Xuan Liu Makes Triton History as Kristen Foxen Hits Eight Figures in Montenegro
The latest Triton Poker Series stop saw one of PokerStake’s finest, Kristen Foxen, climb over the $10 million mark in lifetime live poker earnings via The Hendon Mob, as Xuan Liu, became the first-ever female Triton Poker Tour event winner. It was a fun-packed World Poker Tour Global Slam event that concluded as part of the Triton Poker Series this week, with Daniel Dvoress falling just short of glory in Montenegro.
Maestral Resort Hosts Masters of the Game
The Triton Poker Tour proudly boasts that high stakes poker and luxury combine on the tour and this week’s WPT Global Slam certainly proved that. A massive 155 entries generated a massive $3,875,000 prizepool as Three Canadians featured in the top four, along with two women, Xuan Liu and regular PokerStake seller Kristen Foxen. The former would shatter a Triton record in her first-ever event while the latter would achieve something only one woman has ever done before in the same tournament.
Just 27 players cashed in the WPT Global Slam Triton event with Orpen Kisacikoglu (27th) and Jesse Lonis (26th) both sneaking into the money places for $39,000. Kristen’s husband, Alex Foxen, came 21st for $42,500 while Mikita Badziakouski (17th for $52,000), Seth Davies (13th for $64,000) and Chris Soyza (10th for $74,000) all got a little further up the ladder before ultimately falling short of the final table.
When the final nine convened, two swift departures for Theodore McQuilkin (9th for $86,500) and Lithuanian high roller regular Paulius Plausinaitis (8th for $105,000) kicked off the action with a bang. Chinese player Zhang Yu busted for $144,500 before Mike ‘Sir Watts’ Watson joined him outside the action in sixth place for $199,000.
German player Tom Fuchs exited in fifth place after losing a big flip to the Canadian Daniel Dvoress. The Canadian’s pocket sevens held against Fuchs’ king-jack and that gave Dvoress the chip lead as a clean board sent the German from the tournament, albeit with a very solid cash of $259,000 to his name.
Superb Liu Comeback Seals Maiden Female Win
“It would have been so good for poker.”
Four players remained in the hunt but not for long. As Kristen Foxen battled to stay alive in the event, her fellow female player took it upon herself to make sure she was the only one able to take the title. Foxen has played in dozens of Triton events and that is perhaps an even bigger achievement than picking up this trophy. Indeed, after Foxen’s king-eight lost to Liu’s king-jack and Foxen departed, she did so with $325,000 -enough to put the PokerStake player over the $10million mark.
“We should have got heads-up, it would have been so good for poker.” Liu said as Foxen wished her fellow female player – and the table – the best of luck.
Soon, three-handed play became heads-up. David Peters was the luckless player to miss out on the final duel, all-in with king-four on a king-high flop only to lose to Dvoress’ flush draw of a suited ten-seven. Peters needed to miss a club the six of clubs landed on the turn and play was sent heads-up, the American disappearing with $398,000 in third.
Heads-up, Dvoress had a 4:1 chip lead but Xuan Liu battled back to reduced her deficit to 3:1 then just 2:1. A series of small pots went her way and she was almost level when all the chips went in, Liu holding pocket fives and Dvoress hoping to hit with ace-queen.
If Liu could hold, she’d have a 10:1 lead, if Dvoress hit and overtook her hand, he would be Triton champion.
No ace or queen came across all five streets and Dvoress lost the lead in a big way. Now left with just 9% of the chips in play, he moved all-in in the next hand with ten-three, only to be called by Liu’s seven-six. A seven on the flop set Liu into the lead and Dvoress was drawing to a three-outer when a king landed on the turn. A nine was one card out on the river and Triton had its first female champion.
The Champion in Her Own Words
“I came to play this one event, and I told myself I was going to make it really count.”
After a thrilling finale, Liu’s comeback from 4:1 down saw her scoop the top prize of $860,000 – the biggest of her career.
“I came only to play this one event, and I told myself I was going to make it really count,” she said in the aftermath to Triton’s Henry Kilbane. “Obviously, this is beyond my wildest dreams.”
Liu also spoke about helping other women to play the game when asked about the rising stars of the female game.
“I think this is going to happen more and more,” she said. “I know so many talented women [who are] playing small stakes and mid-stakes, but in a few years, they’re going to be playing high stakes.”
When it came to her own personal success in this event, Liu was beyond delighted.
“I ran really hot. I know I really can’t hang on a day-to-day basis,” she smiled. “But this is what the beauty of poker is all about – anybody can get lucky on any given day. This is a career highlight, I don’t know if I can ever top this.”
Watch all the action with Ali Nejad and Randy Lew as it happened.
| $25,000 WPT Triton Montenegro Global Slam Final Table Results: | |||
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Xuan Liu | Canada | $860,000 |
| 2nd | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $579,000 |
| 3rd | David Peters | United States | $398,000 |
| 4th | Kristen Foxen | Canada | $325,000 |
| 5th | Tom Fuchs | Germany | $259,000 |
| 6th | Mike Watson | Canada | $199,000 |
| 7th | Zhang Yu | China | $144,500 |
| 8th | Paulius Plausinaitis | Lithuania | $105,000 |
| 9th | Theodore McQuilkin | Grenada | $86,500 |
