Fedor Holz is just 32 years old, but already has more than $52.7 million in career tournament earnings. A huge chunk of the German wunderkind’s total haul has come from his incredible success in Triton Super High Roller Series events. He won the very first Triton event ever held nearly a decade ago, taking down a $200,000 buy-in event in June of 2016 for nearly $3.5 million. Since then he has gone on to win five trident trophies, accumulating over $21.8 million in Triton earnings along the way.
Holz’s latest triumph saw him defeat a field of 111 entries in the $40,000 no-limit hold’em mystery bounty event at the 2026 Triton Montenegro festival presented by CoinPoker. He earned $528,811 from the main prize pool as the last player standing, accumulating 11 bounty envelopes along the way. The mystery bounty drawing is set to take place one day after this event concluded. Each envelope contains $40,000 or more, which means Holz is assured of adding $440,000 to his earnings from this event.
“It means a lot,” Holz told Triton staff after his latest win. “The first Triton was definitely very different than 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 became just the ninth player in the tour’s history to have won five or more titles. He is currently tied with Phil Ivey, Bryn Kenney, Mikita Badziakouski, Danny Tang, and Mike Watson for third on the titles leaderboard. Only Jason Koon (12 titles), Matthias Eibinger (six titles) and Punnat Punsri (six titles) have more.
Early Action From Day 2
The strong turnout for this event made for a $4,440,000 total prize pool, with half of that set aside for bounties.
The final day began with 23 players remaining and just 17 set to cash in from the main prize pool. The bubble burst thanks to a double-knockout from Holz, sending Alex Theologis packing empty-handed while Lee earned $35,500 as the first to bust inside the money.
Several other big names then hit the rail on the march to the final table, including Christoph Vogelsang (13th), Joao Simao (11th), and Punsri (10th). Leonard Maue won a flip against Punsri to send the six-time champion packing with $45,500 for his efforts.
A player who has requested anonymity then fell in ninth place ($55,500), leaving Maue out in front with eight remaining. Orpen Kisacikoglu was the next to be sent packing. He got the last of his stack in with A♠3♦ leading the 9♣7♦ of Holz in a battle of the blinds, but the board came down 9♦7♠7♥8♦6♥ and Kisacikoglu was eliminated in eighth place ($74,000). The bracelet winner from Turkey now has more than $24.6 million in career cashes.
Seven To Four
A three-way all-in spelled the end of Mikhail Soltanov’s run in seventh place ($99,000). The Russian got all-in after a flop of 8♥6♥4♠ with K♥Q♥. He was up against Michael Watson, who had gotten all-in preflop with A♥10♦, and Aleksejs Ponakovs, who bet enough after the flop with 10♥10♣ to put his remaining opponent at risk. The turn brought the A♣ to give Watson the lead. The 3♠ river changed nothing, though, and Soltanov was eliminated. Watson won the main pot, while Ponakovs took the side pot.
Jean-Noel Thorel then ran pocket sixes into the pocket jacks of Nick Petrangelo to finish sixth ($129,000). The French all-time money leader made a full house when three queens hit the board, but his hand was still second best. He now boasts nearly $28.8 million in career cashes after this latest deep run.
Mike Watson’s run ended thanks to a preflop cooler, with his pocket tens running into the pocket queens of Ponakovs. The chips went in with Watson opening from the hijack and then four-bet jamming over Ponakovs’ small three-bet from the cutoff. Neither player connected with the ace-high, paired-board runout and Watson was eliminated in fifth place ($164,000). The triple crown winner from Canada now has nearly $38.2 million in lifetime cashes to his name.
Ponakovs overtook the chip lead heading into four-handed play thanks to this knockout.
Holz Surges
Ponakovs and Holz squared off in a massive pot during four-handed play. Ponakovs min-raised to 160,000 from the cutoff with K♦Q♦ and Holz defended his big blind with J♣9♣. The flop came down Q♣10♠2♣ and Holz checked with his open-ended straight draw and jack-high flush draw. Ponakovs bet 125,000 with his top pair, king kicker and was met with a check-raise to 475,000. The Latvian tournament crusher then three-bet to 1,100,000 and Holz called. The Q♠ turn improved Ponakovs to trips. Holz fired 1,100,000 and then called when Ponakovs clicked it to 2,300,000. The 8♣ on the end gave Holz a winning flush. It checked through and Holz won the massive pot to overtake the top spot on the leaderboard.
