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Fedor Holz: Germany’s Greatest Poker Champion and the Architect of the Legendary 2016 Run
Fedor Holz is a German professional poker player widely recognized as the greatest tournament player Germany has ever produced and one of the most spectacular performers in the history of live poker. Born on July 25, 1993, in Saarbrücken, he rose from online obscurity to international dominance within a few short years, reaching the pinnacle of his career in 2016 when he amassed over $16 million in live tournament earnings in a single calendar year — the third-highest single-year total in poker history. With two WSOP bracelets, two WPT titles, an EPT championship, three Triton Super High Roller victories, and more than $50 million in documented live earnings, Holz built one of the most impressive records in modern high-stakes poker before scaling back his schedule to pursue business and personal goals outside the game.
Fedor Holz’s Personal Life
Fedor Holz was born on July 25, 1993, in Saarbrücken, a city in the Saar region of southwestern Germany. He grew up in a middle-class household and developed an interest in strategic games and competitive activities from a young age. His path to poker began through online card rooms, where he discovered a natural aptitude for game theory and mathematical reasoning that would come to define his professional style.
During his peak years as a professional player, Holz became as well known for his openness about mental performance and mindset as for his results at the table. He worked extensively with mindset coach Elliot Roe, whom he credits as a major influence on his transformation from a talented online grinder to a dominant live tournament force. This collaboration inspired Holz to co-found Primed Mind, a mindset coaching app built on the same audio-based approach Roe used with him.
Beyond the poker world, Holz has positioned himself as a businessman and investor. He co-founded PokerCode, a poker training and community platform aimed at developing the next generation of professional players, and later launched a Vienna-based investment group. As of early 2026, Holz stepped down from his ambassador role with GGPoker after six years, citing plans to start a family and a full focus on his investment fund. He stated publicly that he intended to make one or two selective Triton appearances per year but no longer wished to maintain a full professional schedule. Despite his reduced volume, he remains Germany’s all-time leader in live tournament earnings.
Fedor Holz’s Beginning in Poker
Fedor Holz began his poker career online under the screen name “CrownUpGuy,” and by 2014 and 2015 he had established himself as one of the very best multi-table tournament players in the world, earning recognition from PocketFives as the top-ranked online MTT player two years in a row. In September 2014, he won the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) for $1.3 million — a career-defining online result that demonstrated his ability to perform at the highest level under pressure.
His transition into live poker came at the 2015 World Series of Poker, where he finished 25th in the Main Event for $262,574, announcing his presence in the live game. That same year he captured the WPT Alpha8 Las Vegas title and began building a reputation at Super High Roller tables worldwide.
The full flowering of his live career arrived in 2016. Over the course of that extraordinary year, Holz won six tournaments, cashed 24 times, and accumulated $16,093,401 in live tournament earnings. The stretch included victories at the WPT Philippines Super High Roller, the EPT Barcelona Super High Roller, and the WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop — an unprecedented three-continent run of dominance at the game’s most prestigious high-roller events. He entered 2016 as an emerging talent and exited it as the top-ranked player on the Global Poker Index, having dethroned a field of established veterans on every continent where elite poker is played.
Fedor Holz’s Strategies and Playing Style
Fedor Holz approaches poker as a systems problem first and a people problem second. His game is built on a foundation of rigorous mathematical modeling, solver-informed strategy, and a deeply internalized understanding of game theory optimal play. In an era when GTO concepts were just beginning to enter mainstream poker discussion, Holz was among the first generation of players who built their entire technical framework around equilibrium thinking from the ground up, which gave him significant edges over opponents still operating primarily on heuristics and feel-based adjustments.
What set Holz apart beyond pure technical skill was his mental composure under pressure. His work with mindset coaching allowed him to approach each decision with a level of focus and emotional regulation that most players struggle to maintain across long sessions. He famously described his 2016 run not merely as a product of good cards but as the convergence of technical preparation and the mental clarity to execute at a high level in high-pressure situations — a philosophy he later formalized through Primed Mind and PokerCode.
In terms of table dynamics, Holz is aggressive and fearless. He enters pots with balanced ranges, puts opponents in difficult spots with well-timed bluffs, and maintains the kind of credibility across street-by-street betting that forces opponents into costly mistakes. His short-deck expertise reflects his broader ability to master new formats quickly: three of his Triton titles came in short-deck events, a variant with different fundamental equities and hand rankings that rewards those willing to rebuild their understanding from scratch. His playing style — technically precise, mentally grounded, and adaptable to any format — represents the archetype of the modern high-stakes tournament professional.
Fedor Holz’s Greatest Achievements
Fedor Holz’s career is defined first and foremost by the 2016 calendar year, a stretch of dominance that may never be replicated. In that single year he won the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop for $4,981,775 and his first WSOP bracelet, took down the EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller for €1,300,300, won the WPT Philippines $200,000 Super High Roller for $3,072,748, and finished second in the Super High Roller Bowl for $3,500,000. His $16 million total that year ranks third all time for a single calendar year, behind only Antonio Esfandiari in 2012 and Dan Colman in 2014.
His career-best live cash came in 2018 at the $1,000,000 buy-in WSOP Big One for One Drop, where he finished runner-up to Justin Bonomo for $6,000,000, the largest single payday of his career. He secured his second WSOP bracelet in 2020 with a victory in the online WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up Championship for $1,077,025. On the Triton circuit, he accumulated three titles, establishing himself as one of the most effective performers in the world’s highest buy-in events.
Holz is also Germany’s all-time leading live tournament earner, having surpassed the previous national record years ago and extended it well beyond the $50 million mark.
