwavering belief in Kristen's abilities.

"I know she's more prepared than anyone for this spot," he said firmly, a testament, to the countless hours they've spent honing their craft together.

Their partnership is a unique blend of competition and collaboration. The couple married in April 2022 and their shared passion for the game has helped create a deep mutual respect for each other’s games. That’s why Alex, a New York native and former big-time college football tight end for Boston College, doesn’t consider himself a “coach” this week, but more of a sounding board.

“I have a lot of respect for her mind and her game. We talk about hands all the time and I'll give my input and thoughts,” said Alex, who won the first WSOP Circuit event he entered in May 2012 in New Orleans for $22,421 and has gone on to land in the top 20 for all-time poker career earnings. “It’s been a great learning process for both of us. Before we met, we definitely had fairly different styles toward the game and we’ve both kind of come closer to each other’s style, and we take different ideas, concepts, and thoughts from each other.

“So, it’s more of a discussion about a hand. I’m not saying to her ‘This is what you should do or shouldn’t do.’ I think that’s important for poker in general because it’s not a science entirely; there’s an art to it. We both have respect for that side of the game and respect for each other. We may have different opinions about a hand but there’s merit to both of them almost always.”

That kind of attitude seems to be paying off for both Kristen and Alex, who don’t seem to be bothered by the pressure of what’s at stake. In fact, Kristen, who was wearing a sleeveless purple shirt, black pants, and yellow-tinted glasses on Saturday, appears as if she’s hosting a home game, rather than sitting on the biggest stage in poker, regularly getting up between hands to speak with her husband and greet friends arriving on her rail with a warm hug and a wide smile.

“The only way you can look at the game is to make one decision at a time and that's kind of how she plays,” Alex said when asked if he was surprised at how calm Kristen appeared. “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into training our minds to think that way and it's for moments like this. Sometimes it feels like every move is life or death, but you gotta zoom out and recognize that the worst case scenario is she busts out and makes a couple hundred K.”

Alex added that he’s not surprised his wife is still alive in the Main Event. Kristen is the only woman player to have four WSOP bracelets in her jewelry box, and she owns titles on both the World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour. Her career live tournament earnings exceed $7.7 million, according to the Hendon Mob Poker Database, and 2024 has been a banner year for her. In January, she beat fellow Canadian Daniel Negreanu heads up to take down the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em PokerGO Kickoff Event and the Main Event will be her 10th WSOP cash of the summer.

“The Main Event is an amazing structure and the players that are both really good fundamentally and good at reading other players and adjusting to different players, have a big edge,” Alex said. “So, yeah, I think we're always always expecting something big could happen in these spots.”

With each bust out on Saturday, the eventual payout for Kristen was getting bigger and bigger. The final 44 players are guaranteed at least $250,000 with the ultimate goal – winning the Main Event – paying $10 million.

“It’s hard to get here, so you have to cherish every moment,” added Alex. “Whatever happens in either direction, life goes on. We’re just trying to enjoy the moment.”

Of course, if Kristen does make it to the final table, much of the attention will be about her gender. But neither Alex nor Kristen feel that should be the dominant storyline.

“I think she’s very much against the dichotomy that exists,” he said. “She doesn’t consider herself a ‘woman poker player.’ She considers herself a poker player, period. She doesn’t like the idea of Ladies' Events and things like that because it kind of suggests that women are inferior in a way.

“That’s definitely one of her missions. She wants to show everyone that’s not the case and she wants to be the woman that beats everyone and anyone, no matter if they’re a man or woman.”