Kristen Foxen was down to her last card in the World Series of Poker Main Event on Saturday. Now she is now the brink of making history.
The professional poker player is the last woman standing in the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship and was fifth in chips with 18 players remaining when action concluded early Sunday at Horseshoe Las Vegas.
The Main Event resumes at 2 p.m. Sunday at Horseshoe Las Vegas with Day 8 and will continue until the final table of nine players is set. Malo Latinois of France is the overall leader with 61.3 million chips (77 big blinds).
Foxen is seeking to become the second woman to reach the final table of the Main Event in its 55-year history. Barbara Enright finished fifth in 1995.
“I’m just hoping that I can show other women not to be intimidated. To feel confident, like we belong here. Let’s beat them if we want to,” Foxen told WSOP.com.
Foxen was one of two women in the field at the start of Day 7 and saw her chip stack slowly dwindle during the afternoon. She was down to five big blinds after the dinner break and went all-in with ace-five but was called by Brazil’s Gabriel Moura holding pocket queens.
After the flop and turn didn’t improve Foxen’s hand, leaving her on the brink of elimination, she hit one of the two remaining aces in the deck on the river to double-up and stay alive. Foxen then went on a late-night heater and ended with 47.4 million chips (59 big blinds).
Shundan Xiao of San Jose, California, started Day 7 second in chips but was eliminated in 28th place for $300,000 leaving Foxen to chase history.
The leaderboard features players from nine countries, including poker pro Diogo Coelho of Portugal in second place with 51.5 million (64 big blinds) and Canada’s Jason Sagle 51.4 million (64 big blinds). Niklas Astedt of Sweden, one of the best players in the history of online poker, is fourth with 50 million (63 big blinds).
Other notables still remaining include professional poker players Joe Serock (46.3 million, 58 big blinds) and Brian Kim (42.4 million, 53 big blinds).
But the spotlight will be on Foxen, one of the world’s top tournament players. She is the only woman with four WSOP bracelets, which are awarded for tournament victories, and has more than $7.7 million in career live tournament earnings, according to the Hendon Mob Poker Database.
“I’m excited to go sleep and get some rest. That was really, really intense. Probably the most intense day I’ve ever had,” Foxen told WSOP.com. “Definitely needed to muster up all of my strength and perseverance because I had a couple of frustrating hands where I folded the best hand. I don’t know if he’s bluffing or value-betting, or whatever. Down to five big blinds and ran it back up, just feels great.”
Top 10 Chips
1, Malo Latinois (France) 61,300,000
2, Diogo Coelho (Portugal) 51,500,000
3, Jason Sagle (Canada) 51,400,000
4, Niklas Astedt (Sweden) 50,000,000
5, Kristen Foxen (Canada) 47,400,000
6, Joe Serock (United States) 46,300,000
7, Malcolm Franchi (France) 45,900,000
8, Jason James (Canada) 45,800,000
9, Brian Kim (United States) 42,400,000
10, Jessie Bryant (United States) 27,600,000
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.