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Maurice Hawkins Extends Record with 25th WSOP Circuit Ring

By Mrinal Gujare

20 May 2026

Mrinal Gujare 20 May 2026

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Maurice Hawkins wins 25th WSOP Circuit ring and $113,233 in North Carolina.
Career earnings surpass $7 million, widening lead over closest rivals.
Victory follows recent bankruptcy news, but Hawkins still dominates the Circuit.

Image Credit: PokerGo

Maurice Hawkins won his 25th WSOP Circuit ring and $113,233 at Harrah's Cherokee, defeating James Calderaro heads-up. The victory pushes Hawkins past $7 million in career earnings and extends his record over Ari Engel and Daniel Lowery.

Maurice Hawkins has secured his 25th World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring, further extending his position as the most successful player in the history of the tour.

The poker figure captured his latest title in North Carolina by winning Event #9: $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em at Harrah's Cherokee. Hawkins outlasted a competitive field of 631 entrants to claim the first-place prize of $113,233.

The final table at Harrah's Cherokee featured a line-up of highly accomplished poker professionals. Hawkins ultimately defeated runner-up James Calderaro during heads-up play to capture the victory.

Calderaro, a WSOP bracelet winner with more than $6.5 million in live tournament cashes according to

The Hendon Mob, earned $75,400 for his second-place finish.

The final table also featured Jarod Minghini, who finished in eighth place for $10,770. Minghini holds five WSOP Circuit rings of his own and has accumulated $2.4 million in live tournament cashes.

With his victory in North Carolina, Hawkins surpassed the $7 million mark in career tournament earnings. He won his very first WSOP Circuit ring in 2008 and has put together a dominant campaign this year, adding three rings to his total within the current calendar year alone.

The victory comes directly on the heels of major off-felt news involving Hawkins. PokerNews recently reported that the Circuit record holder filed for bankruptcy in Florida. Following the filing, Hawkins appeared as a guest on the PokerNews Podcast to share his side of the situation.

During the appearance, Hawkins engaged in a heated debate with podcast co-host Mike Holtz. Holtz openly confronted the tournament champion, accusing him of attempting to "squirm and wiggle your way out of all these debts."

Place	Player	Prize
1	Maurice Hawkins	$113,223
2	James Calderaro	$75,460
3	Brandon Newsome	$51,920
4	Corey Biddle	$36,418
5	Toby Boas	$26,050
6	Dave Alfa	$21,247
7	Derrick Perry	$14,160
8	Jarod Minghini	$10,770
9	Jason Gladden	$8,367

Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding his alleged debts, Hawkins continues to replicate the unparalleled success of Phil Hellmuth on the WSOP Circuit stage. By earning his 25th ring, Hawkins has widened the gap between himself and his closest rivals.

Ari Engel and Daniel Lowery currently sit tied for a distant second place on the all-time leaderboard, with 20 rings each.

The WSOP Circuit series at Harrah's Cherokee features 18 ring events in total. The regional series concludes on Monday with the final day of the $1,700 buy-in Main Event.

Following the action in North Carolina, the World Series of Poker schedule will officially shift to Las Vegas for the upcoming summer series, which features 100 bracelet events.

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