Maurice Hawkins Extends All-Time WSOPC Ring Lead w/ Choctaw Durant Win
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The World Series of Poker Circuit is currently holding its first stop of the new year, and already five gold ring events have played out at Choctaw Durant. One of them proved to be record-breaking as Maurice Hawkins extended his lead atop the all-time ring list with No. 14.
Hawkins, who recently lobbed constructive criticisms at the WSOPC here on PokerNews, topped a 218-entry field to win Event #5: $400 No-Limit Hold’em (1 Day) for $16,898 and his record ring. He now holds a two-ring lead over Valentin Vornicu and Josh Reichard who’re tied at a dozen each.
“Feels good. Feel like I got my mojo back,” said Hawkins, who took about 12 hours to claim victory. “Feels good to know that the beginning of the year is going to end like it should, which means, that when you start the year off winning, it only can get better. It’s time to go up.”
"When you start the year off winning, it only can get better."
Hawkins, who claimed his first-ever ring at Choctaw Durant, continued: “I was just kind of sitting there, got around 25 bigs, and then it was like poker time; ‘Let’s do this; Let’s make some things happen.’”
Hawkins began the final table with over a million in chips while most everyone else had around 300K. Hawkins used the lead to cruise to heads-up play against seven-time gold ring winner Andy Robinson, a duo with plenty of experience against one another.
“We’ve been playing some pots the last two days,” Hawkins told WSOP officials. “I would probably say he is one of the best players here. It’s no shock that every time I get to a final table, Andy Robinson is at the final table.”
In the final hand of the tournament, Robinson looked down at ace-queen only to go bust after running into the ace-king of Hawkins.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Hawkins | West Palm Beach, Florida | $16,898 |
| 2 | Andrew Robinson | Georgetown, Texas | $10,442 |
| 3 | Kurt Haiss | Bartlesville, Florida | $7,406 |
| 4 | Billy Sasin | Lewisville, Texas | $5,359 |
| 5 | Michail Kotsifis | Houston, Texas | $3,958 |
| 6 | Phillip Jones | Denison, Texas | $2,985 |
| 7 | Samuel Murphy | Cedar Hill, Texas | $2,299 |
| 8 | Jesus Gonzalez | Egale Pass, Texas | $1,810 |
| 9 | Daniel Lowery | Peter Pender, Arkansas | $1,457 |
Among those to get a piece of the $71,940 prize pool but fall short of the final table were Shawn Rice (10th - $1,200), Bryant Morrison (15th - $1,011), Trent Goertz (22nd - $700), Quincy Seale (29th - $623), and Robert Shelton (33rd - $458).
14-Ring Breakdown
| Date | Venue | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2020 | Choctaw Durant | Event #5: $400 NLH One-Day | $16,898 |
| May 1, 2019 | Horseshoe Tunica | Event #8: $400 Monster Stack | $31,372 |
| April 14, 2019 | Harrah’s Cherokee | Event #4: $600 NLH BB Ante | $44,297 |
| May 17, 2018 | Harrah’s New Orleans | Event #8: $2,200 High Roller | $71,680 |
| April 7, 2017 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | $1,675 Main Event | $97,561 |
| February 19, 2017 | Palm Beach Kennel Club | Event #12: $365 NLH Re-Entry | $13,527 |
| November 18, 2016 | Palm Beach Kennel Club | $1,675 Main Event | $95,921 |
| April 22, 2016 | Harrah’s Cherokee | $1,675 Main Event | $279,722 |
| April 8, 2016 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | $1,675 Main Event | $113,152 |
| April, 6 ,2016 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | Event #9: $265 Monster Stack | $19,477 |
| February 5, 2014 | Palm Beach Kennel Club | Event #1: $580 NLH | $183,498 |
| October 30, 2009 | Horseshoe Southern Indiana | Event #10: $1,060 NLH | $183,498 |
| April 11, 2009 | Caesar’s Palace | Event #1: $1,060 NLH | $40,355 |
| December 8, 2008 | Harrah’s Atlantic City | Event #4: $560 NLH | $48,360 |
PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
