Maurice Hawkins Extends WSOPC Lead With Ring Number 21

The WSOP Circuit stop in New Orleans became the backdrop for one of the tour’s most rapid shakeups. After pulling ahead in the all-time ring race earlier this week, Maurice Hawkins didn't waste time adding another. The Florida pro captured his 21st WSOP Circuit ring in the span of just a few days, giving him even more distance from long-time rivals Ari Engel and Daniel Lowery.

Hawkins’ latest victory came in a $400 No Limit Hold’em event, where he collected the top prize of $12,996 and furthered a lead he had only just reclaimed. The achievement lands amid his complicated reputation on the circuit, a contrast to the clean-cut public personas of Engel and Lowery. Yet when the cards are on the table, Hawkins continues to be one of the most consistent closers in the WSOPC era.

At the final table, the pressure came from familiar competition. Ring winners Shane Bissinger and Rex Clinkscales were both in the mix, with Clinkscales entering the late stages with a dominating stack. But Hawkins’ ability to control short-handed play swung the momentum. 

He first dispatched Clinkscales in a pocket-tens-versus-A-2 confrontation, then secured the win heads-up when his A-K held against Bissinger’s suited connector shove.

Whether admired, criticized, or both, Hawkins continues to shape the pace of the WSOP Circuit in a way few players ever have.