Event #12: $365 Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em Turbo

The battle at the top of the WSOP Circuit’s all-time rings list has been hotly contested over the past several seasons. The current lead is 10, which, until Monday morning, was held alone by Maurice Hawkins.

Valentin Vornicu matched Hawkins’ number, though, winning his own 10th ring. The victory came in a $365 one-day event at Harveys Lake Tahoe, where Vornicu outlasted185 entries to win the top prize of $14,429.

Vornicu, 34, is originally from Romania, and he’s lived in San Diego for the last 11 years. His first Circuit victory came in 2011 in what was just his third-ever live event. He’s gone on to win many more since.

The Circuit’s two brightest stars share a similar reputation. Both Vornicu and Hawkins are outgoing, talkative players who find ways to get under the skin of their opponents. They tend to speak with their stacks, too; both employ an aggressive style. They’re both known for their ability to win and lose large amounts of chips in short amounts of time.

Their stat sheets are remarkably similar, too. Vornicu and Hawkins have each cashed 55 times on the Circuit, and each has won 10 rings. Hawkins has a remarkable five Main Event victories, though, giving him a considerable edge in the earnings column.

Still, Vornicu has accumulated close to a half million dollars in winnings himself. He hasn’t had much success in Lake Tahoe until now, though.

“I’ve been coming to this stop for six years,” he said, “and I’ve never made a final table. This is literally my worst stop.”

This result could easily have been a poor one, as well. Vornicu said he was down to three big blinds right before registration closed, but he managed to run up a stack and avoid another re-entry. A few hours later, he was the winner.

“Obviously, you want to win tournaments as much as possible,” he said of the rings race. “It feels great to be back as number one again. Until, Maurice… this is never going to end. It’s always going to be…” he trailed off. “There are a lot of good players right there with eight or nine.”

Vornicu cited strong competition from the likes of Vincent Moscati (7 rings), Robert Hankins (8), and Alex Masek (9). Vornicu still has more than them all, though.

“It feels good to complete the hands,” he said, holding up 10 fingers.

[Full results]

Registration is closed for the final ring event of the series, and the numbers are in. This one-day event drew 185 entries, creating a prizepool worth $55,500. That money will be shared by the final 21 players, with a min-cash worth $615.

The winner will collect the last ring in Lake Tahoe and the top prize of $14,429. Play continues tonight until they reach that point.