Holz’s lead expanded even further when he picked up pocket queens in the big blind facing a button limp from Maue, who held A♥5♣. Holz made it three big blinds to go and Maue limp-jammed for just over 17 big blinds (1,725,000) total. Holz quickly called and the board ran out 10♦5♥3♥8♠J♥ to end Maue’s tournament in fourth place ($203,000).
It looked like Holz might have a setback when he ran pocket threes into the pocket tens of Nick Petrangelo, but the 5♣4♠3♠ flop gave Holz a set and the lead. The J♣ turn and A♥ river were no help to Petrangelo and the World Poker Tour champion, two-time bracelet winner, and trident trophy owner settled for $245,000 as the third-place finisher.
Ponakovs Comes Back, Then Slides
The final showdown began with Holz holding 18,150,000 to the 4,050,000 of Ponakovs. The two reportedly struck a heads-up deal that redistributed the prize money a bit, with $508,811 guaranteed for Holz and $407,189 for Ponakovs. The two tournament heavyweights left $20,000, the remaining two bounties, and the title to play for.
The early action favored the short stack. Ponakovs won a hefty pot with nine high at showdown after check-raising the flop with only backdoor draws and check-calling the turn after picking up a gutshot straight draw. Holz floated the flop with a lower gutshot of his own and stabbed at the turn, but the action checked through on a board-pairing river and Ponakovs’ 9♥8♥ was enough to take the pot at showdown.
Not too long after that, Ponakovs won another big pot, this time with flopped trips against a bricked straight-flush draw for Holz. With that, Ponakovs edged into a narrow lead.
Ponakovs remained ahead when the next major clash arrived. Holz raised to 650,000 on the button with 5♦3♦ and Ponakovs called with A♣8♣ in the big blind. The flop came down A♠K♥7♠ and Ponakovs checked with top pair. Holz fired 550,000 with his three to a wheel and the turn 2♥ gave him a fully-fledged gutshot. Ponakovs checked again and Holz slid out a 3,000,000 semi-bluff. Ponakovs came along and the 4♠ rolled off on the end, giving Holz a straight while making a flush possible. Holz moved all-in when checked to and Ponakovs went into the tank before calling the 6,350,000 jam. Holz’s wheel earned him the pot and the massive lead.
🌊 How to turn the tides heads-up.
– Fedor Holz (@CrownUpGuy) pic.twitter.com/hibKHczV8W
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) May 17, 2026
Ponakovs Works Quick Spin Up, Only To Have Holz Bounce Back And Close It Out
Ponakovs was left on fumes after that, but managed a quick double up with pocket aces to get out of the danger zone. The very next deal, his K-10 bested Q-8 to see him quickly back up to 13 big blinds. A few hands later, Ponakovs was all-in again, this time with pocket fives against A-4. The pair held up and Ponakovs was up to nearly 30 big blinds.
The lead changed hands soon after that, and Ponakovs expanded the advantage to nearly 2:1 before his momentum was halted. Holz limped for 500,000 total with A♠J♠ on the button and Ponakovs jammed for 6,800,000 effective with 8♥4♥. Holz called and held to swap positions.
The next hand was the last of the tournament. It began with Ponakovs limping from the button with 10♥3♠ and Holz checked with Q♣10♠. The flop came down K♠Q♥9♠ and Holz check-called 1,000,000. The 5♠ turn drew another check from Holz. Ponakovs fired 850,000 and received a call. Holz checked again when the K♥ paired the board. Ponakovs moved all-in for 5,750,000 and Holz went into the tank. He eventually made the call to win the pot and the title.
Ponakovs earned the $407,189 he negotiated for. The Triton champion and three-time bracelet winner now has more than $41.5 million in career cashes. This was his seventh final-table finish of the year. The 700 Card Player Player of the Year points he earned for second place grew his total to 3,800, which is currently good for fourth place in the POY standings presented by CoinPoker.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Fedor Holz | $528,811 | 840 |
| 2 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | $407,189 | 700 |
| 3 | Nick Petrangelo | $245,000 | 560 |
| 4 | Leonard Maue | $203,000 | 420 |
| 5 | Michael Watson | $164,000 | 350 |
| 6 | Jean-Noel Thorel | $129,000 | 280 |
| 7 | Mikhail Soltanov | $99,000 | 210 |
| 8 | Orpen Kisacikoglu | $74,000 | 140 |
Photo credits: Triton Poker.
