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The first World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event in Baltimore since 2019 turned out to be a memorable one as Maurice Hawkins won his 18th career WSOP Circuit ring to tie Ari Engel at the top of the all-time leaderboard.
Hawkins beat a field of 468 entries and beat Dan Chalifour in a heads-up match that lasted more than five hours for the top prize of $140,752. The win comes just a few weeks after ring #17 in the Grand Master 40/40/40 tournament in Pompano Beach, Florida.
"I feel like I am in a class of my own," Hawkins told us after the victory. "No disrespect to Ari(Engel), I love the guy. But I am where I'm supposed to be."
Hawkins claims share of top spot
This is Hawkins' sixth WSOP Circuit Main Event win and fifth six-figure win on the circuit. And while he hasn't always had the highest opinion of WSOP Circuit rings, he is still trying to win them.
"Always winning. Put me up against anybody. I am the most consistent poker player that is ever gonna live."
Hawkins also has 11 runner-up finishes on the WSOP Circuit and countless final tables throughout a career that stretches back to his first WSOPC cash at a 2008 stop in New Orleans. That first cash — a 20th-place finish in a $1,000 buy-in — was followed a few months later by his second WSOPC cash, a victory in Atlantic City for his first ring.
In the 16-plus years since his first ring, Hawkins has been a fixture at final tables on the WSOP Circuit. "I got patience. I'm a psycho. I got game theory, I got luck and I got God. Can't be stopped."
WSOP Circuit all-time ring leaders
| Rank | Player | WSOP rings | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Hawkins | 18 | 11 |
| 1 | Ari Engel | 18 | 11 |
| 3 | Daniel Lowery | 16 | 12 |
| 4 | Josh Reichard | 15 | 5 |
| 5 | Michael Lavin | 13 | 3 |
Hawkins breaks heads-up stalemate
The record-tying ring did not come easily for Hawkins after a heads-up battle that lasted longer than five hours. Hawkins had a chip deficit for most of the multi-hour duel and was as low as 2.5 million out of the near-19 million in play at one point.
"It took me six different styles and adjustments to win this heads-up battle," Hawkins explained. "He kept getting lucky on me. I couldn't bluff him, I couldn't make the best hand and I couldn't suck out, so that was the situation. But I go to the zoo a lot and the one thing I learned at the zoo — you have to play with your food before you kill it. And that's what I did."
"I'm just thankful I get to do this for a living. Being there for everybody that's in my life. It's just an amazing feeling and I'm very thankful."
Hawkins can now turn his eye toward breaking the tie at the top of the leaderboard with the next WSOP Circuit stop in Tulsa from March 5–17. The rest of the circuit will try to stop him, but there's still time to get on the bandwagon, Hawkins says.
"If you are against me, you better jump on the bandwagon now. Either that or turn off the news. Oh, and one more thing, I back myself! So take that, haters."
Hawkins has more than his fair share of haters because of controversies that have plagued him. However, Ari Engel posted a very classy message after Hawkins joined him on 18 rings.
WSOP Circuit Baltimore final table results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Hawkins | $140,752 |
| 2 | Dan Chalifour | $94,305 |
| 3 | Divyan Satyarthi | $64,458 |
| 4 | Arthur Rippy | $44,963 |
| 5 | Andrew Chang | $32,022 |
| 6 | Keith Temm | $23,294 |
| 7 | George Karmires | $17,317 |
| 8 | Jamie Springs | $13,161 |
| 9 | Scott Heiser | $10,232 |
