Fedor Holz won his sixth title of 2016 taking down the EPT Barcelona Super High Roller (Photo courtesy PokerStars/Neil Stoddart)

Just a month ago Fedor Holz, fresh off of winning the first World Series of Poker bracelet of his career, told the world he was retiring from poker. He had already made plans to play the first European Poker Tour event of Season 13 in Barcelona, but after that he was going to take an extended break from poker and then only play recreationally.

Seems like waiting until after EPT Barcelona was the right call.

On Monday Holz beat out Sam Greenwood heads up to win the EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller and €1,300,300 ($1,471,000 US). It’s his fifth win since June and sixth of 2016 overall. He now has $19,968,302 in lifetime earnings.

The final table included some of the best players in the world and it was one of the best High Roller players of all time who was the first final table casualty on just the fifth hand of play. Ahadpur Khangah limped from early position, Erik Seidel moved all in from the button for 860,000 before Greenwood re-shoved from the small blind for 1,250,000 and Julian Stuer moved all in over the top of everybody for 2,140,000. Khangah called and the four players table their hands.

Khangah had As5s, Seidel had 9c9s, Greenwood KhKs and Stuer was stuck in the middle with TdTs. The board ran out QsJh4hJs2h and Seidel was eliminated in ninth place while Stuer was left short stacked and Greenwood more than tripled up.

Stuer managed to last another 45 minutes before he saw his tournament end with a eighth place finish with Greenwood being the beneficiary yet again. Action folded to Greenwood in the small blind and he moved all in. Stuer called from the big blind for 535,000 and tabled Qs2c while Greenwood showed Ks8s. The AhQdJs flop put Stuer ahead but only temporarily as even though the 6s turn was a blank, the Kd river gave Greenwood a bigger pair.

Greenwood picked up his third elimination of the day just 20 minutes later. The Canadian poker pro raised to 250,000 from UTG, Daniel Dvoress, seated directly on Greenwood’s left, moved all in for 1,640,000. Action folded back to Greenwood and he called. Dvoress showed 8d8h but found out he was trailing Greenwood’s TdTh. The board ran out Qh9h4d5c5d and Dvoress was eliminated in seventh while Greenwood took over the chip lead.

Just three hands later Holz stopped the Greenwood Express, picking up his first elimination of the final table. Holz raised to 225,000 from UTG. Everybody folded to Sylvain Loosli in the big blind and he moved all in for 2,000,000 and Holz called. Loosli, who won this event last year, had 8h8s and was racing against Holz’s AcKd. The AsQh2h flop put Holz ahead and he stayed there through the 7s turn and Th river, sending Loosli out in sixth.

Greenwood got busy again 30 minutes later when action folded to him in the small blind and he moved all in. Khangah called all in from the big blind for 1,120,000. Greenwood was ahead with As7h to Khangah’s KdJd. The JcTc4c flop gave Khangah the lead but only temporarily as the Ah turn gave Greenwood top pair and the 8c was a blank, sending Khangah home in fifth place and giving Greenwood his fourth elimination of the day.

Alexandros Koloniaswas the next to fall. Timothy Adams raised to 300,000 from UTG, Kolonias moved all in for 2,175,000 from the button before Fedor Holz came over the top all in, forcing Adams to fold. Kolonias happily tabled KcKd and was ahead after Holz turned over 9c9d. The Ac9s8d flop changed everything though as Holz improved to a set. The 4d turn and 4h river gave Holz a full house and meant the end of the line for Kolonias in fourth place.

Holz, Greenwood and Adams played three-handed for a little over an hour a Canadian-on-Canadian encounter ended the run for one of them. Greenwood raised from the button to 400,000, Holz folded his small blind and Adams moved all in from the big blind for 5,315,000. Greenwood called and turned over AcKc while his fellow Canadian showed 2c2d. The KsQd5c flop put Greenwood in front and after the Qs turn and Ts river, Adams was out in third place with Greenwood and Holz nearly tied in chips.

Despite starting with nearly identical stacks, Holz quickly pulled away from Greenwood and on the 16th hand of heads up play secured the win. Greenwood moved all in from the button and Holz called. Greenwood got bad news after turning over his 6h5h when Holz showed AhKh. The flop came Kc9d7c to give Holz top pair and Greenwood a gutshot. The 4c turn turned Greenwood’s gutshot into an open-ender but the Qd river was no help and Greenwood was eliminated, leaving Holz to celebrate his recent retirement with a seven-figure score.