Canadian Poker Stars Shine at Triton Montenegro 2025

The Triton Poker Series Montenegro 2025 kicked off with a bang at the Maestral Resort & Casino in Budva, Montenegro, where the $25K NLH WPT Global Slam promises a $860,000 first-place prize. As the action unfolded, Canadian poker stars Kristen Foxen, Michael Watson, Daniel Dvoress, and Xuan Liu made some waves, navigating a stacked 155-player field of international talent.

All four of them managed to make the final table, and at one point, Canadians made up a solid majority of the remaining players. With the tournament livestream captivating fans worldwide at the Triton Poker feed, the Canadian players brought skill, grit, and a fanbase to the rail.

Each has had a storied career, and their deep runs signal Canada’s growing dominance in high-stakes poker. The stage is set for a thrilling showdown on the final day of the tournament, which is Wednesday, May 15th.

Kristen Foxen (née Bicknell), hailing from Ontario, is one of Canada’s most decorated poker players. She is in the Top Ten for Canada's All-Time Money List. A five-time WSOP bracelet winner, Foxen, married to Alex Foxen, claimed titles in 2013, 2016, 2020, 2023, and 2024. Kristen has enjoyed a stellar season and is a force in any poker tournament she enters. In Triton, Foxen has navigated her way to fourth place in the tournament heading into the final day and will hope to improve her standing on Wednesday.

Michael Watson, known as “SirWatts,” hails from Toronto, Ontario, and is Canada’s top online tournament player. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Watson's biggest live cash was $1.89 million for third in a $150K NLH event at Triton Jeju 2025. 

Unfortunately, for Watson fans, he was eliminated on Day 2 of the tournament and finished 6th. He did battle, but in his final hand, he picked up pocket jacks. That crashed into Daniel Dvoress' pocket kings at a time when Watson did not have many options but to go all-in.

Born in Russia and a Canadian resident since age eight, Daniel Dvoress ranks high on Canada's All-Time Money List with Hendon Mob (2nd), trailing only the legendary Daniel Negreanu. He prefers low-profile play but thrives in super high roller fields. Dvoress is the chip leader heading into the final day of the tournament. With his stack and talent, he has to be considered the favorite to win the tournament after Tuesday's action.

Xuan Liu is as much a social media personality as she is a poker player. She shares hand analyses on YouTube and engages fans with her relaxed style, and often plays at invite-only events. A popular player with railbirds, her fans will be delighted to see her playing so well in her debut in the Triton series of poker. Liu is in third place heading into the final day of action.

While the embedded tweet below shows nine players, be advised that only five remain as of the time of writing.

There was ten hours of coverage on Tuesday, May 14th at Triton's YouTube channel. The railbirds were disappointed that the day didn't end with a winner. But as is often the case with high-stakes poker, players simply do not go out easily. Play was suspended late in Montenegro with the starting time pending for Wednesday.