Alex Foxen took down the final open event of the PokerGO Tour season, besting 83 entries in event no. 6 of the PGT Last Chance series to earn $232,400 and 232 PGT points. This was the 12th career PGT title for Foxen, who overtook the top spot in the PGT points race heading into the season-ending PGT $1,000,000 Championship freeroll.
Foxen, a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, now boasts over $56.4 million in career tournament earnings across over 490 recorded cashes. This was his 34th overall victory on the circuit.
The 34-year-old poker pro also secured 480 Card Player Player of the Year points, kicking off his latest POY campaign with a bang. He now sits just outside the top ten in the 2026 standings presented by CoinPoker.
Setting The Stage
The $830,000 prize pool in this $10,000 no-limit hold’em turbo event was ultimately split among the top 12 finishers. Plenty of big names ran deep, including bracelet winner and World Poker Tour champion Matthew Wantman (12th), bracelet winner Byron Kaverman (11th), 10-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel (10th), bracelet winner Philip Sternheimer (9th), and three-time WPT champion Chino Rheem (8th). Rheem cashed in four of the six events offered during this festival, including a third-place showing in event no. 5 that finished earlier on the same day.
Seven-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh was the chip leader when the final table began. Mike Zulker (7th – $33,200) and Aram Oganyan (6th – $41,500) were among the early eliminations. Bracelet winner and two-time WPT champion Jonathan Little was the next to fall, with his A♥6♥ outrun by the K♠Q♥ of Arieh. The Card Player contributor earned $58,100 as the fifth-place finisher.
Arieh bowed out in fourth place ($78,850) when his A-9 suited failed to hold up against the K-4 of event no. 3 winner Brandon Wilson. Shortly after that, Foxen won a key preflop race with 10♠10♥ against the A♦Q♦ of Wilson. He then doubled again, picking up A-K in the big blind facing an effective shove from the small blind by Wilson with Q-2. Foxen’s hand remained best through a jack-high runout to see him take the lead.
Closing Out The Victory
Bracelet winner Andrew Lichtenberger got the last of his stack in with 10♥8♠ from the small blind and was called by Wilson’s A♣4♦ from the big blind. The flop came down 10♣5♠3♥ to give Lichtenberger top pair and the lead. The 8♥ turn then improved him to two pair, leaving Wilson in need of a deuce on the end. The 2♦ appeared to give him the wheel and the knockout. Lichtenberger earned $107,900 as the third-place finisher.
Wilson held the chip lead after scoring that elimination, but Foxen soon gained the advantage. Then Wilson turned the tables yet again with A-4 suited besting K-3 in a big all-in confrontation. Foxen was down to just a handful of blinds at one point, but soon mounted a comeback that climaxed with his K♠7♠ making a straight on the river to best Wilson’s A♥J♠.
Foxen then picked up A♥Q♥ in the final hand of the series facing a button shove from Wilson, who held J♥10♠. After Foxen called, the board came down 7♦6♥5♥9♠5♦ and Foxen’s ace high earned him the pot and the title. Wilson took home $149,400 as the runner-up. He now has $446,850 in total earnings for the year thanks to his success at this festival.
The five Dream Seats from this series were awarded to David ‘ODB’ Baker, Neil Warren, Clemen Deng, Chi-Jen Chu, and Jeremy Becker, putting them in the mix for the PGT $1,000,000 Championship that kicks off on Monday, Jan. 12.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Alex Foxen | $232,400 | 480 | 232 |
| 2 | Brandon Wilson | $149,400 | 400 | 149 |
| 3 | Andrew Lichtenberger | $107,900 | 320 | 108 |
| 4 | Josh Arieh | $78,850 | 240 | 79 |
| 5 | Jonathan Little | $58,100 | 200 | 58 |
| 6 | Aram Oganyan | $41,500 | 160 | 42 |
| 7 | Mike Zulker | $33,200 | 120 | 33 |
Photo credit: PGT / Antonio Abrego.
