WSOP-C Baltimore

The first WSOPC Baltimore Main Event since 2019 turned out to be a very memorable one as Maurice Hawkins won his record tying 18th career circuit ring to put himself once again on the top of the ring leaderboard.

"I feel like I am in a class of my own. No disrespect to Ari, I love the guy. But I am where I'm supposed to be" he started off his post win interview stating that he believes himself the top player out there and that his rings have more weight considering this is his 6th circuit Main Event win and 5th six-figure ring win.

He continued. "Always winning. Put me up against anybody. I am the most consistent poker player that ever gonna live." What does he attribute this consistency and success to? "I got patience. I'm a psycho. I got game theory, I got luck and I got God. Can't be stopped."

The typical Hawkins confidence exuded strongly after the win but he did take a moment to reflect. "I'm just thankful I get to do this for a living. Being there for everybody that's in my life. It's just a amazing feeling and I'm very thankful." 

This particular ring did not come easily for Hawkins as the heads up battle was a 5 hour war that showed the type of resilience and will to win that Hawkins possesses. He had a chip deficit for most of the multi-hour battle and was as low as 2.5 million (out of 18.7 million total) at one point. Even at this point he was confident he was going to win as he called a friend during break when he was at his lowest point and said "I'm still gonna kick his ass, but he's making it tough on me!"

He explained the heads up battle even more. "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."

"It took me six different styles and adjustments to win this heads up battle." And indeed there were several changes in Hawkins' play throughout heads up and he scrapped and clawed for every chip when he was the short stack and then finished it off ruthlessly once he took the chip lead.

Hawkins had some final words for his "haters".

"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."

Dan Chalifour

Maurice Hawkins limped from the small blind, Dan Chalifour made it 700,000 and Hawkins called.

The flop came . Hawkins bet 800,000, Chalifour called. 

The turn was the . Hawkins fired 900,000 and Chalifour moved all in, Hawkins snap-called.

• Hawkins:
• Chalifour

It was a flush vs a straight. The river was the and Hawkins was the Main Event champion for his 18th career ring. 

On a flop of , Maurice Hawkins made a bet from the button. Dan Chalifour raised to 1,650,000. Hawkins called.

The turn was the . Hawkins bet 1,000,000 and Chalifour called.

The river came the to pair the board. Hawkins announced a bet of 1,800,000. Chalifour went into the tank for the longest think of this heads-up duel so far. After over a minute he folded.

Hawkins tabled nothing as he flipped over .

• Maurice Hawkins - 12,600,000
• Dan Chalifour - 6,100,000