Pius Heinz

Childhood

Heinz was raised in the village of Odendorf, near Bonn. During his youth, he developed an interest in poker after watching televised poker events such as the WSOP Main Event and High Stakes Poker on German television. This exposure sparked his passion for the game, leading him to play with friends and eventually dedicate himself to mastering poker as a game of skill.

Career

Before turning professional, Heinz was a student of Business Psychology at Hochschule Fresenius college in Cologne. However, after his breakthrough in poker, he put his studies on hold in August 2011 to focus on his poker career as a member of Team PokerStars.

Heinz’s poker journey began online, where he built a significant bankroll starting from low stakes, reportedly beginning with a free $50 bankroll from Pokerstrategy.com. He accumulated over $700,000 in online tournament winnings, including notable victories such as the Full Tilt Poker Sunday Mulligan in 2010 and a $150,000 PokerStars tournament in 2011.

His live poker career gained momentum at the 2011 WSOP, which was his first major live event. Heinz cashed in five WSOP events, including a 7th place finish in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event, earning $83,286. His crowning achievement came when he won the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship Main Event, defeating Czech player Martin Staszko in heads-up play. The final hand saw Heinz’s Ace of spades and King of clubs triumph over Staszko’s 10 and 7 of clubs, securing him the $8,715,638 first prize. This victory was notable not only for the prize money but also because Heinz did not have to pay taxes on his winnings, unlike some other finalists.

Heinz has described the transition from online to live poker as challenging, noting that live games require significant patience and can be less dynamic than online play.

Personal life

Pius Heinz currently resides in Vienna, Austria. His decision to pause his academic pursuits in business psychology reflects his commitment to his poker career. Details about his family life remain private, but it is known that his mother was emotionally invested in his WSOP journey, even leaving the venue during the final table due to the stress of the event.

Revenue

Heinz’s most significant earnings stem from his 2011 WSOP Main Event win, where he took home $8,715,638. His online poker career also contributed substantially to his income, with over $700,000 in winnings from various tournaments.

Interesting facts

Heinz is the first German player ever to win the WSOP Main Event.

He started playing poker seriously after watching televised poker in Germany.

His online poker nickname is "MastaP89."

He entered Day 1A of the WSOP Main Event with the mindset that he could leave early if eliminated, showing a pragmatic approach to the tournament.

Despite his online success, Heinz found live poker to be more demanding in terms of patience.

Legacy

Pius Heinz’s victory at the 2011 WSOP Main Event marked a milestone for German poker, inspiring many players from Germany and Europe to pursue poker professionally. His success demonstrated that players from countries outside the traditional poker strongholds could achieve the highest honors in the game.