Pius Heinz (Cologne, Germany)
The 22-year-old professional poker player from Cologne stunned the poker world by becoming the first player in history from Germany to win poker's most
prestigious title. Heinz pulled off a masterful performance during the two-day final table session, which began on Sunday afternoon inside the
Penn and Teller Theatre at the Rio in Las Vegas and ended late Tuesday night on a confetti-splattered stage accustomed to acts of magic.
With his stunning comeback victory, Heinz collected a whopping $8,715,638 in prize money - the third-highest payout for any poker champion in history.
He was also presented with the game's most coveted prize, the WSOP gold and diamond bracelet - which symbolizes poker's supreme achievement.