WPT Prime Gold Coast Champ Lorenz Schöllhorn Had Quit Job to Travel World & Play Poker
The $1,100 buy-in, $5,000,000 GTD WPT Prime Championship will take place from Dec. 8-14 at the Wynn Las Vegas as a part of the WPT World Championship Festival (Dec. 3-23). Last year, Calvin Anderson topped a field of 10,512 entrants – nearly double that of 2022 – to win the 2023 WPT Prime Championship for $1,386,280.
The WPT Prime proved so successful that it won the Global Poker Award for Best Mid-Major Tour/Circuit. While the ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational and WPT World Championship have garnered their share of excitement, the WPT Prime World Championship remains one of the standout events on this year’s thrilling schedule and PokerNews is preparing for it by catching up with some the 2024 Prime Season.
We previously caught up with WPT Prime Taiwan champ Jereld Sam as well as Timothy Chung, who back in September took down the £1,100 WPT Prime UK Championship title and £57,660 in prize money, plus a package to the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
Now, we catch up with Lorenz Schöllhorn, who back in April topped a 1,395-entry field to win the WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship in Australia for AUD $401,510 (USD $257,729).
2024 WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize (AUD) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorenz Schöllhorn | $401,510 | $257,729 |
| 2 | Andres Vasquez | $276,615 | $171,782 |
| 3 | Travis Endersby | $198,120 | $127,173 |
| 4 | Michael Fraser | $148,105 | $95,069 |
| 5 | Chin Yaw Chan | $111,810 | $71,771 |
| 6 | Rikiya Jibiki | $85,250 | $54,722 |
| 7 | Dylan Desmarchelier | $65,650 | $42,141 |
| 8 | Marco Perri | $51,075 | $32,785 |
| 9 | Martin Ward | $40,140 | $25,766 |
*includes a $10,400 seat into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
A Deep Dive into the WPT Prime World Championship and the 2024 Prime Season
Giving Poker a Go
Born in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1990, the 34-year-old was the youngest of three brothers. He studied economics in Zurich, Switzerland and after obtaining his Masters he worked in an NGO as a Business Analyst. As for poker, he’s been playing for nearly 20 years.
“I started playing small NLH cash games with friends when I was 15 years old,” he told PokerNews. “After that, I played the occasional online tournament before finding my love for PLO cash games. Since I had to study a lot during my time in university my poker volume varied a lot. I always played poker and studied poker but never full-time.”
Two years ago, Schöllhorn had built his bankroll enough that he quit his job to travel the world while still playing poker, primarily online.
“These days I still mainly play PLO cash anything from $5/$5 up to $25/$50 while occasionally taking shots in bigger games. I still play the occasional tournament but would not call it my biggest strength.”
As for his proudest poker accomplishment?
“I guess my biggest poker achievement is being able to battle other good regulars in reasonably high stakes PLO games, and of course my WPT win which was super nice but also involved a lot of run good,” Schöllhorn said.
He added: “My friends and family were of course very proud of me. Especially my mom. It’s just nice to have something to show since everyone seemed a little worried when I told them I quit my job to travel the world and play poker. But after this win, everyone was like, “Oh, you must be very good at what you’re doing,’ and started being less worried. Non-poker players cannot seem to understand how cash games work but winning a poker tournament everyone seems to get.”
While Schöllhorn, who has a passion for flyfishing and running, is excited about the upcoming WPT World Championship, it will not be his first visit to Las Vegas. He’s been in the past to play PLO cash at ARIA, and last year he actually won a $1,000 satellite into the WPT World Championship, though he busted late on Day 1.
“Hopefully I can do better this year,” said Schöllhorn, who was also in town for the World Series of Poker (WSOP). “I like Vegas so I am really looking forward to playing a lot of live poker this December.”
*Images courtesy of WPT & Lorenz Schöllhorn.
PokerNews will be at the 2024 WPT Prime Championship offering even more great content, and of course we'll be sure to keep an eye on how Lorenz Schöllhorn does at the festival.
