Late run lifts German student to ‘Little One’ title

Paul Hoefer wasn’t involved in many pots during the first four hours of the final table for the World Series of Poker’s $1,111 buy-in Little One for One Drop event.

He must have been saving himself for the end.

Hoefer, a 24-year-old business student from Leipzig, Germany, won eight of the last nine hands played early Saturday and was responsible for the final four eliminations en route to the victory at the Rio Convention Center.

The self-described “hobby” poker player collected $645,969 for first place. It is Hoefer’s fourth in-the-money finish at this year’s WSOP.

Mario Lopez of Argentina was second and earned $399,455.

“I believe that it looked super easy. I was running super good at the end,” Hoefer said. “I played well, I think, and I ran pretty well, so it’s probably the best mixture to win the tournament.”

The Little One for One Drop benefits the One Drop Foundation, which provides access to clean water in disadvantaged parts of the world. The four-day event drew 4,555 entrants for a $4,099,500 prize pool.

Hoefer, who entered the final table seventh in chips, crippled countryman Rainer Kempe with seven players remaining and won the biggest pot of the tournament against John Reading during five-handed play to take over the chip lead.

Hoefer then went on a remarkable run over the next 30 minutes, as he knocked out Carlos Chang in fifth place and sent Reading to the rail in fourth two hands later when he came from behind to make a straight.

Hoefer had 75 percent of the chips in play when three-handed play began, and on the first hand following the break, he jettisoned Senovio Ramirez III in third place. Hoefer took out Lopez on the first hand of heads-up play, setting off a celebration from his boisterous rail that went 20 deep and included top German pros Ole Schemion and Ismael Bojang.

“The German guys, I think we are one of the best groups,” Hoefer said. “They are all super nice guys. It’s just a super community who came together over the last year, and now it’s almost like a family.”