Kristen Foxen made her presence felt in the final event of the 2025 PokerGO Tour’s first series, leveraging her chip lead to apply relentless pressure on Stephen Song. With five players left and over $655,000 in prize money still in play, Foxen’s strategic aggression in a key hand forced Song to make a tough laydown, showcasing the dynamics of high-stakes tournament poker.
A Battle of Big Stacks
With blinds set at 50,000-100,000 and a big blind ante of 100,000, the hand began with Foxen raising to 200,000 from the cutoff. Song, sitting in the big blind, made the call. While this might seem like a standard preflop confrontation, the context made it anything but routine.
Foxen held the largest stack at the table, while Song, though second in chips, had to be mindful of three short-stacked opponents. The Independent Chip Model (ICM) considerations put him in a tricky spot—risking a big confrontation with Foxen could be costly, while maintaining his stack lead over the shorter stacks was crucial.
Applying Pressure on the Flop
The flop came down, and after a check from Song, Foxen fired out a continuation bet of 150,000. Song called, which hinted at some strength but didn’t necessarily mean he was willing to go deep in the hand.
For Foxen, this was an ideal moment to keep pushing. Even though she didn’t make a strong hand, she had a solid semi-bluffing opportunity. With her chip lead and position advantage, she could dictate the action, making it difficult for Song to comfortably continue unless he had a made hand.
The Turn Brings More Firepower
When the turn brought a second diamond, Song checked again. This was the perfect green light for Foxen to fire a more significant second barrel. She bet 650,000—about three-quarters of the pot.
Song, who had check-called on the flop with a Broadway gutshot draw, now faced a dilemma. The additional diamond increased the likelihood that Foxen had a stronger hand or a high-equity draw. Calling this bet would commit a large portion of his stack, and if he didn’t improve on the river, he could be in an even worse situation.
Rather than take the risk, Song folded, conceding the pot to Foxen, who extended her chip lead further.
The Stack Dynamics at Play
This wasn’t just a standard hand—it was a textbook example of how tournament poker at the highest level involves much more than just the cards. Foxen used her chip lead effectively, knowing that Song had more to lose than to gain by challenging her aggression.
Here’s how the stack sizes looked before and after the hand:
| Player | Stack Before | Stack After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristen Foxen | ~60 BB | ~65 BB | +5 BB |
| Stephen Song | ~37 BB | ~32 BB | -5 BB |
By forcing Song out of the pot, Foxen not only built her stack but also put Song in a more vulnerable position moving forward.
The Bigger Picture
This wasn’t the last time these two would tangle at the table. With Foxen continuing to lean on her opponents and Song trying to navigate his way through the ICM minefield, the battle for the PokerGO Tour title was far from over.
One thing was clear—Foxen had no plans to take her foot off the gas.
