VIDEO: Maurice Hawkins Gets Assaulted in Poker Home Game
Poker pro and 21-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit ring winner Maurice Hawkins was assaulted in a private poker game, according to a video obtained by PokerNews on Thursday.
The video, shared anonymously with PokerNews, shows a man repeatedly punching Hawkins, a controversial poker pro who holds the record for the most Circuit rings, beside a poker table before the two are eventually separated.
"Totally Unprovoked Attack"
The source who shared the video, who wished to remain anonymous, said the incident took place during a private poker game in Palm Beach County in southeastern Florida. The source said the fight stemmed from "Maurice running his mouth about how good of a boxer he is, poking and talking shit to another player who had enough."
The source added that Hawkins is required to pay up front to play in the game, while other players are allowed to play on credit.
A player in the game, Tray Rock, told PokerNews that it was "a totally unprovoked attack" by a player named Eugene that had nothing to do with a poker hand or Hawkins' alleged poker debts.
"Maurice and I said we were of African American nationality and Eugene said that's not a nationality he googled it," Rock said. "And Maurice was (like) so what. What you wanna do Box about it and Eugene walked from the 2 seat to the 7 seat and started punching Maurice while he was sitting down."
On Thursday evening, Hawkins posted about the incident and shared a video of him confronting the player after being assaulted.
"The Narratives are hilarious," Hawkins wrote on X. "A guy tried to sucker punch me and sneak attack me . While I am in my seat. Then you post I got my ass whoop. F***ing hilarious . What you think happens . If I don’t get grabbed . When I got to my feet . Here you go . The truth of what happened ."
Hawkins is a polarizing and controversial player who has had poker-related confrontations before, including earlier this year with former backer Denise Pratt at the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Tunica stop.
Full-on fist-fights are rare in poker rooms but do happen occasionally. Earlier this year, a player was knocked unconscious during an altercation in the Red Rock Poker Room in Las Vegas.
Violence over private poker games, meanwhile, has been in the spotlight as of late.
Check out additional footage of the incident with audio in the clip below.
*This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information is made available.
*Video courtesy of Tray Rock
