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Ari Engel: 4-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner and 20-Time Circuit Champion

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POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014

Ari Engel is a Canadian professional poker player whose tournament résumé spans major live events, online competition, mixed games and one of the most successful careers in World Series of Poker Circuit history. He has won four WSOP bracelets, accumulated 20 WSOP Circuit rings and captured the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event.

Engel has also crossed the $10 million mark in recorded live tournament earnings. As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists him with more than $10.1 million in live cashes and a career-best live score of $1,120,110.

His longevity is matched by unusual versatility. Engel has won major no-limit hold'em tournaments, a WSOP Omaha Hi-Lo championship, online bracelet events and Circuit titles across several formats while continuing to post significant results deep into the 2026 season.

Who Is Ari Engel?

Alan "Ari" Engel is a Canadian poker professional originally from Toronto. The Hendon Mob lists Toronto as his birthplace and Las Vegas as his residence.

PokerNews has reported that Engel spent part of his childhood in Australia before later attending New York University, where he studied finance and business management. He eventually turned his attention toward poker and developed into a traveling tournament professional.

That career has stretched across more than two decades of recorded tournament results. Engel became particularly associated with the WSOP Circuit, where his repeated victories eventually pushed him into the race for the all-time rings record.

His results, however, extend well beyond the Circuit. Engel has won bracelets in both live and online WSOP competition, captured one of Australia's signature poker championships and built a record that includes success in no-limit hold'em, Omaha variants and mixed games.

Ari Engel's Major Poker Accomplishments

Engel's career is defined by sustained tournament success rather than a single breakthrough.

His major accomplishments include:

  • Four World Series of Poker bracelets

  • 20 WSOP Circuit rings

  • Victory in the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event

  • More than $10.1 million in recorded live tournament earnings as of August 2026

  • A career-best live cash of $1,120,110

  • Multiple major mixed-game and Omaha results

  • Continued tournament victories and deep runs in 2026

The combination places Engel among the most decorated tournament regulars of his era, particularly within the WSOP Circuit ecosystem.

Ari Engel's 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event Victory

One of the defining results of Engel's career came at the 2016 Aussie Millions in Melbourne.

Engel entered the final table of the A$10,600 Main Event with the chip lead and eventually defeated Tony Dunst heads-up. The tournament attracted 732 entries, and Engel earned A$1.6 million for the victory.

Converted into the reporting currency used by The Hendon Mob, the result is listed as a $1,120,110 cash, which remains the largest live tournament score of Engel's career.

The victory gave Engel a major international championship years before he captured his first WSOP bracelet. It also demonstrated that his success was not limited to smaller Circuit events or North American poker rooms.

How Many WSOP Bracelets Does Ari Engel Have?

As of August 2026, Ari Engel has four World Series of Poker bracelets.

His first came during the 2019 WSOP, when he defeated a 996-entry field in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event. Engel earned $427,399 and his first bracelet after years of success on the Circuit.

He added a second bracelet in 2021 by winning the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $317,076. The championship victory strengthened Engel's reputation as a player capable of succeeding beyond no-limit hold'em.

His third and fourth bracelets came online:

  • 2023 WSOP Online $500 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo 6-Max — $38,197

  • 2024 WSOP Online $400 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo — $34,200

The four victories cover both live and online poker as well as different formats, reflecting the range that has become one of the defining features of Engel's tournament career.

Ari Engel's WSOP Circuit Ring Record

Engel has been one of the central figures in the modern race for the World Series of Poker Circuit's all-time rings record.

His first Circuit ring dates to 2007. Over the following years, Engel continued accumulating victories at live stops and later through WSOP Online Circuit events.

The pace accelerated significantly in the 2020s. By March 2025, Engel had captured his 19th ring and temporarily moved ahead in the all-time race.

He reached another milestone in September 2025 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. Engel won a $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em event for more than $22,000 and collected his 20th career Circuit ring, becoming only the second player to reach that total.

As of August 2026, Engel remains on 20 rings. Maurice Hawkins has since moved ahead in the record chase, while Engel and Daniel Lowery remain among the closest challengers.

Engel's Circuit record is notable not just for its total but for its duration. His ring victories span different eras of the tour and include no-limit hold'em, Omaha, H.O.R.S.E. and online events.

Ari Engel's WSOP Bracelet Breakthrough

For much of Engel's early career, his Circuit success contrasted with the absence of a WSOP bracelet.

That changed in June 2019.

Engel entered the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em bracelet event as an experienced tournament professional with nine Circuit rings. He ultimately topped 996 entries and defeated Pablo Melogno heads-up for the $427,399 first prize.

