Maurice Hawkins moved another step ahead of the pack in the all-time WSOP Circuit ring race after he picked up a record-extending #25 on Friday at the Cherokee stop in North Carolina.
Hawkins, who recently filed for bankruptcy just a few weeks after winning ring #24, grabbed the fresh ring in the $1,100 NLH in the shadow of Cherokee's Main Event.
PokerOrg is on hand for live coverage all weekend, and our own Ryan Lashmar grabbed a post-win moment with Hawkins, who called himself the "first and only" player to do it at this level.
"I play probably more than all of them, and I win more than all of them in the Circuit. So, it's not really a competition. I'm at the top of the hill until I retire."
Heads-up silent treatment
It was a wire-to-wire day for the tour's Main Character after he started the final session as chip leader and remained steady all day. "I was in the top three in the chips, and they put all the chip leaders at the same table. I just wanted to just stay within myself and not really get out of line too much."
A late surge after a set-over-set cooler with two tables left put him on the path to an uncharacteristically quiet heads-up battle with good friend James Calderaro.
"I know he wanted to get comfortable, and I knew being quiet was going to be uncomfortable."
The silent treatment worked, and Hawkins closed the deal for ring #25.
WSOP Circuit ring race
- Maurice Hawkins - 25
- Ari Engel - 20
- Daniel Lowery - 20
- Mike Setera - 17
- Josh Reichard - 16
Hawkins now has total control over the all-time WSOP Circuit ring leaders list, clearing trailers Ari Engel and Daniel Lowery by an entire handful. He says the leaderboard will never change.
"I'm gonna play another 20 years. The goalpost is probably 200, 250 [rings]."
