Tag: Alex Foxen

Often, when writing about poker, an image of the little old woman who lived in a shoe pops into my head. She had so many children she didn’t know what to do. And here I am writing about poker, a game that builds beautiful butterflies, while the rest never make it out of the chrysalis, drowning in their juices.
Another day.
Another article.
The little old woman who lived in the shoe is here again. I can see her fragility, and I can hear the echoes of her screams. The blinkers lost, the earplugs not to be found.
It’s the final day of the Super High Roller Bowl V (SHRB). A $300,000 buy-in, a $10m prize pool, and a £3.67m first prize.
That’s more than enough shoes.
I can choose any angle, like the one where partypoker’s Isaac Haxton finally binks his major title.

He is the chip leader after all. What about the thought of Ali Imsirovic or Stephen Chidwick winning their second major Poker Central title in 12-months. The Poker Masters and US Poker Open winners are choosing to avoid a leg wax to play in the final, later, today.
What about the brilliant Spaniard, Adrian Mateos, who is in the frame to win his fifth major title, after leaving his homeland as a pup, and is now travelling the world, tearing poker games apart like a rottweiler.
And then you have the most obvious angle of all.
Alex Foxen.
The Global Poker Index (GPI) #1 ranked player in the world, and the favourite to take the mantle of GPI Player of the Year (PoY) from the savvy Spaniard who just filled the paragraph above.
He has made the final table of the SHRB.
If I were 12, I would write OMG.
But I am not going to focus on any of these stories (or the caterpillars that crawl over the eyes of the man sitting opposite me), I am going to focus on Igor Kurganov and Talal Shakerchi.
£3.67m is life-changing money.
If Kurganov or Shakerchi win it, then it becomes life-saving.
The two of them have made it their vocation to serve others through philanthropy. Shakerchi ploughs millions into his vision of a better future for earthlings, and Kurganov does the same as a board member of Raising for Effective Giving (REG),
I know I could be doing everyone else at the table a disservice, but I know, like a toothpick knows where the Chia Seeds hangout, that these two people will save lives.
So that’s where I am going to go with it.

Life-Savers Talal Shakerchi & Igor Kurganov Make the SHRB Final Table

Here’s how they did it.
Day 1 began with 36-entrants, and Rick Salomon ended the day leading the final 27-players.
You can read the write up of Day 1, right here.
Here are the hits of Day 2.

Alex Foxen’s TT Bests AK & AK For Triple Up

Alex Foxen’s tournament line was at risk nice and early when he got it in three-ways with Dan Cates and Dan Smith. Cates was the only player not at risk of elimination. Foxen was the aggressor, and showed TT, and was as cheerful as chips when he saw the two Dan’s both held AK. The tens held up; Smith fell into the rail, Cates took a considerable blow to the solar plexus and Foxen tripled-up.

Alex Foxen v David Peters

If you were to let AI choose the two best live multi-table tournament (MTT) players in the world so we could see them duke it out like Ali v Frazier style, then the names Alex Foxen and David Peters would fly out of the printer.
The GPI #1 & #2 clashed in a cooler of a hand that left Peters on life support. Both players flopped huge on QdQs2h with Foxen holding QTo, and Peters ahead with QJcc. Peters check-raised to 58,000, and Foxen called. The 7h arrived on fourth-street and both players checked. The river was the Ts, giving Foxen the best hand. Peters bet 150,000, Foxen shipped it for 278,000, and Peters called. Foxen showed the nuts and Peters fell to 9k. A hand later, and Salomon snaffled them up when his pocket nines beat a K7o that looked as depressed as the man holding them.

Stephen Chidwick Takes the Chip Lead

Before Alex Foxen was on top of the world, Stephen Chidwick held that position for a very long time. The UK pro became a real force in this one when he opened from the first position, Rick Salomon called in late position, and then Alex Foxen three-bet from the big blind. Both Chidwick and Salomon called, and the dealer placed Tc8s4c onto the felt. Foxen checked, Chidwick bet 42,000, Salomon raised to 142,000, Foxen folded, and Chidwick called. The 3s arrived on the river, and Salomon maximised the pressure by moving all-in once checked too. Chidwick took his time before making the call. Salomon was chasing with 96cc, and Chidwick held the slight advantage with T9ss for top pair. The 4d floated down the river, and Chidwick doubled into the chip lead.

