Alex Foxen's standout call and Chris Moneymaker's bubble exit in the opening episodes.
SAN JOSE, CR / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Americas Cardroom Pros Alex Foxen and Chris Moneymaker were shown during ESPN's early coverage of the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event.
The tournament attracted 9,208 players and generated an $85,634,400 prize pool, including a $10 million first-place payout. As the field moved toward its final nine players, Foxen and Moneymaker delivered two notable moments from the event's early stages.
Foxen appeared during the opening episodes as ESPN followed his progress and decision-making. One featured hand showed Foxen facing an all-in wager of more than 50 big blinds from Vinh Nguyen.
Holding ace-jack, Foxen reviewed the action, considered Nguyen's previous play and listened to his table talk before calling. Nguyen revealed jack-ten, and Foxen's hand remained ahead through the board, earning him a 142,500-chip pot and eliminating Nguyen.
Moneymaker appeared during ESPN's "Bubble Cam" recap in Episode 3. The 2003 Main Event champion was eliminated during hand-for-hand play when his hand ran into Antonio Vargas' pocket aces.
Moneymaker, Stoyan Madanzhiev and Zhaken Seitbekov were eliminated simultaneously with only two minimum-cash positions available. The remaining $30,000 was divided equally among the three players, resulting in a $10,000 payout for each.
The result made Moneymaker one of the players whose elimination officially burst the Main Event money bubble. His appearance came 23 years after his 2003 victory helped expand televised poker and encourage a new generation of online qualifiers.
Foxen and Moneymaker represented different eras of tournament poker during the broadcast. Foxen's hand offered an example of modern high-stakes decision-making, while Moneymaker's elimination connected ESPN's coverage to one of the most influential stories in poker history.
A full recap of the Pros' appearances during ESPN's opening 2026 WSOP Main Event coverage is available on the Americas Cardroom Blog.
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SOURCE: Americas Cardroom
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