Maurice Hawkins continues to rewrite the records books at the World Series of Poker Circuit, this time winning his tenth gold ring in the Council Bluffs Main Event.
Talk about wiping Blair Hinkle off the face of the earth.
A day after the World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner became the first player to win three World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Main Events in the same venue, Maurice Hawkins walks into town and relegates Hinkle to yesterday’s news.
Having won five gold rings in the past two seasons, Hawkins tied with Alex Masek and Valentin Vornicu on nine gold rings each. A fortnight ago, Hawkins came close to reaching double digits but fell short of his goal when he lost to Salvatore Dicarlo in heads-up action in a $580 No-Limit Hold’em event in Tulsa.
Hawkins doesn’t play for rings and bracelets.
“I play for money to eat,” said Hawkins after his record-breaking win.
But that defeat in Tulsa hurt.
Hawkins decided to grind the entire Council Bluffs series in an attempt to put that loss to bed. Coming into the Main Event he had run deep twice finishing seventh in 199 & 344 sized fields, but it was the Main Event that he wanted.
He came into the 271 entry $1,675 buy-in Main Event as the defending champion, having won a mega-satellite, and took it down for a $97,561 payday – more than enough money to buy some decent nosh.
Hawkins’ win places him at the top of the WSOPC gold ring list with ten. He has also earned over $1.1m in WSOPC earnings and joins Hinkle as the only man to defend a WSOPC Main Event title at the same venue (they both achieved the same feat in Council Bluffs).
When asked if he was the greatest WSOPC player of all time, Hawkins said:
“Women and men lie, numbers don’t.”
Hawkins was the recipient of the American Poker Award (APA) for Breakout Player of the Year at a glitzy dinner in Hollywood earlier this year, beating Ari Engel, Ankush Mandavia, and Sam Soverel.
His victories this season means he will be competing at the WSOP Global Casino Championship in Harrah’s Cherokee in August. Joining him will be Josh Reichard who picked up the Casino Championship honours in Council Bluffs after making three final tables and winning one.
