Maurice Hawkins Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

For tournament players who have plied their trade in the poker rooms of Florida, the East Coast, or along the World Series of Poker Circuit during the last decade, the sound of Maurice Hawkins’ voice has probably provided a steady soundtrack.

The native of West Palm, Florida has been a fixture on his local tournament scene since 2005, along with forays to Atlantic City and WSOP Circuit stops, amassing 124 reported live cashes and $1,795,998 in earnings heading into April of this year. But even as Hawkins added four Circuit rings to his trophy case over that span, along with final-table appearances at the WSOP proper and on the World Poker Tour, he became known more for his table talk than his talent.

Depending on your perspective on what poker is “supposed” to be about, Hawkins’ routine at the table is either grating and gratuitous, or simply great entertainment. Prone to circling the table during a long tournament day, pacing back and forth while chatting to anyone within earshot, Hawkins has never been shy about showing his emotions. A single orbit can see him alternate between congratulating a tablemate, commiserating with a colleague from the Circuit, complaining about his recent luck, or cracking wise remarks and cackling at his own jokes.

This unique blend of excitement and excess is always something to behold, presenting quite a contrast to the legions of live pros who shroud their faces in sunglasses and hooded sweatshirts, staring sternly and silently across the table for hours on end. But those who attract attention so willingly tend to draw detractors as well, and Hawkins has remained a polarizing figure within the professional ranks. For every fan and friend he’s made over the years, Hawkins has attracted his fair share of foes.

So when Hawkins made a bold proclamation on April 6 — more than three months into 2016 with only four small cashes on the year — telling the world via Twitter that he was “calling his shot,” and would soon proceed to win two tournaments in the next 25 days, few expected the boast to bear fruit.

And indeed, Hawkins’ critics can always contend that he missed the mark, that the brag was never backed up. They’d be right, too.

He didn’t win two tournaments in April — he won three.

Walking the Walk on the WSOP Circuit

A few hours after his Babe Ruth moment, Hawkins stepped into the batter’s box. The backdrop wasn’t historic Yankee Stadium, however, but rather the Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In town for the WSOP Circuit stop, Hawkins registered for the $365 Monster Stack tournament, looking for a few warm-up swings before starting up the $1,675 Main Event two days later. Just over 37 hours after tweeting his lofty tournament goal, Hawkins had accumulated every chip in play and outlasted the 265-player field, collecting $19,477 for the win and claiming his fifth circuit ring.

Two days later, Hawkins took his seat for Day 1a of the Main Event, and by the time chips were bagged and tagged that evening, he had staked himself to the flight’s overall chip lead. When Day 2 came to a close, he secured a seat at his second consecutive final table, emerging from a field of 321 players to stand second in chips, just a few big blinds off of the lead.

Presented with an opportunity to deliver on his two-title promise, Hawkins promptly showed why he was so confident in the first place. Following a careful and quiet final-table performance, in which he eliminated only one opponent and primarily avoided confrontations, Hawkins entered heads-up play against Ryan Phan facing a 4-1 chip disadvantage.

Within 30 minutes he had wrested control of the chip lead from Phan, flopping top set and filling up on the turn when Phan made trips, before finishing his opponent off a few hands later.

Just like that, a little more than five days after calling his shot, Hawkins’ had successfully completed his quest for two tournament titles — and he still had nearly three weeks left in April.

The win secured …

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