Alex Foxen: ESPN Broadcast Star at the 2026 WSOP Main Event

ACR Poker's new ambassador takes the spotlight on ESPN

The 2026 WSOP Summer Series proved to be one of the most successful in Alex Foxen's career. In just two months, one of the world's top tournament professionals won his fourth bracelet and earned over $2 million in prize money. Playing for the first time as a member of Team ACR Poker and wearing the poker room's patch, the US player was a central figure on the Main Event television broadcast.

ESPN's cameras repeatedly returned to Foxen's table during the Main Event broadcast, and for good reason. He consistently found himself in compelling spots, made difficult decisions under pressure, and relentlessly applied his trademark aggressive style against opponents. His entertaining run earned exceptional coverage from the official WSOP YouTube channel, which published three separate videos dedicated entirely to his play at different stages of the tournament.

A tough coinflip and comeback on Day 4

The first episode covers Day 4 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event, where Alex Foxen displays his signature aggressive style and gradually builds his stack by constantly pressuring his opponents.

He actively participates in hands, forcing his opponents to make tough decisions, but one of the day's key moments goes against him.

Hitting A♠K♠, Foxen calls Dylan Smith's all-in with pocket queens. A classic coin flip ends with Smith winning, leaving Foxen with about 20 big blinds. However, instead of trying to claw back his lost chips quickly, Foxen remains calm and continues to play his style.

He gradually rebuilds his stack through clever situational choices, pressuring his opponents, and precise postflop play.

The most exciting hand of the day comes against David Savage.

Savage opens the pot with T♠T♣, raising to 2 big blinds, and Alan Helfenstein calls with K♥J♥. Foxen calls in the big blind with 9♥8♣, deciding to see the flop.

On the flop of 7♠5♠4♣, Savage continues his aggression with a small bet of about a third of the pot. Foxen check-calls with a gutshot. Helfenstein gives up and folds.

On the turn, the 6♦ changes the situation: Alex hits a straight. Foxen bets 30,000 into a pot of about 120,000. Savage quickly calls.

The river is the 4♥. The pot already holds about 185,000 chips, leaving Foxen with 140,000. Alex pushes his remaining stack to the center of the table, trying to put maximum pressure on his opponent. After a brief moment of deliberation, Savage folds his T♠T♣.

Foxen shifted into aggression mode on the bubble

The second episode covers the Main Event  bubble, when most players are focused on surviving long enough to secure a payout. While many medium stacks avoid confrontation and tighten up their ranges, Foxen takes full advantage of the situation.

Armed with a solid stack, he opens a high volume of pots, relentlessly applies pressure with wide opening ranges, and forces his opponents into difficult decisions. His aggressive approach allows him to dictate the action and control the pace of the game at the table.

ESPN commentators repeatedly point to this aspect of his strategy. Foxen constantly puts pressure on players for whom a mistake before the money could prove extremely costly.  Even hands like 6♠5♦ or 6♣4♠ become leverage, allowing him to take down multiple pots without a fight.

The only opponent who regularly responds to Foxen's aggression is Bruno Neves. Their confrontation runs throughout the episode.

One of the key hands features Neves catching a full house on the river and luring Foxen into a trap with a small block bet. Foxen responds with a raise, only to face a large re-raise that leaves him with a tough decision.

Despite this loss, he barely changes his playing style. Foxen continues to apply relentless ICM pressure, aggressively attacking opponents and remaining the most noticeable player at the televised table.

Flawless reads and one of the best calls of the tournament

The third episode presents a different version of Foxen. By this stage of the tournament, he has built one of the largest stacks at the table and uses it to dominate the action.

Hand after hand, he is the aggressor, opening pots, firing 3-bets, and relentlessly applying pressure to opponents who are forced into difficult decisions against one of the world's top tournament players.

One of the episode's most compelling aspects is watching Foxen adjust his strategy in real time. Earlier in the day, he frequently attacked with preflop raises, but as the dynamics evolved, he expanded his calling range and increasingly exploited opponents in postflop situations.

The commentators repeatedly point out that Foxen refuses to settle into a predictable rhythm. Instead, he constantly changes gears, making it nearly impossible for the rest of the table to adjust to his approach.
The episode culminates in a spectacular call against Wing Wong.

After a series of conversations at the table, Foxen concludes that his opponent is trying to apply pressure with a weak hand and decides to call all-in with A♠J♦.

His read turns out to be spot-on: Wong is indeed bluffing with J♥T♥. After the showdown, even his opponent can't hide his surprise and asks the question that instantly becomes the main meme of the episode:

"How did you make that call?"

It's decisions like these that explain why ESPN directors kept returning to Foxen's table during the Main Event broadcasts.

Chris Moneymaker becomes the 2026 ME WSOP bubble boy

Besides Alex Foxen's dazzling performance, one of the most memorable moments of the 2026 WSOP Main Event broadcast was Chris Moneymaker's unexpected elimination from the tournament. 

The 2003 WSOP Main Event winner and Foxen's ACR Poker Team colleague found himself at the center of a dramatic ending on the bubble.

Chris Moneymaker approached the bubble with a stack of about 27 big blinds. In the hijack, he opened with J♠9♦ and called his opponent's three-bet.

On the board of 8♥7♦7♣7♠8♣, Moneymaker check-called three times, hoping to see a bluff or split the pot. However, at showdown, his opponent showed A♠A♦, which turned into a higher full house.

The hopes for a deal were dashed, and one of the most famous players in poker history exited the 2026 WSOP Main Event as a bubble boy.

Despite his elimination, Moneymaker received a consolation prize for being one of the tournament's bubble boys. This episode served as yet another reminder of the brutality of the Main Event, where even poker legends can find themselves in a situation where a single hand can decide the fate of a multi-day tournament.

Alex Foxen's 2026 WSOP Results

Alex Foxen drew attention for reasons beyond his performance in the 2026 WSOP Main Event. Following the series, the US player:

• $2,067,005 in prize money.
• 14 cashes.
• 1 bracelet win.

Foxen also holds third place in the WSOP Player of the Year ranking, standing just 29 points behind leader Shaun Deeb, maintaining an excellent position in the race for the series' top individual title.

His 2026 WSOP performance further cemented his reputation as one of the most universal tournament players in the game. His performance in the Main Event not only earned him points in the WSOP POY rankings, but also made him one of the central figures of the televised broadcast, with cameras repeatedly returning to his table throughout the tournament.