Fearless Bicknell Aiming for More Success
Kristen Bicknell has two World Series of Poker bracelets to her name: The Ladies Event in 2013 and $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Bounty (Event #46) in 2016. Originally from St. Catharines, the 31-year-old partypoker sponsored pro now lives in Toronto and should definitely be considered as a shark in a big ocean when it comes to poker. More than $1.7 million in cashes on the live circuit speak for itself and Bicknell also has millions over millions of hands on the virtual felt to her name as well. The last few months especially have been quite impressive with one deep run after another.
Four cashes at the 2017 WSOPE, a victory in a $5,300 Side Event at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic in December 2017 and five cashes at the 2018 Aussie Millions were accompanied by a 10th place in the partypoker sponsored Latin American Poker Championship in Punta del Este for $9,000. But the best was yet to come.
For the first time Bicknell traveled to Macau along with her boyfriend and rising American poker star Alex Foxen, and both made the headlines. The Canadian earned her second biggest score (HK$2,192,000 ~ $279,549) and another final table appearance just one week later. Remarkably, both Bicknell and Foxen won their High Roller events in Macau with ace-six, proving the idiom ��Lucky at cards, unlucky in love�� wrong.
"We just came off final tabling the 25K High Roller final table together, and on our last poker trip to Macau in the first event, while I was winning the event, he was chip leader in the next event and ended up winning the Super High Roller there. Since we started dating, we have a lot of run good. I know that he is really good and really supportive of me and I feel that he is a very positive influence on my game, and mentally. We have both taken things of each other's games and that helped each other, being happy, having someone to travel with and being there. Even while I am playing the tournament, we are writing all the time and it feels like we are playing together."
As mentioned by the Canadian, the record-breaking partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Barcelona festival with �23,000,000 in guaranteed prize pools kicked off nicely for both as well. In the first of two �25,500 Super High Rollers, which attracted a field of 88 entries, Bicknell and Foxen both reached the final table and cashed for �60,000 and �90,000 respectively.
Especially confidence can play a major role at poker and the awareness of Bicknell has increased thanks to the relationship. "One thing I have taken from Alex is the strongest part of his game, and that is confidence, his fearlessness. In poker it is easy to feel intimidated, that you are not the best, especially when sitting down with players that are better with solvers. But it's important to realize that's just one part of the game and I have my strengths, too. Learning to be confident with what you have and understanding that everyone has weaknesses, everyone has strengths. When you feel confident in your game, and in your decision making, that's when you play your best poker."