Kristen Foxen Breaks Through in WSOP $25K High Roller: A Sixth Bracelet and Career-Best $1.77M Score

In a defining moment at the 2026 World Series of Poker, Kristen Foxen rose above an elite field in Vegas to claim her most impressive triumph yet.

It was early June at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas when Kristen Foxen, already a formidable force in poker, delivered a masterclass performance in Event #19, the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller. Facing down a field of 345 elite contenders, Foxen navigated adversity and aggression to secure her sixth World Series of Poker bracelet and her largest-ever live tournament payday: $1,773,083.

A Dream Realized Against the Best

According to PokerNews, Foxen ran through a stacked field at the 2026 WSOP to emerge victorious, cementing her place in poker lore with a win against Galen Hall heads‑up. Her quote—“It feels like where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing”—struck a chord, echoing her long‑held aspiration to win in a “tougher” field, one she could be truly proud of.

The WSOP’s own report reinforced the magnitude: this High Roller win wasn’t just a sixth bracelet, but the biggest cash of her career and the fifth-largest WSOP score by a female player ever recorded. It also brought her live tournament earnings to a new peak, making her the highest-earning woman in poker history. WSOP.com highlights that milestone—and notes her previous bracelets span Ladies, bounty, 6‑handed, and now this open High Roller crown.

The Final Table Tug-of-War

From the outset, Galen Hall held a commanding chip lead entering Day 4, a fact highlighted in both PokerNews and WSOP accounts. But Foxen’s patience and poise paid off at the final table. She chipped away steadily, toppling Ignacio Moron in fifth after a textbook pocket eights vs. ace-ten race, and later executing a stunning bluff against China’s Biao Ding, the all-time Chinese money list leader.

WSOP.com recounts her pivotal victory over Ding—calling an all-in from the small blind with ace‑eight and rivering a flush to eliminate him in third—at which point heads‑up play against Hall began.

Hall seized early control heads‑up, even trapping Foxen momentarily. But she fought back, culminating in a crushing cooler: both players turned straights, but Foxen’s queen‑high bested Hall’s jack‑high. With that, nearly all the chips went in—and just moments later, with Foxen holding pocket aces, the tournament was hers. Hall’s ace‑four was dead on arrival, ending the battle.

Legacy Reinforced

This victory marked Foxen’s fourth seven‑figure score in the past year—underlining her ascent to poker’s upper echelon. According to PokerNews, all her previous bracelets came in lower‑buy-in events or online, making this success in a $25K open field particularly resonant. It’s the kind of breakthrough that transforms career arcs.

Foxen’s achievement also bridges a gap. As Poker.org notes, she’s the first woman since Leo Margets in 2021 to capture a live open-event bracelet. Beyond accolades, her win stands as a beacon to aspiring female players, a testament to grit, timing, and the belief that “there’s nothing stopping you.”

Meanwhile: A Misdeal Rocks a Separate High Roller

In a parallel twist of fate, Event #11’s $10K GGMillion$ High Roller drew headlines when short‑stacked pro Ricky Landais was unceremoniously eliminated due to a dealer error. With 22 players remaining, Landais shoved A‑K all‑in preflop against Bobby James’s A‑9. A bizarre four‑card flop ensued—a clear breach of procedure—and under rules, the flop was scrambled and one card redistributed, effectively endangering Landais’s tournament life. He ended up busted for $41,942. The bizarre handiwork was widely shared and discussed as “one of the sickest spots” in recent memory. Poker.org chronicles the incident, and Poker News Daily originally reported the details.

The Stakes Ahead

• For Kristen Foxen, the win isn’t just another bracelet—it’s a statement. After years of chasing, she’s now delivered in the toughest and richest arena yet.
• The optics are undeniable: a Canadian woman conquering a high‑roller open field packed with male pros, at a stage few ever reach.
• And for the broader WSOP narrative, the Landais misdeal reminds us how fragile tournament trains are—how one slip can cascade into fortunes lost.

As the 2026 summer unfolds, Foxen’s triumph will be remembered not just as a win, but as a watershed: a moment when perseverance, precision, and poker’s highest levels aligned in the hands of a champion.

This article was written by AI with live web research, drawing on the sources linked above. Spotted an error? Tell us.