May 16-17
Fedor Holz's win at Triton Montenegro is his 22nd recorded victory, according to The Hendon Mob.
- 1STFedor Holz$407,189
- 2NDAleksejs Ponakovs$407,189
- 3RD
Nick Petrangelo$245,000 - 4THLeonard Maue$203,000
- 5TH
Mike Watson$164,000 - 6TH
Jean-Noel Thorel$129,000 - 7TH
Mikhail Soltanov$99,000 - 8TH
Orpen Kisacikoglu$74,000
Ten long years ago, Fedor Holz won the first-ever Triton tournament in the Philippines, a $200,000 high roller with a final table that included poker heavyweights Steve O'Dwyer and Phil Ivey.
The German uberpro doesn't play as much poker a decade later. In fact, he semi-retired just a couple of months ago to focus more on family and other interests. But Holz still makes his way to the Triton tour to battle against the best in the world for nosebleed stakes, and he has done well for himself with five titles and over $21M in earnings since he sat down for that first win in 2016.
Still got it
Holz's fifth title, his first since 2024, came on Sunday in Montenegro, where he sliced through 111 entries to take down the $40K Mystery Bounty for just over $528K. He also grabbed 11 bounties in the process, with a minimum value of $40K each, so that number will jump once all of the envelopes are pulled.
"It means a lot," Holz told Triton after the win. "The first Triton was definitely very different from 10 years later. They've come a long way. They put together the best tournament series in the world, and there's a reason why this is the one I play once or twice a year. I have an incredible time. It's just the best tournament series there is."
Holz entered the Day 2 bounty round in the second spot on the leaderboard behind Leonard Maue, and both Germans cut a smooth path to a final table that also included high-stakes stalwarts like Mike Watson, Nick Petrangelo, Jean-Noel Thorel, and Aleksejs Ponakovs. Maue would lead the way into the final seven with Holz right behind him and Ponakovs leading the pack of trailers.
Aleksejs Ponakovs nearly pulled off a miracle after the heads-up deal. Triton rookie Milhail Soltanov would duck out first, followed by Thorel and Watson. Maue spent the early stages of the final table handing off his top chip stack, and his day would come to an end in four-handed play at the hands of Holz.
Meanwhile, Ponakovs spent that time chipping up, and Holz was running away with the lead. Petrangelo drifted off into third, and heads-up play started with Holz holding 145 big blinds to the 32 of Ponakovs.
They cut a deal and put some money aside to play for the trophy, setting up what was supposed to be a quick win for Holz. Ponakovs, however, would win the next 13 hands in a row to take the unlikely lead.
The final two traded miracle double-ups before Holz found the advantage just as the $50K was nearing the end of registration across the room. Ponakovs tried to bluff his way back into it, but Holz called with a pair of queens, and the tournament was over.
The six-figure win is just a drop in the bucket compared to over $50 million in lifetime earnings, but Holz can still hang with the best in the world whenever he wants. He'll have more opportunities with 12 more events on tap at Triton Montenegro, including the $200K Triton Invitational and the $100K Main Event.
Images courtesy of Triton Poker.
