Kristen Foxen Goes Back-to-Back: Wins PokerGO Tour Kickoff Main Event Again

High-Stakes Action at the Final Table

The final table began with seven players, and Kristen Foxen held more than double the chips of her closest competitor. Neil Warren, sitting as one of the shortest stacks, was the first to exit after his ace-eight shove couldn’t hold against Joao Simao’s queen-ten suited. Warren earned $37,200 for his seventh-place finish.

Nick Seward followed in sixth place for $46,500. His final hand saw him move all in with ace-jack suited, only to run into Foxen’s ace-king. The board came out with low cards and no flush, further cementing Foxen’s dominance as she increased her already formidable stack.

With five players remaining, Foxen controlled an incredible 60% of the chips in play. However, the game wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for her. A pivotal three-way hand saw her pocket threes go up against Andrew Moreno’s ace-king and Simao’s ace-nine. The board ran out 7 4 7 4 9 , giving Simao a critical triple-up with a rivered pair of nines and sending Moreno to the rail in fifth place with $65,100.

After that hand, Foxen retained the chip lead but briefly had to recalibrate her approach as Simao gained momentum. Nevertheless, she soon regained control by eliminating 2024 PGT Player of the Year Jeremy Ausmus in fourth place. In a hand where Foxen called a three-bet with ace-high versus Ausmus’s king-high, she hit a straight on the river, leaving Ausmus with less than half a big blind. He was eliminated on the very next hand, taking home $83,700 for his efforts.

Some Critical Moments Leading to Heads-Up Play

Stephen Song entered three-handed play as the short stack but managed to hold his ground temporarily. In a crucial hand, Song moved all in with ace-king but couldn’t overcome Simao’s ace-jack when the board ran out low. Song exited in third place for $111,600, and Simao’s win in the hand brought him nearly level with Foxen in chips heading into heads-up play.

Before the heads-up match began, Foxen and Simao agreed to an even chop of the remaining prize pool, with each player securing $197,625. The trophy, however, and the valuable PGT points remained on the line.

Heads-Up Battle and Final Hand

Simao briefly held the chip lead during the early stages of heads-up play. However, Foxen quickly regained her footing, setting up the most important hand of the tournament. On the button, Simao raised to 700,000 with A 10 , and Foxen called with 9 7 . The flop came 7 4 3 , giving Foxen top pair. Simao check-raised from 550,000 to 1,700,000 with ace-high, but Foxen refused to fold.

The turn brought the 8 , and both players checked. On the river, the 8 paired the board and completed a possible flush. Simao moved all in for over 4 million chips, attempting a bold bluff with ace-high. Foxen made the call with her pair of sevens, clinching her second consecutive PGT Kickoff Main Event title.

Final Table Results

Kristen Foxen’s Growing Legacy

With this win, Kristen Foxen adds $197,625 to her live tournament earnings, which now exceed $9 million. Her back-to-back victories in the PokerGO Tour Kickoff Series Main Event are just one example of her consistency in high-stakes tournaments. As the 2025 PokerGO Tour season continues, Foxen leads the leaderboard with 525 points, and her sights remain set on adding more accolades to her storied career.

If you’re looking for more reasons as to why Foxen is almost unmatched, check out her previous victories:

• Five and Counting: Kristen Foxen’s Historic WSOP Success
• Kristen Foxen Beats Poker Legend in PGT Kickoff $10 100 Finale