What does it cost to spend your life chasing the next win? In the third episode of Face Up with Ivy Teves, Maurice Hawkins opens up about winning a record 26 WSOP Circuit rings, filing for bankruptcy, and the relationships he lost along the way.

Hawkins traces his path from college football and plans to become a surgeon to learning poker in small Omaha Sit & Gos. He recalls how health and financial problems left him feeling cornered, why he still trusted his ability at the table, and what it took to rebuild his bankroll. He also reflects on the decisions he would handle differently today and how his reputation has affected his ability to find backing.

Some of the most personal moments come when Hawkins talks about time away from home. As tournament trips ate into birthdays, weekends, and time with friends, the invitations gradually stopped coming. Now a father of six, he explains why he wants to be the first person his kids call when something goes wrong, how his faith helps him through difficult moments, and what success would look like if he could spend fewer weeks on the road.

In this episode

• From college football and plans to become a surgeon to professional poker

• Filing for bankruptcy and rebuilding his bankroll

• Winning 26 WSOP Circuit rings and giving some of them away

• Reputation, backing, and decisions he would handle differently today

• The relationships he lost while traveling the tournament circuit

• Fatherhood, faith, and how his definition of success has changed

Face Up with Ivy Teves brings you honest conversations with the people behind the poker results. Subscribe to SpadePoker for more episodes, player interviews, tournament coverage, and stories from across the poker world.

Chinese player Shuanghong Zhu turned a remarkable final table comeback into the biggest achievement of his career by winning the Red Dragon Plus Championship at the Jeju Poker Festival 2026. Despite entering the final table second to last in chips, his aggressive play catapulted him to the top, earning him the trophy and 283,017,000 KRW (approximately $207,754).

The Main Event of the first-ever European stop of the Triton ONE series is in full swing. Three initial flights have brought in a total of 1,006 entries, generating a prize pool of $7,316,638 with an $8,000 buy-in. Today, 191 players are advancing to Day 2, where a fierce battle to burst the money bubble is expected right from the start.

Leading the current standings is Russia's Damir Gabdullin, who secured a dominant position in Day 1A. Close behind are the Chinese duo of Jingyao Yan and Yue Zhao.

Also moving through the ranks in the TOP 10 are well-known high-stakes pros like Isaac Haxton, Manuel Fritz, Juan Pardo, and Mikita Badziakouski. Joining the fight for the next day will be Triton Poker co-founder Paul Phua, China’s top player Ren Lin, Punnat Punsri, Dimitar Danchev, and Triton ONE titleholders Jon Vallinas and Khoa Anh Ngo.

TOP 10 Players by Standings Ahead of Day 2 in Event #12: $8,000 Main Event

Ranking	Player	Country	Stack
1.	Damir Gabdullin	Russia	4,515,000
2.	Jingyao Yan	China	4,130,000
3.	Yue Zhao	China	3,475,000
4.	Isaac Haxton	USA	3,440,000
5.	Benjamin Winsor	UK	3,390,000
6.	Kursad Bayrakci	Turkey	3,300,000
7.	Manuel Fritz	Austria	3,125,000
8.	Maksim Shornikau	Belarus	3,090,000
9.	Juan Pardo	Spain	3,065,000
10.	Mikita Badziakouski	Belarus	2,965,000

Sources: Triton Poker, YouTube