Kristen Foxen Wins Sixth WSOP Bracelet in Stunning High Roller Victory

Outlasting players such as Biao Ding, Ignacio Moron and Joey Weissman at the final table, Kristen Foxen triumphed in the WSOP 2026 $25,000 NLHE High Roller Event #19 in a field of 345 total entries. Winning $1,773,083 up top, the biggest prize of her profession poker career, Foxen’s result also made it her fourth seven-figure score in the past 12 months.

Epic Event Signals WSOP’s Growth

When a $25,000-entry event can accumulate a field of 345 entries and amass a $5,804,500 prize pool, it shows just how huge the latest incarnation of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) really is. Bolstered by more satellite qualifiers than ever before in 2026 via GGPoker, and a revamped broadcast tea featuring Jeff Platt, Joe Stapleton, David Williams and Norman Chad on a daily highlights show, the WSOP is bigger than ever.

The size of this event meant that the top prize of $1.77 million would likely be the winner’s biggest-ever achievement in the game and the tension and drama ramped up as a result. With eight players left, Galen Hall was running over the table and took out the Argentinian player Giuseppe Calio for a score of $167,792. All-in with just bottom pair on the turn, Calio couldn’t catch Hall’s second pair with a straight draw and became the official final table of eight’s first elimination.

Next to go was the Belarussian Ihar Soika. Cashing for $222,798 in seventh place, he was all-in pre-flop with ace-seven, but such was his stack of two blinds and Hall’s own raise to 95% of his stack pre-flop with jack-eight of diamonds, the American had an easy call. The flop brought chances for both a straight or a flush for Hall, and he hit the middle pin of his straight on the turn to reduce the field to six players.

Moron Moved Out of the Way

With just half a dozen players remaining, Kristen Foxen was still very much in contention, but Galen Hall had over a third of the chips in play. Players returned to the felt overnight with renewed energy and played out a final for the ages. It was the Czech backgammon master Zdenek Zizka who exited next, cashing for $300,942 when his ace-ten failed to hold against Hall’s ace-deuce with the ace of spades. The all-in and call came on the flop of Q-T-4 all in spades and a six of spades on the turn immediately gave Hall another scalp and he raced into a big lead with five left.

Ignacio Moron saw an opportunity to double-up with ace-ten too and moved all-in pre-flop for around 16 big blinds. Kristen Foxen pounced, calling with pocket eights. Although it was a coinflip, the flop of J-9-2 kept the Canadian in the boxseat and she survived both the turn of a deuce and a jack on the river to take out the Spanish pro for $413,389, improving her chances in the process.

When Joey Weissman moved all-in for a dozen big blinds with king-eight from the small blind a few hands later, Chinese player Biao Ding was quick to make the call with the dominating king-queen. A flop of J-T-4 gave Ding the open-ended straight draw which came in on the nine turn. Weissman needed one of the three queens left in the deck to chop the pot but an innocuous three on the river sent him home with $577,326.

Foxen Creates Poker History

With three players left, each of them were representing a different country, and the wild rail celebrated Foxen, Hall and Ding whenever they won a pot. For Biao Ding, that adventure ended in third place with a score of $819,504 after he busted to Foxen. All-in pre-flop with king-seven, Ding needed help from the board when Foxen turned over ace-eight.

A flop of K-J-2 was exactly that, giving the Chinese player top pair, but with it, all three cards were diamonds, which matched the eight in Foxen’s hand. Although the nine of clubs was a safe card for Ding on the turn, a three of diamonds on the river spelled doom for him as Foxen took a slight lead into the final duel for the jewellry.

Losing a big pot early with two-pair to Hall’s nut flush, Foxen fell behind. Three hands that didn’t go to showdown followed, before an inspired bluff with jack-high moved Foxen into the lead. The lead changed twice again, but the Canadian had regained it when Hall moved all-in pre-flop with ace-four in response to Foxen’s limp. Foxen snap-called with her disguised pocket aces and with Hall unable to find any help on the board, he was drawing dead to the river and acknowledged his rival on a superb achievement.

As Alex Foxen presented the bracelet to his wife, he congratulated her on being the most deserving player in the field and Kristen Foxen took home her bracelet and an incredible $1,773,083 up top, with Galen Hall winning $1,182,050 as runner-up.

The Champion in Her Own Words

“Just because you’re a female doesn’t mean you don’t belong there or that you can’t do it.”

After she took time to celebrate with her rail, Kristen Foxen was delighted with her biggest-ever poker win and an achievement that outranks her other bracelet victories.

“This was just all the best pros in the world,” the Canadian told PokerNews. “I haven’t won a large $25k yet, so it feels really good. Things just went my way. It was really a dream. It feels like where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m just so blessed that I found poker, that I’m able to do this.”

Pressed more on what her life had become since she turned pro following her Ladies Event win back in 2013, Foxen reflected on the fortune she’s enjoyed and encouraged other women to play the game.

“I’m very lucky. This is a dream come true,” she said. “[This is] definitely the life I imagined when I first found poker, and I’m super grateful to actually be able to live out that dream. Just because you’re a female doesn’t mean you don’t belong there or that you can’t do it. If this is what you want to do, pursue it. There’s nothing stopping you.”

As one of very few female players in high rollers, Foxen said she hoped she would be joined by more women in future events.

“Playing in these super tough tournaments where there are very few women shows that just because you’re a female doesn’t mean you don’t belong there or that you can’t do it. If this is what you want to do, pursue it. There’s nothing stopping you.”

After her record-breaking sixth WSOP title gave her more than any other women at the felt – and almost all men – Kristen Foxen showed there is nothing that can stop her as she continues to prove she is one of the best players poker.

Watch the highlights of Kristen Foxen’s amazing win right here: