Just days after tying World Series of Poker Circuit historical past, Maurice Hawkins’ character is below the scrutiny of the poker world.
On Wednesday night, the Florida native gained the $400 no-limit maintain’em monster stack on the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Tunica cease. He bested a 571-entry discipline to earn $34,711 and his nineteenth Circuit ring.
The victory tied him atop the all-time ring leaderboard with Ari Engel, who additionally has 4 WSOP bracelets. But the excitement on social media isn’t about his success. Instead, Hawkins spent the next day denying claims from former backers that he stole their cash.
Just two days earlier than Hawkins gained his nineteenth Circuit title, one among Hawkins’ former backers, Randy Garcia, referred to as Hawkins a “pathological liar and a deadbeat.” Garcia stated that whereas he backed him for fairly a while and loaned him cash for payments and household obligations. But these money owed had been by no means paid again.
But this wasn’t a brand new improvement. This scenario was well-known and settled in courtroom. After Garcia took authorized motion in opposition to Hawkins, a Palm Beach County decide dominated in Garcia’s favor, awarding him a $115,828 judgment.
Garcia stated Hawkins by no means paid the six-figure sum the courtroom demanded. In the April 21 tweet, Garcia stated {that a} “Maurice Hawkins fanboy” filmed a video interview between Garcia and Hawkins the place Hawkins agreed to pay $30,000 to Garcia earlier than the beginning of the 2024 WSOP.
The video was by no means launched, and Garcia posted a screenshot of a textual content message from March 7 through which Hawkins admitted to stiffing Garcia.
Maurice Hawkins replace… one 12 months in the past the Maurice Hawkins fanboy
KieroLovesYou</a> did a video interview with Maurice and myself. In that interview he agreed to pay me $30,000 before the start of last years WSOP. One year later and he failed to do so. <a href="https://twitter.com/KieroLovesYou?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">KieroLovesYou refused to… pic.twitter.com/o6mNkmHSpX— RanMan (@RandyGa51306496) April 21, 2025
“Give me 30 days,” Hawkins’ textual content learn. “If I don’t pay you, then you know that I truly don’t care.”
The 30-day extension ended on April 7. According to Garcia, no cost was made. He stated he was hiring a lawyer to assist seize any cash Hawkins could win to gather the six-figure sum Hawkins legally owes him.
In the aftermath of Garcia’s tweet, Matt Berkey devoted a phase to the scenario on his Only Friends podcast. Then, after his victory, Hawkins tagged the podcast and different media members in a tweet the place he bragged about his current victory and mocked Garcia’s one-year replace on the debt.
ITS STRANGE YOU TELL PEOPLE NOT TO REPORT ABOUT ME WINNING .When my title IN each FUCKING title of your present and report .Maybe we will have fun the identical report yearly. I’ll gentle a candle subsequent time.6 years later.KISS MY ASS.
ChadAHolloway</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OnlyFriends_Pod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">OnlyFriends_Pod @RandyGa51306496 https://t.co/c6WI1lhExp— ConsumingOnAllStages (@mauricehawkins) April 23, 2025
The public back-and-forth between the professionals prompted one other Hawkins backer to step ahead. Denise Pratt, a poker fanatic from Mississippi who travels to a number of Circuit stops, despatched Berkey a message detailing her historical past of staking Hawkins.
In a publish on Thursday, Berkey launched the message, her spreadsheet detailing the cash spent and two movies of her interacting with Hawkins. Additionally, he devoted one other podcast phase to Hawkins on Thursday’s Only Friends episode.
Pratt stated she paid for Hawkins’ journey bills and match buy-ins on the MSPT Columbus and the Circuit at Horseshoe Tunica. According to Pratt, she backed him within the $400 monster stack, which he gained for $34,711.
Her information present she spent $11,460 on bills and buy-ins, and is owed practically $15,000 of the winnings.
The two movies present her interactions with Hawkins whereas, presumably, making an attempt to gather the cash she claims is owed to her.
One of the movies exhibits Hawkins on the payout desk accumulating his money. You can hear on line casino employees telling Pratt she wants to depart the realm.
“He owes me money,” Pratt stated within the video.
“I don’t owe you shit,” Hawkins responded.
In the opposite video, you may see Hawkins name Pratt a “dumbass bitch” and shortly stroll away from her with chips in his hand.
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OnlyFriends_Pod</a> <br><br>In lieu of <a href="https://twitter.com/mauricehawkins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">mauricehawkins successful his file tying nineteenth ring, we’re going to as soon as once more put him within the headline… for THEFT. @SneakieNesie simply shared particulars of their backing association that he outwardly ducked on the… https://t.co/eaEJKTrayb pic.twitter.com/kNsAQG9Hzl— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) April 24, 2025
Hawkins didn’t immediately reply to any of Pratt’s allegations. Instead, he threatened Berkey with a lawsuit.
“At @OnlyFriends_Pod I WANT YOU TO KNOW I AM ABOUT TO SUE THE FUCK OUT OF YOU.” tweeted Hawkins.
In one other tweet, half-hour later, Hawkins said that the go well with would arrive in two weeks.