Daniel Negreanu Eliminates The Former Champion

Justin Bonomo became the only former champion in with a shout of creating deja vu after Daniel Negreanu eliminated the 2015 winner, Brian Rast. The PokerStars man opened to 12,000 from midfield, Dan Cates and Ali Imsirovic called in position before Brian Rast moved all-in for 145,000 from the big blind. Negreanu followed suit, and neither Cates nor Imsirovic wanted a piece of the action. Negreanu showed queens, Rast ATo, and the ladies reigned supreme.

We Lose The Day 1 Chip Leader

Rick Salomon has featured in three $1m buy-in Big One for One Drop Final Tables. He knows the way to reach the end zone of these things, but won’t be repeating that feat. After falling short, the Day 1 Chip Leader moved all-in with A5o, and Sean Winter called and beat him with A9cc.

Alex Foxen Takes Control

Then we had two huge hands that propelled Foxen into the lead.
The GPI #2 raised to 14,000 from the button, Sean Winter three-bet to 55,000 from the blinds and Foxen called. The dealer placed 9h6c3d onto the flop. Winter had flopped top set, and Foxen an open-ended straight draw. Winter bet 60,000 and Foxen called. The Qh appeared on fourth-street to give Foxen a flush draw. Winter bet 145,000, Foxen shipped it, and Winter made the quick call. The players focused on the space where the river would land, and after a daydream or two, the Ts took its place. Foxen hit his straight. Winter was out.
Then Alex Foxen opened from the cutoff, Justin Bonomo called in the small blind, Nick Petrangelo three-bet from the big blind to 70,000, Foxen raised to 178,000, Bonomo left the party, and Petrangelo called. The dealer delivered Kh5h3s onto the flop, Petrangelo checked, Foxen bet 95,000, and Petrangelo called. The action checked through to the river on a 3c and Th board. Petrangelo bet 175,000, Foxen moved all-in for 1.2 million, Petrangelo called and was shattered to see that his full house (TT) never stood a chance against the KK of Foxen. The GPI #1 was the chip leader. Petrangelo was out.

We Lose the SHRB V Champion

We know one thing.
Whoever wins this thing will be doing so for the first time.
Justin Bonomo, who was first to act, opened to 14,000, Isaac Haxton called in the hijack, Foxen squeezed to 57,000 from the button, Bonomo moved all-in for 710,000, Haxton folded, and Foxen made the call and had his opponent crushed KK>A4hh. Bonomo found no joy on the board and would have to sit this one out, after winning the Las Vegas and Macau events earlier this year.

Daniel Negreanu Eliminated by Stephen Chidwick

The play moved into the bubble phase after Stephen Chidwick removed the dangerous Daniel Negreanu from the equation. Both players were staring at a 6c3s2d flop when the US Poker Open Champion bet 50,000, Daniel Negreanu raised to 100,000, Chidwick made it 250,000, and Negreanu called. The 9d arrived on fourth-street, Chidwick bet 150,000, Negreanu moved all-in for 444,000, and Chidwick called. Negreanu showed pocket sevens but was way behind the T9o of Chidwick who had turned a pair of nines. The 4s ended the action, and Negreanu left his seat.

Mikita Badziakouski Bubbles the SHRB V

Stack depth saw the remaining eight players compete for three hours before we anyone made any money. Mikita Badziakouski opened to 40,000 from the first position and then moved all-in after Stephen Chidwick had three-bet to 150,000 from the big blind. Badziakouski called and showed AK; Chidwick showed TT and won the flip to set up our final table.
And I never even mentioned Shakerchi or Kurganov once.
Why did I choose that poxy headline?
Maybe tomorrow.
Here are the final table chip counts:
The Super High Roller Bowl V Final Table
1. Ali Imsirovic – 875,000
2. Stephen Chidwick – 2,405,000
3. Isaac Haxton – 2,415,000
4. Igor Kurganov – 1,550,000
5. Talal Shakerchi – 995,000
6. Alex Foxen – 1,590,000
7. Adrian Mateos – 975,000
The action begins at 4 pm (ET) on Wednesday 19 December where we will crown a winner. In the meantime, the remaining seven players have had some broth without any bread, and after being whipped soundly are now all in bed.