Alex Foxen won his first WSOP bracelet at the 2022 Super High Roller, a $250k buy-in event for $4,563,700. At the time of writing he ranks 21st on the all-time money list and is a two-time GPI Player of the Year.
Foxen won his first-ever live tournament at the 2012 WSOP Circuit Event at Harrah’s New Orleans at age 21. He would soon graduate from Boston College and turn professional two years later.
So far in 2024, Foxen has won the $25K Lucky Hearts Poker Open and a WSOP Online Circuit series. This year alone, he has cashed for over $1.2M. Foxen has career earnings totaling more than $32M.
Foxen is a co-founder of Chip Leader Coaching. Check out CLC’s new training program – Bracelet Hunter. Follow Alex on X and IG.
What’s one bit of essential prep you do before any big tournament or cash game session?
Visualize winning.
What piece of strategy advice did you get when you first started playing that you wish you had ignored?
I started playing poker pretty much on my own; I didn't have a group of people to talk to for quite some time. So, I was able to learn in a way that kind of insulated me from a lot of potentially stupid advice.
I guess one thing that I would say is that I went into poker with a misguided assumption: I wanted to win every hand. Folding was losing, and losing a pot was a bad thing. I later discovered that, for me, making the best decision was the ultimate goal.
What's the dumbest thing you've ever seen or done at the poker table?
I like to think that it's not something I've done. I don't think I have any cool stories of seeing something crazy at a casino. But the stupidest thing I've ever seen was everyone wearing masks and playing with plastic dividers between each seat at a casino.
What's your most memorable hand?
My most memorable hand happened during the Five Diamonds event in 2017. I got second place and chopped with Ryan Tosoc. We were five or six-handed, and Sean Perry ran a triple barrel bluff against me on a 
board. (I forget the exact board) I had 
, and he overbet the river. I ended up calling and was right.
This was my first big tournament score and a big breakthrough for me. This hand was also super pivotal to my position at the final table. If I had folded, I would have been one of the shorter stacks. If I called and lost, I would have been really short. But calling and winning, I would be one of the bigger stacks at the table. That's one of my most memorable pots.
What's your single best piece of advice for players?
Be obsessed with the game. Love the game. If you don't love the game, you won't make it. You have to want to be there every single day. You have to want to get better every day and love the process. You have to love the battle to reach being one of the best. Otherwise, the game is not for you.
If you owned a poker room, who's the first player you'd want to sign as an ambassador, and why?
Honestly, I think it would be Andrew Lichtenberger. I think he's an excellent ambassador for the game. He has a wide range of talents and also an understanding of different types of people.
He sees the game from a perspective that is quite aligned with mine. He's also a very personable and great guy.
Images courtesy of the WPT