In this Series
- 1 WPT World Championship at Wynn is Back Dec. 3-23
- 2 World Poker Tour to Host First Ever $5 Million Freeroll During WPT World Championship
- 3 Why is Adam Pliska Giving Away $5,000,000 at WPT World Championship? | PokerNews Podcast #858
- 4 Freeroll Your Way to the WPT World Championship Prime With Brad Owen and WPT Global
- 5 ClubWPT Hosting a $5 Million Freeroll Satellite Weekend
- 6 Chance to Win a ClubWPT Gold Invitational $5M Freeroll Seat on New PokerNews Podcast
- 7 Carolyn Wayne Ready for WPT $5M Freeroll After Winning Jamie Kerstetter's Giveaway
- 8 The Historic $5 Million ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll Just Got Even Juicier
- 9 Pocket Queens Vice President Headed to Vegas for ClubWPT Gold $5M Freeroll
- 10 A Deep Dive into the WPT Prime World Championship and the 2024 Prime Season
- 11 How Many Engraved Plates on WPT Trophy? Guess for Chance to Win a $5M Freeroll Seat
- 12 Jereld Sam Reflects on WPT Prime Win: “Her Big Smile Made It All Worth It”
- 13 Dan Dombrowski Wins PN Podcast Giveaway to Join Wife in ClubWPT Gold $5 Million Freeroll
- 14 WPT Prime UK Winner Timothy Chung Gearing Up for WPT World Championship
- 15 Pros, Content Creators Flock to ClubWPT Gold $5 Million Freeroll
- 16 WPT Prime Championship Underway; Will it Top 10,000 Entrants Again?
- 17 WPT Prime Gold Coast Champ Lorenz Schöllhorn Had Quit Job to Travel World & Play Poker
- 18 'Nobody Runs Like Berkey' - Poker Podcaster Delivers Gross Six-Figure Bad Beat
- 19 Phil Ivey to Play Low-Stakes Poker with Fans at Wynn Next Week
- 20 Yunkyu Song Leads WPT POY Race Near Finish Line; Landon Tice, Eric Afriat in Contention
- 21 WPT Prime Championship Registration Closes as Day 1 Flight Record Set
- 22 Four WPT Prime Champions Chase $1.1M as Okamoto Leads WPT Prime Championship
- 23 Head to Wynn for Your Last Chance to Qualify for ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational Freeroll
- 24 Why Women in Poker Hall of Fame Inductee Jeanne David Deserved ClubWPT Golden Passport
- 25 Diane Zimmerman Leads the Race to WPT Prime Championship Final Table
- 26 Poker Champ Joe McKeehen Among WPT World Championship Side Event Winners
- 27 WPT Gears Up for $10,400 WPT World Championship; Kicks Off on December 14
- 28 Phil Ivey Entertains at WPT World Championship Players Party in Las Vegas
- 29 Gaming Legend Cracks Aces with Aces in First Orbit of ClubWPT Gold $5 Million Freeroll
- 30 More on the Line Than $1M as Victor Avallone Looks to Secure Mother's Future
- 31 Zak VanKeuren Wins WPT Prime Championship for $1,162,350
- 32 No Guarantee, No Problem: Bumper Field Turns Out for Day 1A of WPT World Championship
- 33 StakeKings CEO Tyler Hancock Chasing $1M Dream at ClubWPT Gold Freeroll Final Table
- 34 Abracadabra! Magician Drives Off with $240K Luxury Sports Car at WPTWC
- 35 Hands of the Week from WPT Prime: Big Slick Does Trick for VanKeuren; Himmelbrand Kicks Out Hastings
- 36 StakeKings CEO Tyler Hancock Chasing $1M Dream at ClubWPT Gold Freeroll Final Table
- 37 Chase Bricker Wins Historic ClubWPT Gold Freeroll for $1 Million (Plus Bounties)
- 38 WATCH: Was This the Biggest Troll in Poker History?
- 39 Tirza Sanders Crowned WPT Ladies Champion at World Championships
- 40 Will Joey Ingram Become a 'Hold'em God' in 2025?
- 41 He Bags Best on Day 1B; Late Registration Closes on WPT World Championship
- 42 Joey Ingram Involved in Aces vs Kings vs Queens Three-Way All in Pot
- 43 WPT World Championship Reaches the Money on Final Hand of Day 2
- 44 Phil Ivey Plays Low-Stakes Poker with Fans at WPT Christmas MUG
- 45 Would Elon Musk Make a Good Poker Player? Former Aide Igor Kurganov Gives Answer
- 46 Can Michael Berk Make Biggest Stack Work on Day 4 at WPT World Championship?
- 47 Youngster's $25K Gamble Pays Off with WPT Alpha 8 Victory ($684,684)
- 48 Chris Moorman Seeks Consecutive WPT World Championship Final Table Appearances
- 49 "It's a Very Good Time to Be a Poker Player" Says WPT CEO Adam Pliska
- 50 You'll Never Guess Jonathan Tamayo's First Purchase with $10M Main Event Score
- 51 Chris Moorman Reaches Second Straight WPT World Championship Final Table
- 52 WATCH: WPTWC Final Table Erupts with Three All-Ins in First Orbit
