GGPoker ambassador Fedor Holz, one of the true greats of the game, has announced his semi-retirement from poker.
Holz, who has won two WSOP bracelets, including the $111,111 buy-in High Roller for One Drop event – which netted him $4,981,775 in 2016 – posted the news on X on Saturday night.
He acknowledged his six years as an ambassador with GGPoker, saying, "I started playing poker exactly half my life ago, and it has given me an incredible amount of freedom and opportunity. It allowed me to travel the world, meet amazing people, and build the life I have today. It will always be very special to me. Huge thanks to the team and to you, the community. It’s been a great ride, and I’m very grateful."
Holz said he and his partner are hoping to start a family in 2026 and that he is also launching an investment fund. In a subsequent reply, he said that he may play one or two Triton events a year, but his family and the fund will be his primary focus.
Fedor Holz: From Grindhouse to $50M in earnings
Holz's huge bracelet win wasn't even his biggest WSOP score. He finished second in the $1M buy-in Big One for One Drop in 2018, which saw him win his career-best score of $6M.
He's won four Triton titles, the biggest back in 2016 for just over $3M, and also lifted trophies on the EPT and WPT. In a tournament career that's spanned 14 years, Holz has recorded over $50M in tournament earnings, putting him 12th on the all-time money list.
Holz is also well known for his coaching retreats, known as Grindhouse. PokerOrg Player Advisory Board member Alex O'Brien found herself learning with Holz and others on a 10-day trip to the Alps that she wrote about for PokerOrg.
This isn't the first time Holz has talked about stepping away from the game. He first announced his 'retirement' back in 2016 but has added another $18M in cashes since then. This time, it feels like he means it.
Tributes have already started to pour in from players and fans. Alan Keating summed Holz up well when he posted just the one word: "Gangster."