The victory gave Engel the major WSOP accomplishment that had been missing from his résumé. Two years later, he showed that the breakthrough was not limited to hold'em by winning the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo championship.

His subsequent online bracelet victories in 2023 and 2024 pushed the total to four.

Mixed-Game and Omaha Success

Engel's tournament history shows considerable range across poker disciplines.

The clearest example is his 2021 victory in the $10,000 WSOP Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. Winning a championship-level mixed-game event requires a different skill set from the large-field no-limit hold'em tournaments that made up much of Engel's earlier résumé.

His Circuit record also includes victories in Omaha Hi-Lo, Pot-Limit Big O, H.O.R.S.E. and mixed pot-limit formats.

That versatility has continued in recent seasons. During the 2026 WSOP, Engel reached sixth place in the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller for $147,648 and finished 10th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $80,636.

Those results reinforce a career pattern that has increasingly moved beyond straightforward no-limit hold'em.

Ari Engel's Tournament Earnings

As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Ari Engel with more than $10.1 million in live tournament earnings.

His largest recorded cash remains the $1,120,110 earned for winning the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event.

Other significant results include his first WSOP bracelet victory for $427,399, his 2021 Omaha Hi-Lo championship win for $317,076 and a fifth-place finish in a major Barcelona event in 2016 worth more than $340,000.

Live earnings totals change whenever a player records another qualifying cash, so Engel's career number should be treated as a snapshot rather than a permanent figure.

Ari Engel's Playing Reputation

Engel's tournament record is best characterized by volume, adaptability and longevity.

Rather than specializing exclusively in high rollers or one poker variant, he has accumulated results across a broad range of buy-ins and formats. His résumé includes large-field no-limit hold'em tournaments, Circuit events, online tournaments, Omaha variants and mixed games.

His willingness to compete frequently has also been central to his career. Engel has appeared at tournament stops around the world and has continued producing deep runs after more than two decades of recorded competition.

The result is a profile different from that of a player whose reputation rests primarily on a handful of enormous high-stakes scores. Engel's career has been built through repeated tournament success across hundreds of recorded cashes and many different poker environments.

Ari Engel in 2026

Engel remained highly active on the tournament circuit in 2026.

During the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, he recorded 16 cashes according to PokerNews. His most notable summer finishes included sixth place in the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller for $147,648 and 10th place in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $80,636.

He then added another international victory in August.

Engel won the $1,300 WPT Cambodia Championship at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh, topping a 391-entry field. After reaching heads-up play against Adi Agarwal, the two agreed to a deal before determining the trophy winner with a final all-in flip. Engel won the flip and officially finished first for $91,444.

The Cambodia victory was his second tournament win of 2026 and pushed his Hendon Mob live earnings beyond $10.1 million.

Those results show that Engel remains an active tournament professional rather than a player whose reputation rests primarily on earlier achievements.

Why Ari Engel Matters in Poker

Engel occupies an unusual place in modern tournament poker.

His four bracelets establish a substantial WSOP résumé, while his 20 Circuit rings place him among the most successful players in the history of that tour. The Aussie Millions Main Event title adds an internationally recognized championship outside the WSOP system.

Just as importantly, Engel has accumulated those achievements across different formats and different stages of poker's evolution. His career reaches from the pre-boom and early online era through the expansion of the WSOP Circuit, the growth of regulated online bracelet events and today's mixed live-and-online tournament landscape.

The volume of his results also illustrates a different path to poker prominence. Engel has combined major championship victories with years of persistent tournament participation, making consistency itself one of the defining features of his career.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many WSOP bracelets does Ari Engel have?

Ari Engel has four WSOP bracelets as of August 2026. He won his first in 2019, his second in 2021 and added online bracelets in 2023 and 2024.

How many WSOP Circuit rings does Ari Engel have?

Ari Engel has 20 WSOP Circuit rings as of August 2026. He became the second player in history to reach 20 when he won a $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in September 2025.

How much has Ari Engel won in live poker tournaments?

As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Ari Engel with more than $10.1 million in live tournament earnings. Because he remains active, that total can change with future results.

What is Ari Engel's biggest poker win?

Engel's largest recorded live cash came from winning the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event. The A$1.6 million first prize is recorded by The Hendon Mob as $1,120,110.

Did Ari Engel win the Aussie Millions Main Event?

Yes. Engel won the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event in Melbourne after defeating Tony Dunst heads-up. The tournament attracted 732 entries.

Is Ari Engel still playing poker?

Yes. Engel remained an active tournament player in 2026, recording numerous WSOP cashes before winning the WPT Cambodia Championship in August. His recent results include deep runs in high-level H.O.R.S.E. and Pot-Limit Omaha events as well as continued no-limit hold'em success.

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