Maurice Hawkins
On the sporting front, the numbers are hard to argue with. Hawkins recently won his 26th World Series of Poker Circuit ring, extending his own historic record, after prevailing in the Choctaw Mini Main Event. In 2026 alone, he has five circuit rings and has accumulated US$844,061 in live winnings since May.
Additionally, he had two major performances during the WSOP: he was runner-up in a US$600 NLH/PLO event for US$135,864 and finished fourth in the US$3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship, cashing a personal record of US$432,875.
Maurice Hawkins And His Most Recent Ring.
Off the felt, the story is very different
In April, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States, including among his obligations an old debt with player Randy Garcia
Read more Sebastián Fonseca led Day 1 in the BSOP Winter Mini Championship — CodigoPoker
Far from avoiding the topic, Hawkins was straightforward when talking about his situation.
“The best thing is that I declared bankruptcy and then had the best summer of my life. In the end, it worked in my favor,” he said, adding that he hopes to come out of the process with a “fresh start” and no outstanding debts.
Maurice Hawkins and words that divided opinions
While some consider that he simply used a legal tool provided by the U.S. system, others believe the message is problematic, especially when there is a creditor still trying to recover the money through legal actions.
Paradoxically, Hawkins maintains that money was never the main driver of his career. For him, the important thing remains competing at the highest level, regardless of whether big results come or not at the World Series of Poker.
Now, heading to the Borgata Summer Poker Open Championship, Hawkins has the opportunity to continue fueling an extraordinary season. The question is no longer just how many titles he can win, but whether his sporting success will be enough to overshadow a controversy that, for now, seems far from over.
Read more The hidden numbers of the 2026 WSOP: the statistics that made history — CodigoPoker
Source: Pokernews.com