Fedor Holz in WSOP
| Year | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $111,111 High Roller for One Drop | $4,981,775 |
| 2020 | $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em (Online) | $1,077,025 |
Other Achievements
Fedor Holz’s titles outside the WSOP span the three biggest tour series in global poker. At the World Poker Tour, he won the 2015 Alpha8 Las Vegas Super High Roller for $1,500,000 and the 2016 WPT Philippines $200,000 Super High Roller for $3,072,748. At the European Poker Tour, he captured the 2016 Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller for €1,300,300 ($1,447,000), a victory he has called one of the most skillful performances of his career given the quality of the field.
On the Triton Super High Roller Series, Holz has three titles, including back-to-back Triton victories across different events. His Triton wins largely came in Short Deck events, a format in which he has been particularly dominant. Beyond his wins, he has an extensive record of final table appearances in six-figure and seven-figure buy-in events, including a runner-up finish in the 2018 Big One for One Drop ($6,000,000) — the largest single cash of his career.
Top 10 Biggest Cashes
| Place | Prize | Event | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | $6,000,000 | WSOP $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop | 2018 |
| 1st | $4,981,775 | WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop | 2016 |
| 2nd | $3,500,000 | Super High Roller Bowl I ($300,000) | 2016 |
| 1st | $3,072,748 | WPT Philippines $200,000 Super High Roller | 2016 |
| 4th | $2,100,000 | Triton Cyprus $200,000 Coin Rivet Invitational | 2022 |
| 3rd | $1,830,000 | WSOP Paradise $100,000 Triton Main Event | 2024 |
| 1st | $1,500,000 | WPT Alpha8 Las Vegas Super High Roller | 2015 |
| 1st | $1,300,300 | EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller | 2016 |
| 1st | $1,077,025 | WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up NLHE (Online) | 2020 |
| 2nd | $1,014,400 | PCA $100,000 7-Handed | 2023 |
FAQ about Fedor Holz
How many WSOP bracelets does Fedor Holz have?
Fedor Holz has two WSOP bracelets. His first came in 2016 when he won the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop for $4,981,775. His second came in 2020 when he won the online WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship for $1,077,025.
What is Fedor Holz’s total live tournament earnings?
Fedor Holz’s total documented live tournament earnings are $50,096,698 according to the Hendon Mob database, making him Germany’s all-time leading live tournament earner. His best single cash was $6,000,000, earned by finishing second in the 2018 WSOP Big One for One Drop behind winner Justin Bonomo.
How much did Fedor Holz win in 2016?
Fedor Holz won $16,093,401 in live tournament cashes during 2016, the third-highest single-year total in poker history at the time, behind only Antonio Esfandiari’s 2012 total and Dan Colman’s 2014 total. That year he cashed in 24 tournaments and won six of them, including his first WSOP bracelet, the EPT Barcelona Super High Roller, and the WPT Philippines Super High Roller.
What is Primed Mind and what does it have to do with Fedor Holz?
Primed Mind is a mindset coaching app co-founded by Fedor Holz in partnership with mindset coach Elliot Roe. The app delivers audio-based guided sessions designed to improve focus, performance, and mental clarity. Holz credits his work with Roe as a key factor in his 2016 breakthrough, and he launched Primed Mind to share the same approach with a broader audience. The app grew to over 50,000 users within its first six months.
What is PokerCode?
PokerCode is a poker training and community platform co-founded by Fedor Holz. It is designed to help aspiring and intermediate players improve their game through structured learning, solver-based analysis, and direct access to high-level coaching. The platform reflects Holz’s belief that disciplined, systematic study — combined with strong mental fundamentals — is the path to becoming a consistently elite player.
Where is Fedor Holz from?
Fedor Holz was born on July 25, 1993, in Saarbrücken, Germany. He grew up in the Saar region of southwestern Germany and began his poker career online before transitioning to live tournaments. He later relocated to Vienna, Austria, where he based his startup ventures including Primed Mind and his investment fund.
What was Fedor Holz’s online poker alias?
Fedor Holz played online poker under the screen name “CrownUpGuy,” a handle that became well known in the multi-table tournament community when he was ranked the best online MTT player in the world by PocketFives in both 2014 and 2015. His success under that alias set the stage for his dominant transition into live high-stakes play.
Has Fedor Holz retired from poker?
Fedor Holz first stepped back from full-time poker in late 2016 at age 23 to focus on business ventures including Primed Mind and PokerCode, but he continued playing selectively. In March 2026, he chose not to renew his GGPoker ambassador contract, citing a desire to focus on starting a family and launching an investment fund. He has indicated he plans to make one or two appearances per year at Triton events but does not intend to return to a full professional schedule.
How many Triton Poker titles has Fedor Holz won?
Fedor Holz has won three Triton Super High Roller Series titles. His Triton wins include victories in Short Deck events and No-Limit Hold’em formats at some of the highest buy-in levels offered on the global circuit. His 2016 Philippines win was jointly recognized as both a WPT and Triton title, as the event was co-sanctioned by both series.
What was Fedor Holz’s biggest career cash?
Fedor Holz’s biggest career cash was $6,000,000, earned by finishing second in the 2018 WSOP Big One for One Drop, the $1,000,000 buy-in charity event. He was defeated heads-up by Justin Bonomo, who won $10,000,000 for first place. Despite the runner-up result, the $6 million prize stands as the largest single tournament score of Holz’s career.
Did Fedor Holz ever win an EPT title?
Yes. Fedor Holz won the 2016 EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller for €1,300,300. He has called this victory one of the most skillful performances of his career given the caliber of the field. It was part of his remarkable 2016 run in which he won major titles on three different continents within a single calendar year.
