Editor
Maurice Hawkins did not have very long to celebrate his 19th career WSOPC ring, which he won in Tunica. Shortly after winning that ring, a fresh wave of controversy erupted around Hawkins regarding his backing and not paying people back.
This is not a new controversy for Hawkins, as he has been accused of stiffing his backers many times and constantly breaching poker etiquette.
Most notably, Randy Garcia has openly called out Hawkins for not paying him back despite all the wins that Hawkins has had. Based on a court ruling in 2019, Hawkins technically owes Garcia $115,828, an amount that Garcia says Hawkins has only paid back a small amount of.
Tunica Confrontation
Despite all the chatter about Hawkins owing people money, he still plays in numerous tournaments around the country, often with little conflict in person. Most of the accusations and fighting regarding Hawkins happen on social media.
But following his win in Tunica, he had an in-person run-in with Denise Pratt, a WSOP bracelet winner and by all accounts one of the nicest players in poker. In the video captured by Pratt, Hawkins calls her a “dumb*** *****” before walking off and not settling the money that Pratt says he owes her.
There was another follow-up video where Hawkins uses casino security to protect him from people confronting him about money at the Tunica payout line. Hawkins can be heard saying, “You need to get away from me. That’s what you need to do. I don’t owe you ****” to an unidentified man.
The video was shared by Pratt to several poker media sources. Matt Berkey shared it on X
Berkey then went on to discuss the situation on his “OnlyFriends” podcast. The podcast discussed how and why Hawkins is allowed to keep playing and keep winning events. They also dove into Hawkins’ character in general, which has been a topic of conversation your years.
Hawkins fired back with a threat to file a lawsuit against Berkey and the podcast.
The questions surrounding Hawkins always stem from the fact that he allegedly does not pay people back despite all the wins. He has earned more than enough money from his tournament cashes to do so.
Will Action Be Taken Against Hawkins?
While there are always rumblings about Hawkins every time he wins, this time it seems to be coming to a boiling point. Other players seem to be finally fed up with Hawkins are more willing to call him out in person. There is also an increased call for him to be banned from the WSOP Circuit by many on social media.
Time will tell what comes of this situation and how it affects Hawkins’ career and his chase for the top spot on the WSOPC ring leaderboard.
