Event #11: $1,675 MAIN EVENT

Council Bluffs, Iowa (April 6, 2016) -- Maurice Hawkins has just won the 2016 Horseshoe Council Bluffs Main Event to become the seventh player in WSOP Circuit history to win six career gold rings. This is his first Circuit Main Event victory and second gold ring of this series. Last Thursday Hawkins won the series’ Monster Stack event to capture his fifth gold ring.

Coming into today, the third and final day of the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Council Bluffs with six players remaining, Hawkins was guaranteed a min cash of at least $21,489, but he had his mind made up that he was going to take this down. On April 6th, Hawkins had predicted on Twitter that he would win two tournaments in the month of April. Not only did he do just that, but he actually went two-for-two in the series, as the Monster and Main were the only two events he played.

Calling my shot. I am going to win two tourneys in the month of April. I have never felt better in my life.#Hawksview#Winning

Hawkins can credit some of his success at this series to changing up his style of play. He describes his new style of play as “smart” compared to his old style of “erratic.” He said that he feels confident going into the summer with the money from his recent wins, as well as his newly refined style of play.

One could argue that Hawkins's road to this victory really began in the middle of Day 2, after he took down an 820,000 chip pot with pocket aces against T.M. Williams's pocket sevens.  When asked about how that particular pot changed the course of the game for him Hawkins said, “I was thinking that there was no way in hell that I could get the amount of chips needed to win the tournament at whatever level it was, because my chip lead was massive. Even if I won a 100 or lost 50, I think losing 50 would be more hurtful than winning 100 [would be helpful]. I was just focused on not losing pots.” 

Hawkins strategy of not losing pots obviously worked, as he entered Day 3 second in chips behind Ryan Phan. Josh Turner entered the day in third place, but ended up getting eliminated in 6th place after getting it all in with    against Ryan Phan’s    prefop, and the board ran out jack-high. Bob Slezak was eliminated in 5th place ($28,177), and Maxx Coleman was eliminated in 4th place ($37,533) just ten minutes later.

Finishing third place was Mike Lang. This was the second consecutive year Lang reached this event’s final table. Last year Lang finished runner-up to Michelle Chin for $54,468. These two cashes are the only two of his WSOP career and are worth more than $105,000.

Heading into heads-up play, Phan had Hawkins nearly four-to-one in chips. Within thirteen minutes, Hawkins doubled after turning Broadway to bring it closer back to even. And just 30 minutes after that, the story changed drastically when Hawkins won a monster pot to take the chip lead from Phan after turning a full house, and Phan turned trip fives. Phan never recovered from that pot, and Hawkins went on to claim the title after hitting a three outer on the river holding    against Phan’s    on a       board, the final hand of the tournament. 

“I feel great,” says Hawkins. “I feel really great about life.”

Hawkins has reason to feel great after winning $113,152, and his sixth gold ring. When asked what he plans to do to celebrate, his answer was simple, “I am going home.”

A total of 321 players turned out to play this Main Event, nearly 100 more than the Circuit Main Event here last year. The field was not lacking in some big name poker players. Rex Clinkscales, Alex Masek, Ari Engel, former November Niner Dennis Phillips, three-time Council Bluffs Main Event Winner Blair Hinkle, and many others all showed up to take their shot at winning the coveted title.

Notables cashing in this event included Joshua Turner (6th - $21,489), Ryan Tepen (11th - $8,460), David Cossio (16th - $5,797), Neil Scott (19th - $4,902), Ray Henson (20th - $4,902), Ting Ho (21st - $4,902), and Allen Kessler (33rd - $2,875). Kessler’s min cash in this event marked his third cash of the Series. When he was eliminated from the Main, he quickly jumped into Event #12 ($365 No Limit Turbo), where he went on to make his fourth cash of the series, after only playing five events total.

In addition to $113,152 prize money and the coveted ring, Hawkins has earned a free entry into the 2016 WSOP Global Casino Championship. Every Main Event winner and Casino Champion at each of the 2015-2016 WSOP Circuit stops receives a free entry (valued at $10,000) that features a minimum prizepool of $1,000,000. Hawkins was in contention to win this stop's Casino Champion.  However, the Main Event winner gets no additional points, and as a result Josh Turner, who took 6th in the main will take the title of Casino Champion. 

Here are the final table results from the Circuit Main Event at the Horseshoe Casino.

1 – Maurice Hawkins - $113,152
2 – Ryan Phan - $69,962
3 – Mike Lang - $50,813
4 – Maxx Coleman - $37,533
5 – Robert Slezak - $28,177
6 – Joshua Turner - $21,489
7 – Daniel Shea – $16,645
8 – Mike Vanier - $13,087
9 – Jose Mendoza - $10,444

A list of full results are available here.

Maurice Hawkins raises to 130,000 on the button, and Ryan Phan calls.

The flop comes    .  Phan checks, Hawkins bets 125,000, Phan raises to 250,000, and Hawkins calls. 

When the turn comes the  , Phan bets out 410,000, and Hawkins calls.

