Fedor Holtz's Dominance: A Year of Live Poker Tournaments in 2016

Fedor Holtz had an extraordinary year in live poker tournaments in 2016. He won a total of $16,484,153, making him one of the most successful players of the year. His achievements included winning three of the most expensive open tournaments of the year. In January, he started with a victory in a $200,000 tournament on the Philippines. In May, he won the Super High Roller Bowl, sharing the prize with his friend Rainer Kempe. In July, he defeated Dan Smith in the One Drop tournament with a $111,111 buy-in.

Fedor Holtz announced his retirement after the World Series of Poker, but not before winning the EPT Super High Roller in Barcelona in November. Despite his retirement, he set a goal to read 40 useful books by the end of the year, tracking his progress on Twitter. He finished second in the GPI rankings for 2016, behind David Peters.

Jason Mercier also had a notable year, winning two bracelets during the World Series of Poker. He won $1,522,378 in prize money and made headlines when he proposed to his girlfriend Natasha during a WSOP tournament. Their wedding took place in November. Mercier's performances included three final table appearances in WSOP championships, where he won two bracelets. His bracelet bets earned him money comparable to his prize winnings.