Event #9: $1,675 MAIN EVENT

Elizabeth, Indiana (October 10, 2016) – Robert Hankins is the newest Main Event champion on the WSOP Circuit, outlasting a stacked final table to claim the title at Horseshoe Southern Indiana. Hankins’ performance earned him his second gold ring of the series — the sixth of his career — and the top prize of $146,520. This ring, unlike the other five he owns, is encrusted with diamonds to set it apart from those awarded to winners of preliminary events. He’s just the ninth player to win at least six rings in the Circuit’s 13-year history. The victory also guarantees him a seat in the 2017 WSOP Global Casino Championship, marking the fourth consecutive season in which he’s qualified for the season-ending bracelet event.

“This feels [expletive] awesome,” Hankins said succinctly in the moments after his victory. “It’s gratifying, because I get probably 25 percent of the volume that most players get. So, to have a good week up here, you know — for myself, it just feels good.” Hankins even called his shot, in a way. Prior to the final table, the nine remaining players filled out information sheets, and Hankins scrawled a message of foreshadowing across the top of his page: “1st Place (6 rings) *CHAMPION*”

The champ is a 28-year-old professional poker player from Nashville, Tennessee. He also has a part-time job as the father to two children — a son, Reece (7) and a daughter, Aubri (6). “I try to be a good dad,” he said in his previous interview. “Any other time, it’s poker time. I don’t really have a social life outside of poker.” Hankins has been playing the game as his profession since about 2010, when he lost a lucrative job at Bridgestone.

“Four days before Christmas, they laid us all off,” he said. “I waited around thinking I was going to get my job back, and I started playing poker. I was getting an unemployment check — $220 a week with two new kids. Poker saved me; it helped me be able to support my family.”

So far, the new career is going rather well for Hankins. He was only able to play six of the 12 ring events at Horseshoe Southern Indiana, making the final table in four of them and winning two outright. He conquered back-to-back events, in fact. Hankins was busy winning Event #8 while Day 1A of the Main Event was getting underway, and he late-registered after posing for winner’s photos with his fifth ring and what was his most recent at the time. Three days later, Hankins was celebrating again, this time as the Main Event champion with ring number six.

This victory puts quite an exclamation point on Hankins' series, ending a stretch of five consecutive days of tournament poker without being eliminated. His total career earnings on the WSOP Circuit now total nearly $500,000 in addition to those six rings. He’s going to run out of free space on his fingers soon at this pace.

Robert Hankins limps in on the button and Hank Sitton checks his option. They both check a flop of 9s6d2s and the 4s comes on the turn.

Sitton bets 130,000 and Hankins calls. The river is the 7c and Sitton bets 300,000. Hankins beats him in the pot to call. Hankins wins the pot with 8d8h.

Robet Hankins - 7,200,000 (90 bb)
Hank Sitton - 1,450,000 (18 bb)

Here is a look at the chip counts as heads-up play begins between Hank Sitton and Robert Hankins:

Robert Hankins - 5,935,000 (74 bb)
Hank Sitton - 2,580,000 (32 bb)

Lytle Allen moves all in on the button for 635,000 and Robert Hankins calls out of the big blind. Hankins shows    and is dominated by Allen's   .

The board runs out       and there isn't much of a sweat for Allen to double up.

Lytle Allen - 1,290,000 (16 bb)
Robert Hankins - 4,200,000 (52 bb)

Lytle Allen raises to 140,000 on the button and Robert Hankins three-bets to 240,000 out of the big blind. Allen calls and the action is checked to the river as the board runs out      .

Hankins checks and Allen bets 260,000. Hankins folds    face-up, Allen mucks his hand, and takes the pot. He claims he had two pair as he drags the pot.

Lytle Allen - 1,700,000 (28 bb)
Robert Hankins - 4,700,000 (78 bb)

Robert Hankins raises to 155,000 from the small blind and Lytle Allen defends his big blind. The flop is     and Hankins bets 125,000.

Allen calls and the turn is the  . Hankins bets 400,000 and Allen goes into the tank. After a few minutes in the tank, Allen folds and Hankins takes the pot.

"You fold a king?" asks Hankins.

Hankins shows    and extends his chip leave over his two opponents.

Robert Hankins - 5,800,000 (96 bb)
Lytle Allen - 1,700,000 (28 bb)

Ben Keeline

Robert Hankins raises to 125,000 under the gun and Ben Keeline calls on the button. They are heads-up to a flop of     and Hankins checks. Keeline bets 125,000 and Hankins moves all in for effectively Keeline's remaining 1,000,000. Keeline calls and is all in for about 1,100,000.

Keeline shows   , good for the queen-high flush draw, and needs to improve against Hankins'   . The turn is the   and the river is the   to send the pot to Hankins, eliminate Keeline in fourth, and give Hankins more than half of the chips in play with three players remaining.

Robert Hankins - 4,700,000 (94 bb)
Ben Keeline - Eliminated in 4th Place ($47,796)

Robert Hankins moves all in for 1,325,000 from the small blind and Ben Keeline calls out of the big blind. Keeline shows    and is dominated by Hankins'   .

The board runs out       and Hankins doubles up with king-high.Hankins wins the pot and takes a slight chip lead as the chip counts have evened out across the board.

Robert Hankins - 2,670,000 (53 bb)
Ben Keeline - 2,000,000 (40 bb)