Ari Engel Claims Record 17th WSOP Circuit Gold Ring

The World Series of Poker Circuit continues to witness intense competition atop the tour’s all-time titles leaderboard, with significant shifts in the gold-rings race seen over recent days. Ari Engel solidified his lead by securing a record 17th gold ring in a WSOP Circuit Michigan online event, triumphing in the $500 no-limit hold’em big 500 8-max tournament among 48 entries. His victory propelled his total earnings close to $8.9 million, with an impressive career tally of 50 tournament wins, including three WSOP gold bracelets. However, it’s his 17th WSOPC win that notably distinguished him from his closest competitors in the gold ring standings.

Meanwhile, Daniel Lowery was making strides of his own, adding to his collection at the WSOP Circuit North Carolina tournament series held at Harrah’s Cherokee. He clinched his 15th gold ring by outperforming a 3,577-entry field in a $400 monster stack event, pocketing $148,416 in winnings. This achievement not only elevated his career earnings past $3.15 million but also positioned Lowery in a three-way tie behind Engel, alongside Maurice Hawkins and Joshua Reichard, in the pursuit of the gold ring crown.

“The chase is real, we’ve been taking it serious,” said Lowery after the win to reporters on the scene. He continued, “I’m very real with myself about poker, and I feel like I played amazing this week.” Lowery also encapsulated the spirit of the WSOP Circuit gold ring race when he added, “I said a long time ago, some guys said it didn’t matter, but it matters to be number one, one time, so I’m trying. We’ll see who can get there.”

Another standout performer in North Carolina was Kyle Cartwright, who bolstered his WSOP Circuit gold ring collection by securing his ninth title in a $1,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament featuring 600 entries. Despite his success, which pushed his career earnings above $3.1 million, Cartwright remains focused on his family, stating, “My house has been busy, I have twin four-year-olds and a three-year-old; all girls.” I don’t get to play much anymore,” said Cartwright to reporters after the win. He added, “I don’t really play tournaments anymore, so I’m not chasing. Lowery is an animal. What he’s doing in these 1,000-player fields is amazing.”

WSOPC Michigan Event #11 Final Table Results