"You got me bro," Phan says, "If you snap call, you got me."

When the river comes the  , Phan leads for 1,000,000.  Hawkins shoves all in, and Phan quickly calls.

Hawkins turns over    for a full house. 

"F*$& me," Phan says as he turns over    for trip fives. 

Maurice Hawkins - 5,100,000
Ryan Phan - 1,400,000

Maurice Hawkins (right) limps from the button and Ryan Phan (left) checks in the big blind.

The flop comes     and Phan checks. Hawkins bets 75,000 and Phan calls. The turn brings the   and Phan checks again. Hawkins bets 325,000. Phan pauses and then announces all-in, he has Hawkins covered. Hawkins snap calls and both player table their hands.

Hawkins:   
Phan:   

The river is the   and Hawkins scores the double up with his straight. The dealer counts Hakwins' remaining stack and it comes to 1,180,000.

Maurice Hawkins - 2,625,000 (52 bbs)
Ryan Phan - 3,800,000 (76 bbs)

Ryan Phan raises to 110,000 on the button.  Maurice Hawkins folds his small blind, and Mike Lang (pictured) shoves all in for 700,000 in the big blind.  Phan snap-calls. 

Phan:   
Lang:   

"I have two live cards," Lang says.

The flop comes     leaving Phan in the lead.  He maintains that lead when the turn comes the  , but Lang picks up an open ended straight draw.  Unfortunately for Lang, the   river does not improve his hand and he is eliminated in 3rd place taking home $50,813. 

"Congrats Man, I just won casino champion, you just made me $30,000," Hawkins says to Phan. 

Ryan Phan - 4,900,000
Mike Lang - Eliminated

Maurice Hawkins raises to 80,000 on the button, and both blinds call. 

All three players check the     flop and   turn. 

When the river comes the  , Mike Lang bets out 100,000 in the small blind, and Ryan Phan calls in the big blind.

"Ah man, I was gonna call if you didn't," Hawkins says as he shows the   and mucks.

"I know you dont bluff Mike," Phan says, "So you probably win."

Lang says, "Ten," as he turns over   . 

"Ten is good," Phan says as he slides his cards into the muck.

Mike Lang - 1,350,000
Ryan Phan - 3,400,000

Action folds to Maurice Hawkins on the button who asks Maxx Coleman how much he has behind.  "About 500,000," Coleman responds.  Hawkins raises to 85,000. Mike Lang folds his small blind, and Coleman shoves all in. Hawkins snap-calls. 

Coleman:   
Hawkins:   

"I am gonna need to hit an ace," Hawkins says. The dealer starts to spread the flop and it's the   in the window, followed by   and  .  When the   comes on the turn, Coleman stands up and starts gathering his belongings.  The   river does not improve Coleman's hand, and he is eliminated in 4th place. 

"See, that's what you call a man-call," Hawkins says to Phan, "You raise, he shoves ten bigs, you snap call with ace high. There's no thinking about it. That's just what a man do." 

Maurice Hawkins - 2,200,000
Maxx Coleman - Eliminated

After the previous hand when Maxx Coleman shoved into Ryan Phan and Phan folded, Maurice Hawkins says to Coleman, "Man, you got the best seat in the house, this kid aint never callin your all ins.  All he does is fold." 

"Fold, fold, fold, fold, fold," Hawkins sings aloud to wake up the table while the dealer shuffles and deals out the next hand. 

Mike Lang raises to 60,000 from under the gun.  Action folds to Phan on the button who starts quietly counting Lang's chips, "Two, four, six, eight..."

"Who do we appreciate," Hawkins chirps in very sing-songy. 

Phan makes it 200,000.  Both blinds muck their hands, and with action back on Lang, he quickly mucks as well. 

Mike Lang has now moved over the million chip mark. Apparently this move was enough to silence Hawkins, and prove that Phan is in fact capable of more than just folding.

Phan shows the  , and then turns over the  .  "I thought my ace seven was good here," Phan says. 

Ryan Phan - 2,300,000
Mike Lang - 1,100,000

Maurice Hawkins raises to 65,000 from under the gun.  It folds to Josh Turner on the button who makes it 175,000. 

"So that's how today's gonna go huh?" Hawkins asks, "I'm on to you.  You folding when you shouldn't be folding, you three betting light when you shouldn't be three betting...I'm on to you." 

After a few seconds pause Hawkins continues, "Restealin' aint gonna work today. I'm just mad that you folded that last hand [to Mike Lang's three bet].  That upset me."

"Someone told me that if he three bets I need to respect his range," Turner says about Lang's betting/raising range. 

"Wait a second, now you're outing me," Lang says.

"Well, everyone's outing everyone now," Turner responds, "This guy's a boss [pointing to Maxx Coleman], this guys's an old school boss [pointing to Bob Slezak]...," as he trails off

Hawkins cuts in, "I just want you to know that sh*t aint gonna work today," as he moves his cards forward towards the muck. 

Josh Turner - 900,000
Maurice Hawkins - 1,400,000