ShareCanadian high stakes star Ari Engel has made history by winning his 16th World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring, surpassing the previous record held by Maurice Hawkins.
A victory at the WSOPC Hammond event made Engel the most successful player in WSOPC history.
Engel's journey to this record-breaking achievement began in 2007 when he won his first Circuit ring in Atlantic City. Since then, he has been one of the most consistent performers, regularly demonstrating his skills, winning rings in a wide variety of games including PLO, 6-max and 8-max NL Hold’em, and H.O.R.S.E.
In 2023 alone, Engel added five rings to his collection, showcasing his dominance in the series.
His latest ring was won at the Horseshoe Hammond, just outside Chicago, where he topped the 117-player field to win $10,749.
Incredible Record
Engel's success is not limited to the WSOPC. He is also a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, winning in 2019 and 2021. At the time of writing, Engel has amassed $8.4 million in live tournament cashes.
Despite his impressive record, Engel remains humble. Speaking to Poker.org, he said:
“Obviously, it’s nice to win, but my heart’s kind of in Jerusalem right now. So you know it’s bittersweet. But I’ve been playing a lot of these tournaments and it’s definitely good, better to win than lose.
“I’m definitely not a top mixed game player, but … I do okay in the low buy-in stuff. Maurice [Hawkins], Josh [Reichard], Dan Lowery all have a much better ratio when it comes to the number of tournaments they’ve played and rings.
“I just play a lot more than them. Their records are really good, and they’re all really good players.”
We look forward to seeing what Maurice Hawkins can come up with now. The American has been the biggest figure in the WSOPC over recent years and we’re sure that he’ll be more than motivated to get back to the top of the winners list.
Top WSOP Circuit Ring Winners
| Place | Player | Rings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ari Engel | 16 |
| 2 | Maurice Hawkins | 15 |
| 3 | Josh Reichard | 14 |
| 4 | Daniel Lowery | 14 |
| 5 | Valentin Vornicu | 13 |
| 6 | Jeffrey Trudeau Jr. | 10 |
| 7 | Robert Hankins | 10 |
| 8 | Martin Ryan | 10 |
| 9 | David Larson | 10 |
| 10 | Michael Lech | 9 |
