2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 31
$25,500 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Entries:  50
Prize Pool:  $1,235,000
January 18-19, 2024

Alex Foxen is no stranger to success anywhere in the poker world with over $30 million in career earnings, and that is the same case here at the Seminole Hard Rock where he has now won three guitar pick trophies thanks to today’s victory. Some of the other greatest hits on a poker resume that includes more than 20 tournament victories including a World Series of Poker gold bracelet and circuit ring, a spot in the World Poker Tour Champions Club, and multiple titles won in high-roller events just like the one today facing off against the toughest competition in poker.

“Winning poker tournaments is really hard, so anytime you do it you’ve got be appreciative of it. So I’m really grateful, I ran really well at the end. I had a rough start to the day yesterday, and just kept trying to play one hand at a time. It definitely feels good to add another trophy for sure,” said Foxen right after the victory.

Foxen continued with this when asked about keeping his composure when he has to fire multiple bullets early in a tournament. “I feel like that’s something where having a background in sports helps a lot, because it’s something I’ve spent my whole life dealing with. Just the adversity whether you’re down at halftime, or whatever it may be, and just having the mindset of focusing on the next hand, the next decision, and everything else is in the past, just one step at a time,” said Foxen.

His wife Kristen Foxen was also at the final table today and she finished in fourth place. They often play in many of the biggest tournaments together and get seated at the same table from time-to-time, so we asked Alex about his thoughts when he gets into those spots with the couple dynamic. “There is the element of playing hands against each other, which is always a battle, but no rivalry, we’re just supportive of each other, and want to see the other one do well.”

He followed with, “It’s one of those things where we both understand that we owe it to the other players at the table to treat each other as if we were playing anyone else. It’s an interesting dynamic because of the fact that we do know each other’s games so well. Our games are actually somewhat different, so it’s not like we’re playing the exact same. So yeah, there are some interesting dynamics that come up when we’ve maybe just spoken about a hand that happens against us immediately after, and you talk about a way to exploit the population tendencies there, and she knows that I think that. It’s a leveling war [laughs], but it’s definitely really fun.”

The Foxens play in tournaments all over, but we always see them here again whenever a big Seminole Hard Rock tournament series is taking place throughout the year. “The tournaments here are just great. Good schedules, and it’s relatively close to home. I’ve been trying to avoid traveling super far recently, but I do want to play as much as I can. It’s just the downside of travel makes me less inclined to go overseas and stuff like that, so this is one of the better stops for me,” said Foxen when asked about what keeps bringing him back here.

The conversation then circled back to Foxen’s background playing sports, and his insight on how that can give him valuable perspectives at the table. “I basically played them all, I played baseball, hockey, lacrosse, football, and soccer. Those were the five primary ones, and then when I got into high school was when I had to chose because you can’t overlap them all. In high school it was hockey, football, and lacrosse, and then football in college. I think it’s just super valuable for training your mind for any kind of competition.”

“Not only for understanding yourself, but understanding other people and how they might feel in that moment. When you try separate emotion from the decision-making process there’s always something that comes into play for everyone, no matter how robotic you try to be, so that’s something I always try to pay a lot of attention to,” Foxen offered in his answer that was well said to cap off the interview.

Right after we finished both Alex and Kristen headed right over to register for the championship event, so we will see if they can both make a final table and bag up a starting flight in the same day for an impressive day of poker for the household.

Here is a look at the results for the tournament:

$25,500 High Roller NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 17:  20,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  1 of 50

There was over 150,000 in the pot with the flop reading when Alex Foxen bet 160,000 from the small blind. Kevin Rabichow called before the turn fell . Foxen bet 240,000, and Rabichow called again before the river delivered the .

Foxen fired out a million this time around, which was enough to put Rabichow all in. Rabichow tanked through multiple time chips before calling with , but he was behind the pocket jacks held by Foxen. Rabichow was eliminated in second with a nice payday worth $284,050, and Foxen took home the top prize of $426,075 along with his third LHPO guitar pick trophy.

That concludes our coverage from the high roller event, but stay tuned for a recap including an interview with the new champion Foxen to be released a little later this afternoon.

$25,500 High Roller NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 15:  15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 50

On the last hand before the break with the flop reading , Alex Foxen bet 220,000 and Kevin Rabichow called on the button. The turn was , Foxen bet another 380,000 and Rabichow called.

The river was and Foxen took some time to think about his next action. He used two 30-second time chips before he announced all in for 1,056,000. Rabichow thought about it but folded before his time was up to send Foxen the big pot.

The players agreed to change heads-up levels to 30 minutes and took a color-up break with an even match ahead of them.

Seat 1: Alex Foxen – 2,355,000 (94 bb)
Seat 2: Kevin Rabichow – 2,645,000 (106 bb)

$25,500 High Roller NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 14:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 50

Kevin Rabichow had raised to 60,000 preflop from the small blind when Thomas Boivin moved all in for 178,000 on the big blind. Rabichow called to cover so they flipped over their cards.

Rabichow:
Boivin:

Board:

Boivin was eliminated from the tournament in third place for a payday of $172,900, and Rabichow stacked up 3.45 million after the hand. That gives him a greater than 2:1 advantage over the 1.55 million held by Alex Foxen before the start of heads-up play.

Kevin Rabichow – 3,450,000 (172 bb)
Thomas Boivin – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($172,900)

$25,500 High Roller NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 14:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 50

Kristen Foxen (big blind) and Kevin Rabichow (UTG) had built a nice-sized pot on multiple streets with the board reading when Rabichow bet 300,000.

That led to Foxen getting all in with her tournament hopes pegged on K-J with trip Kings, but Rabichow held K-Q for the full house. Foxen was eliminated in fourth place, good for $117,325 in prize money, and Rabichow stacked up 3.43 million after collecting the pot.

Kevin Rabichow – 3,430,000 (171 bb)
Kristen Foxen – Eliminated in 4th Place ($117,325)

$25,500 High Roller NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts | Results
Level 14:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 50

Action folded to Justin Saliba in the small blind, he moved all in for 115,000 and Alex Foxen called in the big blind after a quick peek at his cards.

Foxen:
Saliba:

“I still think I win this,” Saliba said when he saw he had two live suited cards.

Then the dealer put out the flop to give Foxen trip kings.

“Oh” was all Saliba could say after that.

The board finished with the turn and river to send him out in fifth place.

Alex Foxen – 1,455,000 (73 bb)
Justin Saliba – Eliminated in 5th Place ($80,275)