Isaac Haxton’s Heroic Start to 2023 Showcases American’s Enduring Talent

The first major title that Haxton won in 2023 came in Las Vegas and the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Hotel & Casino Resort. Entering the $50,000-entry Event #8, the final event on the PokerGO Cup schedule, Haxton knew that to make a profit on his buy-in he’d have to finish in the top four players.

With the dynamics of the leaderboard race meaning two of the three players he faced once he made the money places had eye on the overall leaderboard victory, Haxton pressed for the win. His ace-five of spades made a flush against Dan Colpoys’ pocket nines to mean he went into three-handed play with a lead, and soon after, he busted Sean Winter to confirm Cary Katz as the overall champion.

Katz pressed hard heads-up, but Haxton held him off to take the victory and a first cash of the year for a whopping $598,000. In total, Haxton had cashed in just the final event, but won the biggest top prize of the PokerGO Cup series. Hopping on a plane bound for The Bahamas, he planned to attend the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure next.

Hitting the Sand Running

Touching down in The Bahamas, Haxton didn’t have long before he jumped in the first event he could – the $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller that opened the action in the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). With 49 players, only seven places would be paid, but if any of the collection of elite professionals that gathered inside the Baha Mar Resort thought Haxton would be tired following his exertions in Sin City, they were wrong. Haxton once again finished top of the pile after a three-way deal with Adrian Mateos and Seth Davies left the players taking each other on for the title – which Haxton then won.

Haxton told PokerNews reporters after the event, “I’m feeling great. This is a fantastic start to the year.” Little did he know that it was only going to get even better. The next event Haxton took on was the PCA Main Event, and despite not managing a run to the final table this time, Haxton still cashed, finishing 127^th for a return of $17,600, a fine return on the entry of $10,300.

Three days later, Haxton entered the eight-handed $25,000-entry NLHE Event and this time finished in third place from 97 entries, winning another $491,550. Outlasted only by all-time money list leader and eventual winner Justin Bonomo and Portuguese professional Rui Ferreira, Haxton’s huge half-million dollar win was an unbelievable result, and somehow, he wasn’t done there.

Finishing Off in Style

Just over a week after he had arrived in The Bahamas, Isaac Haxton left the island $3 million richer than when he landed at the airport. His final event win was an outright victory, as he won the $100,000-entry seven-handed High Roller for an incredible $1,555,360. Haxton was once again the pick of the crop and had to win the tough event by topping 21 entries.

The start of the second day saw a dozen top professionals kick off with only six of them making the money places. Haxton was again the man to burst it, sending Adrian Mateos home with nothing to put the rest of the table into the money. Fedor Holz threatened to take over, but a huge hand when three-handed saw Latvian WSOP bracelet winner Aleks Ponakovs skittled by Haxton, who called a shove with just middle pair on the flop to prove correct at his opponent’s cost. Haxton remarked at the time that he’d “have to look it up later but the computers probably won’t like it!”

Heads-up, Haxton took down the title, beating Holz after an hour of play culminated in his victory with ten-eight against the German’s king-nine. Haxton was overheard saying, “Wow, what a week, can’t complain,” as he won yet another trophy and a vast amount of money. Overall, Isaac Haxton’s incredible run over less than a fortnight saw him bank over $3.7 million, which equates to 10% of his lifetime’s earnings at the live felt.

Quite the poker trip all round.