Hawk Soars
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Maurice Hawkins has made a name for himself on the tournament circuit as a true grinder, jumping from the Florida sit-n-go scene to some of poker's largest events in short order.
Hawkins just jumped to the top of the chip counts, too, after making Broadway on the river to snatch a massive pot from Tom Thomas. We saw Hawkins dancing to the beat while circling the table, and while that would be an expected sight no matter his chip count, a scan of the board showed the score.
With the 
sitting between them, Hawkins and Thomas each had their 75,000 pushed forward, with the pro's 
sitting near a soon-to-be-doubled stack. Thomas was the owner of a cracked set with the 
, but despite the bad beat he was still smiling, although in the rueful fashion we see so often on the tournament floor.
According to the ever ebullient Hawkins, he three-bet to 1,175 holding the button after Thomas opened to 525 from the hijack. The local recreational player flatted and the flop fell to give him top set, while the pro found a gutshot draw to the nuts.
Thomas led out for 700 and Hawkins raised to 1,500 on the come. When the came down on the turn, both players tapped the table, unknowingly setting the stage for a tournament-changing river card. The arrived on fifth street to complete Hawkins' straight, and after Thomas fired out a bet of 4,000, Hawkins popped it to 11,000. With a set on a seemingly innocent board, Thomas made it 20,000 to play, and Hawkins shoved all in for about 75,000 total. Thomas made the call to essentially risk his tournament life, and when he saw Hawkins table the winner before beginning his dance, all he could do was shake his head and smile.
Hawkins, for his part, kept the celebration to his side of the table, and after winning a World Series of Poker Circuit ring (and $183,498) this February, the former sit-n-go grinder will be looking to make his second splash of the year here today.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
155,000 | 105,000 |
|
2,500 | 2,500 |