This Week's Big Winner Fedor Holz Wins 2016 WSOP High Roller For One Drop

Fedor Holz cannot be stopped. The 22-year-old German poker pro won his fifth title of the year, defeating a field of 183 players to win the 2016 World Series of Poker $111,111 High Roller for One Drop along with his first gold bracelet and the first-place prize of $4,981,775.

“Normally I am good with words, but this time I really don’t know what to say. I just feel so overwhelmed and I didn’t think that it would be like this. I just feel like I’m in heaven right now,” said Holz after he emerged victorious.

This was Holz’s third seven-figure score of 2016. He has made 13 final tables this year and cashed for $14,517,350 along the way. With lifetime live tournament earnings of $18,495,174, he now sits in ninth place on the all-time money list and in first-place on Germany’s rankings. He also holds a large lead in the Card Player Player of the Year race.

Here are the five biggest hands that propelled Holz to the win.

Tournament: WSOP High Roller For One Drop
Buy-In: $111,111 • No. of Entries: 183 • Prize Pool: $19,316,565 • 1st Place Prize: $4,981,775

The Action
After taking out Nick Petrangelo in seventh place, Fedor Holz really began to climb the leaderboard and challenge Dan Smith for the biggest stack when a big cooler went down at the table. Jack Salter limped in from under the gun and Holz limped in from the button. Brian Green completed from the small blind, and Joe McKeehen checked his option from the big blind. The flop fell Q J 3 and it checked to Salter, who bet 1.45 million. Holz called, Green folded, and McKeehen moved all in for 7.2 million. Salter folded and Holz quickly called with A 10. A disgusted McKeehen turned over K 6 for the second-nut flush and the inconsequential turn and river of 7 9 didn’t help him. He picked up $829,792 for his cash.

The Action
On the very next hand, Fedor Holz moved in from the cutoff and Brian Green called all in from the button for his last 7.2 million. Green held pocket jacks and was ahead of Holz and his A 9, but the board ran out A 5 5 A 6, giving Holz a full house and another knockout. Green, who used an epic run at the blackjack table to fund his tournament buy-in, was awarded $1,117,923 for his fifth-place showing.

The Action
On the third hand in a row, a player was eliminated. With a dead button and only two short stacks behind him, Fedor Holz moved all in from the cutoff and Jack Salter called all in from the small blind for 9.6 million. Koray Aldemir thought it over for about a minute before folding what he claimed was A-Q and Salter turned over pocket tens. Holz had just K 7 and needed some help, which he got immediately in the form of a K Q 6 flop. The turn was the 5, leaving Salter with just one out to survive. The river was the J and Salter was eliminated in fourth place, earning $1,536,666.

The Action
After losing a substantial chip lead, Fedor Holz raised to 1.8 million from the button and Dan Smith three-bet to 6 million from the big blind. Holz called and the flop came down J 8 6. Smith bet 4.1 million and Holz called. The turn was the 6 and Smith checked. Holz bet 5.4 million and Smith called. The river was the 9 and Smith checked again. Holz moved all in for 18.975 million. Smith went into the tank for quite a while, clearly agonizing over his decision. Eventually, Smith called with 9 8 for two pair, but Holz turned over 6 5 for turned trips to double up into a 3-1 chip lead.

The Action
With a big chip lead heads-up, Fedor Holz limped in on the button and Dan Smith raised to 2.5 million from the big blind. Holz opted to move all in and Smith quickly called with A 9. Holz was drawing live with 8 7, but the flop came down 10 9 2, giving Smith a pair of nines. Holz was still 32 percent to win if he could hit his open-ended straight draw or a runner-runner flush or two pair. He didn’t have to wait long, as the 6 peeled off on the turn, leaving Smith drawing dead. The inconsequential river card improved Smith to two pair, but it wasn’t enough to beat Holz’s flush. Smith earned $3,078,974 for his runner-up finish, the largest score of his career. Holz banked nearly $5 million for his win, making him Germany’s all-time live tournament earnings leader with almost $18.4 million.

Final Table Results

1. Fedor Holz — $4,981,775
2. Dan Smith — $3,078,974
3. Koray Aldemir — $2,154,265
4. Jack Salter — $1,536,666
5. Brian Green — $1,117,923
6. Joe McKeehen — $829,792
7. Nick Petrangelo — $628,679
8. Niall Farrell — $486,383