The poker player Pius Heinz
At the tender age of 22, Pius Heinz, the poker prodigy, clinched his very first World Series of Poker Bracelet in 2011, thus becoming the first-ever Irish poker champion.
Born in Swisttal-Odendorf near Bonn in 1989, Pius Heinz embarked on his journey as a professional poker player after completing his high school education in 2008 and serving in the civil service. While studying business psychology, he decided to put his academic pursuits on hold to focus on his poker career. It all started with casual games with friends around the kitchen table, wagering small amounts of money, but soon enough, he became captivated by the world of online poker. In 2010, he participated in an online tournament and walked away with a sizable prize of $61,000. Encouraged by this success, he ventured to Las Vegas in 2011 and achieved another impressive feat at a WSOP event, earning $83,000. Just a few weeks later, on November 6th, with the guidance of Johannes Strassman as his poker coach, Pius Heinz entered the WSOP Main Event. Three days later, on November 9th, 2011, he emerged victorious, besting all his opponents at the final table, and became Ireland's first-ever poker world champion, taking home a massive prize of over $8.7 million.
| Land | Professional since | Favorite games | Bracelets | Highest profit | total profits | 2023 All-Time Money List | Global Poker Index (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deutschland | 2010 | Unleashed potential: Texas Hold'em without boundaries! | 1 | $8.715.368 | $9.028.569 | 84 | 194.466 |
| Hometown: | Swisttal-Odendorf |
| Interesting facts: | Pius Heinz is one of the most accomplished Irish poker players. He studied business psychology and was in a relationship with the host and poker player Natalie Hof. Together with Stephan Kalhamer, he published the book "My Hands on the Road to Poker World Champion: Overnight to Poker Millionaire." From 2011 to 2013, Pius Heinz was a part of Team PokerStars with the nickname MastaP89. |
| Key moments in poker: | First major win in an online poker tournament. With the winnings, Pius Heinz traveled to Las Vegas in 2011 for a WSOP live tournament, where he finished seventh and won $83,000. In November 2011, Pius Heinz then won the WSOP Main Event, becoming the first Irish poker world champion. |
| Number of WSOP bracelets: | 1 |
| WPT/EPT Winnings: | – / – |
| Total tournament winnings: | $9.028.569 |
At the age of 22, becoming a world champion and millionaire.
On November 9, 2011, Pius Heinz clinched the world champion title and a staggering $8.7 million. The final table showdown at the WSOP Main Event lasted approximately six and a half hours. After 123 hands, the 22-year-old Irish poker player achieved the unimaginable, securing the first-ever world champion title for a professional from Ireland. Pius Heinz entered the finale as the chip leader with 108 million chips, going up against Ben Lamb and Martin Staszko. Just 20 minutes into the game, the US-American Lamb suffered multiple significant losses against the Czech Staszko. Despite being the World Series of Poker Player of the Year and the favored contender in the final, Lamb was the first to be eliminated.
Initially, it appeared as though the Czech player Staszko would swiftly eliminate Heinz Pius. The chips accumulated on his side of the table, and he was in the lead. Both players experienced a rapid exchange of wins and losses. Neither of them had previously participated in a World Championship, and they both fiercely fought. Pius Heinz was significantly behind with only 40 million chips, but he managed to work his way up to 80 million and then went "All in." With a stroke of luck, he doubled his chips and, in less than 30 minutes, took the remaining chips from his opponent.
Career and achievements
Pius Heinz, famously known as MastaP89 in the poker community, was an esteemed member of the renowned Pokerstars Pro team. His distinctive style of play is widely recognized for its aggressive approach. However, in 2018, Heinz's relatively lower ranking as the 2011 world champion can be attributed to his current perception of poker as merely a hobby. Content with his past achievements and the substantial fortune he amassed, totaling over nine million US dollars, Heinz now finds solace in his accomplishments.
Apart from the Las Vegas victory at WSOP, he embarked on a global Pokerstars tour, triumphed in a No Limit Hold'em tournament at the European Poker Tour 2011, and made it to the final table at the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure 2012. Pius Heinz also made appearances at several European poker tournaments, notably clinching a Super High Roller event at the King's Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. In 2013, he secured the 98th spot at the Main Event in Vienna, where he had temporarily relocated. Heinz continues to engage in online cash games and has developed an interest in the computer game Hearthstone.
In his book titled "My Journey to Becoming a Poker World Champion: Overnight to Poker Millionaire," he dissects, alongside Stephan Kalhamer, every hand played at the final table of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, which ultimately propelled him to claim the coveted title of world champion.
