Best German & European Poker Players Shaping the High Roller Scene

Last Updated on October 13, 2026 by Bala Kumar

Walk into any super high roller event today, whether it’s a Triton Poker stop in Montenegro, an EPT high roller in Monte-Carlo or a $250,000 buy-in at the WSOP, and European poker players are everywhere at the final tables. They don’t just take part in the high roller poker scene anymore. They help run it.

This guide covers the best German poker players, the wider group of European stars winning the biggest tournaments in 2026, and how they compare with the most famous American poker players. Every earnings figure below is taken from the player’s PokerNews profile, which uses Hendon Mob live results. You’ll find links to each record in the sources section at the end.

How Europe Compares at the Very Top

On the current PokerNews all-time money list, the top 25 breaks down like this:

Source: PokerNews all-time money list, checked October 13, 2026.

The seven Europeans in that group have earned a combined $406.8 million in live tournament earnings, based on their individual profiles. America still has more players at the top, but Europe has the second- and fourth-highest earners in history, and in 2026 European players have won several of the biggest tournaments of the year.

The Best German Poker Players

1. Fedor Holz: $50,681,510

Germany’s all-time leader

Fedor Holz won the first Triton Poker tournament ever held, in the Philippines in 2016, and he’s still winning there a decade later. In May 2026, he took the $40,000 Mystery Bounty at Triton Montenegro, beating 111 entries for his fifth Triton title and his first in over two years. He banked $528,811 after an ICM deal, plus bounty envelopes on top.

Why he matters: Holz stepped back from full-time poker years ago and has still stayed at the top of German poker. Players who study his game tend to notice how patient he is. He rarely forces close spots, even at the highest stakes.

2. Christoph Vogelsang: $47,025,847

Germany’s #2, closing the gap

Christoph Vogelsang has had a remarkable 12 months. He won the $100,000 Main Event at Triton Jeju in 2025 for $4,099,975. In May 2026, he followed it with the $50,000 NLH 7-Handed at Triton Montenegro, a 118-entry field with a $5.9 million prize pool, winning $1,037,858 for his third Triton title.

Why he matters: At 40, Vogelsang proves elite high roller poker isn’t just a young player’s game. Germany’s top spot is now a genuine two-man race.

3. Rainer Kempe: $23,534,768

Rainer Kempe’s career-best score is one most players dream about: $5,000,000 for winning the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl in 2016. His first WSOP bracelet came much later, in the 2025 $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty, for $892,701.

Why he matters: Kempe was a high-roller regular for nearly a decade before winning a bracelet. It’s a useful reminder of how much variance there is, even for the world’s best.

4. Koray Aldemir: $23,271,015

Koray Aldemir holds poker’s most famous title: 2021 WSOP Main Event champion, worth $8,000,000. He also has a Triton Main Event title, and he won a second WSOP bracelet at WSOP Paradise in December 2025, in a $10,000 8-Game Mix event.

Why he matters: Winning a mixed-game bracelet shows where elite poker is heading. The top players can no longer rely on Hold’em alone.

One to watch: Leonard Maue

Leonard Maue reached two Triton final tables in one week in Montenegro. He finished 4th in Holz’s Mystery Bounty for $203,000, then made the final three in Vogelsang’s $50K event.

Europe’s Top High Rollers

These are the European poker players in the all-time top 25, using live earnings from their individual profiles:

*O’Dwyer’s figure comes from the PokerNews money list; his individual profile couldn’t be checked. He and Vogelsang are separated by only a few thousand dollars, so their order may change with any new result.

Adrian Mateos (Spain) is having the best year of any European. In 2026 he won the $200,000 Triton Invitational in Montenegro for $6.37 million, then the $250,000 Super High Roller at the WSOP for $4.33 million and his sixth bracelet. That’s more than $10 million from two tournaments.

Stephen Chidwick (UK) is the highest-earning European of all time. In 2026 he finished runner-up in the €100,000 High Roller for One Drop at EPT Monte-Carlo for €1,325,700, and he’s cashed in high rollers on almost every major tour this year.

Aleksejs Ponakovs (Latvia) has climbed fastest of anyone on this list. His profile showed about $22.6 million in early 2024; it’s now $42.8 million. His 2026 wins include Triton’s 150K10thAnniversarySpecial(3.03 million) and the €25,000 High Roller at EPT Monte-Carlo (€839,430).

Mikita Badziakouski (Belarus) won the biggest score on this list: $7,114,500 for the $1 million Big One for One Drop at the 2023 WPT World Championship.

Famous American Poker Players: The Benchmark

Here are the most famous American poker players at the top of the money list:

Kenney and Koon checked against their profiles; the others are from the PokerNews money list.

The 2026 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller showed how close the rivalry is. Spain’s Adrian Mateos won it, America’s Bryn Kenney finished second, and Jason Koon was fifth.

Why Europe Produces So Many High Roller Winners

1. The online boom never fully stopped. While US online poker was cut back after 2011, European players kept playing huge volumes online. Holz, Mateos and Ponakovs all built their skills in online tournaments before moving into live high rollers.

2. A study-first culture. German and Austrian players in particular are known for training groups and solver work. The level of preparation is why they stay competitive as fields get tougher.

3. Big events close to home. The European Poker Tour and Triton’s regular European stops, such as Montenegro this year, give players regular high-stakes tournaments without needing to travel to Las Vegas.

What Recreational Players Can Learn From Europe’s Elite

• Study more than you play. Europe’s high-roller culture is built on review and theory, not just volume.
• Learn more than one game. Aldemir’s 8-Game bracelet shows the value of being versatile.
• Respect variance. Kempe waited nearly a decade for his first bracelet. Short-term results tell you very little.
• Build skills cheaply online. Almost every player on this list started online at low stakes.

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