Update: Maurice Hawkins Wins Again, Breaks Own WSOP Circuit Ring Record
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Update Aug. 29: Maurice Hawkins, two days after the story ran, broke his own WSOP Circuit record by winning his 21st ring. He took down a $400 No-Limit Hold'em tournament in New Orleans for $12,996. Ari Engel is now two rings back in second place (19).
The chase to be the first to 20 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) rings has ended with controversial poker pro Maurice Hawkins winning a $600 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $14,548 in New Orleans.
Hawkins, who tied Ari Engel's record of 19 rings in April, had an opportunity to make history on Tuesday. But another player at the table — Daniel Lowery — was attempting to spoil the celebration party and instead make it a three-way tie.
Lowery won two rings at Hard Rock Tulsa in March to reach 18 for his career. He ran deep yet again this week, but not quite deep enough.
Polarizing Poker Pro Sets a Record
The PLO event at Caesars New Orleans (formerly Harrah's) attracted 106 entrants, creating a prize pool of $54,590. David Cook, not the musician, was eliminated in ninth place for $1,445.
Next to go was Lowery, whose quest for a 19th ring will have to wait a bit longer. The Arkansas native collected $1,647 for eighth place. Will Oertling busted in seventh place for $1,971, followed by Hariharan Rangarajan in sixth place for $2,474, James Calloway in fifth place for $3,246, Gregory Headrick in fourth place for $4,448, and Daniel Pearlman in third place for $6,350.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Hawkins | $14,548 |
| 2 | Thai Cao | $9,431 |
| 3 | Daniel Pearlman | $6,350 |
| 4 | Gregory Headrick | $4,448 |
| 5 | James Calloway | $3,246 |
| 6 | Hariharan Rangarajan | $2,474 |
| 7 | Will Oertling | $1,971 |
| 8 | Daniel Lowery | $1,647 |
| 9 | David Cook | $1,445 |
Heads-up play then began between Hawkins and Thai Cao. The duo had a combined 19 Circuit rings, none of which are owned by Cao. Hawkins held a small chip advantage when the match began. He would hold on after a tough battle to take it down for $14,548, while the runner-up received $9,431.
Hawkins is now the Circuit ring leader with 20. He has over $6.4 million in live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob. But he continues to be a polarizing figure within the poker community over past unpaid backer accusations.
The WSOP Circuit ring race to the top won't stop with Hawkins reaching 20. Engel, Lowery, and Josh Reichard, who has 16 rings, will continue to battle for the all-time lead. There are 17 players with at least 10 rings, but only two players in the top 10 — Engel and Soheb Porbandarwala — have won World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets.
Hawkins hasn't won a bracelet and hasn't reached a WSOP final table since 2021. He has just four final table appearances in bracelet events, but 76 in Circuit events. Engel is one of the most balanced tournament players of all time, having won four bracelets and a record 609 cashes across all live poker tournaments.
The next milestone for Hawkins and Engel to chase will be 25 rings. At their current pace, one or both of them will get there by the end of 2027, if not sooner.
