Kristen Foxen Wins USPO Event #1, Marks Third Victory of 2025

In the final hand, Foxen’s ace-seven suited made a flush on the turn, securing her victory over Andrew Liu’s king-jack, which failed to improve. Though Foxen was already ahead going into the flop, this flush ensured she clinched the U.S. Poker Open Event #1 title and the $158,025 prize on April 9th, 2025.

Earlier in the tournament, Foxen’s luck played a pivotal role three-handed. She shoved with ace-two and was called by an opponent holding pocket tens. Foxen fans were calling for an ace on the PokerGo live stream, but she instead flopped a set of twos, allowing her to survive and eliminate a key player. This crucial hand gave her a commanding chip lead heading into the heads-up battle against Liu.

Foxen also dodged a bullet during heads-up play. In another hand, Liu made a full house on the turn while Foxen held a straight draw. She called but missed her straight on the river—a fortunate miss, as completing the straight would have still lost to Liu’s full house. This moment of luck preserved her stack, setting the stage for her eventual triumph.

But poker is less about moments of luck in a few fleeting hands and more about the big picture. This USPO triumph marks Foxen’s third win of 2025, adding to an already remarkable year—and it's only early April.

In February, she dominated the PokerGO Cup Event #7 in Las Vegas, a $15,100 buy-in event, earning $348,300. Just weeks earlier, on January 24th, she took down the PGT Kickoff Event #5, a $10,100 buy-in, for $197,625. These victories highlight her consistency in high-stakes PokerGO Tour (PGT) events, where she’s also racked up significant leaderboard points—377.91 from the PokerGO Cup and 358.23 from the PGT Kickoff.

Foxen’s 2025 isn’t just about wins, as she has some deep runs too. In March, she traveled to South Korea for the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Jeju, cashing three times: 36th in the $100,000 Main Event for $182,000 on March 7th, 20th in the $25,000 WPT Global Slam for $90,500 on March 2nd, and 41st in the $25,000 8-Handed event for $45,000 on February 28th.

Back in the U.S., she added a second-place finish in the PGT Last Chance Event #5 on January 7th for $187,550, a seventh-place finish in the PGT Championship on January 10th, and multiple cashes in the PokerGO Cup and PGT Kickoff, including $29,400 for ninth in PokerGO Cup Event #4 on February 14th.

With over $1.2M in cashes, Foxen’s 2025 has been a masterclass in high-stakes poker. Her ability to navigate fields of top pros, from Triton’s super high rollers to the PokerGO Tour, underscores her skill and adaptability. As she hoists the USPO Event #1 trophy, Foxen’s year stands as a powerful statement.