Ari Engel wins 21st WSOP Circuit ring one day after Daniel Lowery hits the mark

Posted on: September 23, 2026 16:40 PDT

Two of the WSOP Circuit GOATs have added to their impressive ring totals this week at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, as just a day after Daniel Lowery earned his 21st, Ari Engel added a 21st ring of his own.

With their respective wins, both players close the gap on Maurice Hawkins' sizeable all-time lead.

Lowery sets the table on Tuesday

On Tuesday, both Lowery and Engel were in position to claim the title and $8,607 first prize in Event #7: $400 Big O.

They were among 11 Day 2 returnees from the 96-entry field for the second day of the tournament, but it would be Lowery, who started the day as the short stack, climbing all the way to victory, while Engel finished third.

Lowery’s latest Circuit win was his first since topping 480 entries at Hard Rock Tulsa to win #20 in March in a $300 Seniors Event, his fourth title at that venue.

Tuesday’s ring was his third in non-hold ‘em events, with the other two coming in Pot-Limit Omaha.

Daniel Lowery's 20th ring win at Hard Rock Tulsa in March 2026.

Horseshoe Council Bluffs $400 Big O final table results (96 entries):

Daniel Lowery - $8,607
Sean Moore - $5,502
Ari Engel - $3,672
Baxter Wirth - $2,562
Dee Wampler - $1,873
Steven Schulte - $1,437
Timothy Garles - $1,161
Kristopher Wilcox - $990

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Engel eats on Wednesday

While denied a day before, Engel would get another chance less than 24 hours later in Event #9: $400 No-Limit Hold 'em, and he was fired up for it.

Engel entered the day with the chip lead, holding 367,000. Theresa Morley sat just behind him with 364,000. The duo would end up as the final two players, with Morley actually taking a 4-to-1 chip lead on Engel heads-up.

Engel would then make a tremendous hero call for his tournament life to turn things around, holding only second pair on the turn.

“It was definitely scary, because I thought I had an edge in the heads-up game,” says Engel. “It was tough, but the pot was really big. Ultimately, I thought I was good, so I called, but she had me covered, so if I was wrong, I was out. I was trying to play low variance, but this was not low variance at all, and I wanted to win”

Engel rode that pot to victory, claiming the $6,613 first prize and his first ring since last year at Council Bluffs, when he won the $1,100 no-limit hold ‘em event just hours after arriving in town.

Ari Engel and Jo Kim after Engel's 20th ring win win in 2025.

Horseshoe Council Bluffs $400 NLH final table results (68 entries):

Ari Engel - $6,613
Theresa Morely - $4,094
Mark Fink - $2,790
Jarryd Hawkins - $1,992
Matthew Alexander - $1,493
Jesse Keel - $1,178
Jacob Long - $981
Daniel Biddle - $866
Donnie Phan - $811

Is the race back on?

Just over a year ago, the lead atop the all-time WSOP Circuit rings list was tightly contested between Engel, Lowery, and Hawkins, when Hawkins became the first to win #20 in New Orleans in August.

He then followed up with his 21st during the same series to open a bit of a lead, and has since pulled away with five more this year to now sit on 26.

Engel thinks Hawkins’ five-ring lead is still too much for any kind of race to be back on, but says that he’d back Lowery to catch Hawkins if he chose to make a run at it.

“Lowery just shows up at one or two stops a year and always wins a ring or two, but he doesn’t play very much," he explains. "Maurice wins enough that it's tough for me. I’m five behind, so I don’t think we can say the chase is on yet, but maybe if I get a couple more.”