Hawkins Wreaks Havoc on the Joses, Seizes Chip Lead

Frank Visser

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

When walking by Maurice Hawkins' table, he was raking in a huge pot and sitting on a stack of nearly 400,000. A spectator was kind enough to relay the action that had happened to PokerNews.

Apparently, someone at the table had raised to 2,400 and Jose Ortiz called from middle position. Maurice Hawkins was on the button and made a big three-bet to 15,300, which only Ortiz called.

The flop was then spread 5?3?2? and Ortiz checked to Hawkins, who made a continuation-bet of 16,000. Ortiz then raised to 40,000 and Hawkins called.

Ortiz fired another bet in on the 8? turn, this time of 50,000 chips. Again, Hawkins made the call and the pair saw the 5x river. Ortiz slowed down and checked to Hawkins, and the latter went all-in, covering his opponent.

Ortiz quickly made the call and was shown the AxAx by Hawkins. Ortiz also played an overpair, but the smallest one with 9x9x. Ortiz was eliminated and Hawkins shot up to a stack of almost 400,000.

Not much later, Jose Paz-Gutierrez's seat was also seen empty and Hawkins played an even bigger stack. He is now the far-and-away chip leader in Red with more than 500,000 chips.