By Alex Drummond, Editor-in-Chief · April 19, 2026 · Fact-checked by Maya Chen
Alex Foxen controlled Event #7 of the 2026 U.S. Poker Open from start to finish on Saturday, converting a dominant chip lead into a $210,000 payday and his 13th career PokerGO Tour title. The win came four days after his wife, Canadian star Kristen Foxen, took down Event #4 at the same series for $198,000. Together, the Foxens have earned $408,000 at this USPO alone, a feat without clear precedent in the history of the PokerGO Tour.
No married couple has ever won events at the same U.S. Poker Open. The Foxens, who married in 2021 and have been among the most visible partnerships in professional poker for half a decade, now hold matching event trophies from the same series. Between them they carry 18 PGT titles, more than $35 million in combined career earnings, and a reputation for performing at their best under exactly these conditions: high buy-ins, small fields, and intense final-table pressure.
Alex Foxen's Dominant Performance
Event #7, a $10,000 NLH that drew 70 entries and generated a $700,000 prize pool, was never really in doubt once Foxen seized control late on Day 1. The pivotal moment came on the money bubble, when Foxen's top two pair rivered a full house against Cary Katz's flopped set of sevens, sending Katz home as the bubble boy and catapulting Foxen to a commanding 4,820,000 in chips, more than half the total in play.
He entered the five-handed final table with a near three-to-one advantage over his closest challenger, Jeremy Ausmus, who was making his third final table of the series. Qinghai Pan, Aram Zobian, and Michael Berk all started the day with short stacks of 16, 11, and 10 big blinds respectively, leaving little room for creative play against Foxen's overwhelming position.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Alex Foxen | $210,000 |
| 2nd | Jeremy Ausmus | $136,500 |
| 3rd | Qinghai Pan | $94,500 |
| 4th | Aram Zobian | $70,000 |
| 5th | Michael Berk | $52,500 |
| 6th | Sam Laskowitz | $38,500 |
| 7th | John Andress | $28,000 |
The result extends Foxen's all-time live tournament earnings beyond $19.8 million, placing him among the top five on poker's all-time money list. His 13 PGT titles tie him for third most in PokerGO Tour history, a tally that includes two U.S. Poker Open victories (2022 and 2026), a Super High Roller Bowl win, and multiple PokerGO Cup titles.
How Kristen Set the Tone
The Foxen household's USPO sweep began on Tuesday, when Kristen won Event #4 by defeating Ausmus heads-up with a flopped set of sixes against pocket nines. The New Brunswick native entered that final table as the third-largest stack with 44 big blinds and systematically worked her way through a field that included Ausmus, Sam Soverel, and Brock Wilson.
Kristen's win was her fifth PGT title and second U.S. Poker Open victory, following her Event #1 triumph in 2025. It came barely three weeks after she finished fourth at the Triton Super High Roller Series Main Event in Jeju for a career-best $1,449,000. Her career earnings now exceed $15 million, making her the all-time leading female tournament earner by a wide margin.
| Kristen Foxen | Alex Foxen | |
|---|---|---|
| Event Won | Event #4 ($10K NLH) | Event #7 ($10K NLH) |
| Prize | $198,000 | $210,000 |
| Defeated Heads-Up | Jeremy Ausmus | TBC (final table recap pending) |
| Career PGT Titles | 5 | 13 |
| Career Earnings | $15.1M+ | $19.8M+ |
| Nationality | Canada | United States |
A Series of Power Couples
The Foxens were not the only couple making headlines at the 2026 USPO. Cherish Andrews and Brock Wilson, who are also partners, have dominated the leaderboard race. Wilson won Events #1 and #6, while Andrews won Event #3, and both have cashed multiple times throughout the series. PokerNews profiled the pair as the series' "power couple" after the first week of action.
But the Foxen narrative carries a different weight, in part because Kristen's Canadian roots make the story resonate across two countries. In an era when the global poker circuit can feel like an exclusive American affair, having a Canadian player at the centre of the series' most compelling storyline is significant. Players physically located in Ontario who follow the PokerGO Tour through GGPoker's coverage and social channels have been watching Kristen's career arc for years.
The Leaderboard Picture
With three events remaining in the series, including the prestigious $25,000 Championship, the USPO leaderboard remains tightly contested. Brock Wilson leads with two wins and consistent cashes, while Andrews, Ausmus, and Alex Foxen are all within striking distance. Kristen Foxen sits in the mix as well, though she would need a deep run in the final events to challenge for the Golden Eagle trophy.
The series concludes on April 25, with Events #8 ($15,000 NLH), #9 ($10,000 NLH), and #10 ($25,000 Championship) still to play. Given the Foxen household's current form, neither half of the partnership can be ruled out of the overall standings.
Why It Matters for Canadian Poker
Kristen Foxen's continued visibility at the highest levels of the game matters for Ontario's poker ecosystem for reasons that go beyond national pride. As Canada's all-time female earner and one of the most recognized players in the world, she serves as a bridge between the international circuit and the domestic market. Her results generate interest in the game at a time when Ontario's regulated rooms, particularly GGPoker Ontario, are working to grow their tournament player bases.
The timing is also noteworthy. GGPoker recently announced the $300 million World Festival starting May 3, the largest online poker series in history. Ontario players can access a dedicated version of the festival through GGPoker Ontario, and the overlap with WSOP satellite season creates an unusually rich tournament calendar for the province through June. For players inspired by what the Foxens accomplished this week, the on-ramp into competitive tournament poker has never been more accessible.