2025 Maurice Hawkins Wins Historic 15th WSOP Circuit Ring at Harrah’s Cherokee

Connor RichardsEditor & Live Reporter U.S.

May 16, 20234 min read

It took Maurice Hawkins just one month to re-take the lead on the all-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit ring list after being tied by Josh Reichard in April. The Florida grinder won a historic 15th Circuit ring earlier this week at WSOP Harrah’s Cherokee with a victory in a $2,200 buy-in High Roller event for $54,599.

Hawkins held the top spot on the ring list for several years before Reichard won his 13th and 14th rings earlier this year to tie Hawkins.

Just four weeks later, Hawkins has bumped Reichard from the top spot to maintain his status as the most decorated WSOP Circuit player in poker history.

WSOPC Event #16: $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller

PLACE	PLAYER	HOMETOWN	PRIZE
1	Maurice Hawkins	West Palm Beach, FL	$54,599
2	Toby Boas	Daytona Beach, FL	$33,744
3	William Stanford	Tupelo, MS	$23,137
4	Irene Carey	Banner Elk, NC	$16,327
5	Angela Gambino	Berwyn, IL	$11,867
6	Dylan Wilkerson	San Francisco, CA	$8,893
7	Will Givens	Aurora, CO	$6,877
8	Jonah Labranche	Chandler, AZ	$5,493
9	Ryan Brown	Ellicott City, MD	$4,538

For several years, no one could touch Hawkins as he sat comfortably above the rest on the all-time ring list with 14 rings, in front of Valentin Vornicu with 12 rings.

Multiple players went on surges this year to close the gap. Ari Engel won a 12th ring in March to tie Vornicu, while Daniel Lowery picked up a staggering three rings and Reichard won two rings to reach respective totals of 13 and 14.

Hawkins now re-takes the lead after a heads-up victory against fellow Floridian Toby Boas ($33,744), while other players who made deep runs include Cherokee regular Irene Carey (4th – $16,327) and bracelet winner Will Givens (7th – $6,877).

Hawkins, a controversial figure in poker, won his 14th ring at WSOPC Choctaw in 2020 and has had several close calls since then, including a fourth-place finish in Event #11: 400 No-Limit Hold’em at this very stop. It may only be a matter of time before Hawkins adds a 16th ring to further close the gap, or before Reichard wins a 15th to do the opposite.

Jones Wins Cherokee Main Event a Second Time

Hawkins wasn’t the only big winner at WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee, which ran May 4-15. Earlier in the series, Spencer Smith won his third and fourth rings, denying Lowery a 14th ring in the process.

The $1,700 Main Event drew a huge field of 1,205 runners for a prize pool of $1,663,301. North Carolina’s Ryan Jones took it down for a career-best $302,131 and his third Circuit ring after defeating heads-up opponent Jonathan Lewis, who is turn took home $186,733.

Incredibly, it was not Jones’ first Main Event victory in the Smokey Mountains. In 2015, he took down the $1,675 buy-in WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee Main Event for $235,804, while his second ring came from a victory in the 2017 WSOPC Rio Las Vegas Main Event for $269,327.

The victory made Jones the first player to ever win the Harrah’s Cherokee Main Event twice, according to WSOP.

WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee Main Event Final Table Results

PLACE	PLAYER	HOMETOWN	PRIZE
1	Ryan Jones	Burlington, NC	$302,131
2	Jonathan Lewis	Hopkinton, MA	$186,733
3	William Kopp	Bloomington, IL	$138,637
4	Michael Monaghan	Yazoo City, MS	$104,019
5	Timothy Brown	Houston, TX	$78,882
6	Kenneth Brossoit	Ladson, SC	$60,466
7	Alcides Gomez	Miami, FL	$46,858
8	Robert George	Decatur, GA	$36,714
9	Alex Vasilescu	N/A	$29,087

Other players who picked up rings at the WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee stop include Georgia’s Matthew Higgins (WSOPC Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack – $99,121), North Carolina’s Matthew Torma (WSOPC Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold’em – $27,732) and Ohio’s Shane Melert (WSOPC Event #18: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Last Chance Big 30K – $20,081).

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A full list of ring winners at WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee is available in the table below.

WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee Ring Winners

EVENT	ENTRANTS	PRIZE POOL	WINNER	HOMETOWN	PRIZE (IN USD)
WSOPC Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Big 30K Stack	398	$131,340	Daniel Kusnerak	Newton, NC	$26,954
WSOPC Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em	2,232	$736,560	Spencer Smith	Atlanta, GA	$104,177
WSOPC Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em	602	$198,660	Christopher Storie	Asheboro, NC	$37,630
WSOPC Event #4: $400 Seniors Event	837	$276,210	Simon Philip	Pensacola, FL	$48,050
WSOPC Event #5: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em	255	$248,625	John Petro	Fredericksburg, VA	$57,137
WSOPC Event #6: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed	668	$220,440	Spencer Smith	Atlanta, GA	$41,949
WSOPC Event #7: $600 No-Limit Hold’em	264	$135,960	John Evans	Vinncennes, IN	$30,266
WSOPC Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack	TBD	TBD	Matthew Higgins	Rossville, GA	$99,121
WSOPC Event #9: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha	245	$126,175	Seth Weinberg	Key West, FL	$28,694
WSOPC Event #10: $1,700 MAIN EVENT	1,205	$1,663,301	Ryan Jones	Burlington, NC	$302,131
WSOPC Event #11: 400 No-Limit Hold’em	448	TBD	Jason May	Panama City Beach, FL	$29,340
WSOPC Event #12: $250 Ladies Event	198	TBD	Michelle Miller	Jacksboro, TN	$9,590
WSOPC Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold’em	413	$131,340	Matthew Torma	Charlotte, NC	$27,732
WSOPC Event #14: $400 No-Limit Hold’em	410	$131,340	Joseph Stacey	Mcminnville, TN	$26,954
WSOPC Event #15: $250 Seniors Event	586	$117,800	Brian Heaton	Greer, SC	$21,700
WSOPC Event #16: $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller	92	$194,000	Maurice Hawkins	West Palm Beach, FL	$54,599
WSOPC Event #17: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo	178	$58,740	Justin Donato	Mount Juliet, TN	$14,596
WSOPC Event #18: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Last Chance Big 30K	277	$91,410	Shane Melert	Mogadore, OH	$20,081

_{Photos courtesy WSOP}

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Connor Richards is an Editor & Live Reporter for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for two Global Poker Awards for his writing.

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