The WSOP Circuit is one of the most prestigious poker series both in the United States and internationally. Every poker player knows about the strong World Series of Poker brand and dreams of capturing a WSOP bracelet in Las Vegas every summer.
But outside of the WSOP flagship series, there is the WSOP Circuit, which runs throughout the rest of the year. Instead of bracelets, WSOP Circuit rings are awarded for winning tournaments. Players who play these WSOP ring events consistently strive to win as many of these rings as possible.
Over the years, there has been a hotly-contested battle for who can win the most WSOP Circuit rings. This battle has intensified in recent years with four men emerging as the serious contenders for the overall top spot. Today, we take a look at each of those four WSOP ring contenders as well as a few potential dark horses.
WSOP Circuit Ring Leaders
Ari Engel – 17 Rings
The current leader at the top is Ari Engel with 17 rings. Engel is a self-proclaimed nomad who does not have a permanent residence and spends his time traveling around from poker stop to poker stop. He has an extensive resume outside of the Circuit with three bracelets and $8.7 millions in career live poker tournament earnings.
Engel has only become a part of this WSOP Circuit ring conversation in the last three years as he has surged from seven rings to 17 since 2021, winning ten in the span of three years. His ability to quickly accumulate Circuit rings has added another level to his poker resume.
Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook
One of the key factors for Engel that makes him the favorite to stay atop the leaderboard is the WSOP online Circuit component. When the WSOP Circuit decided to count online events as rings the same as live events, it changed the dynamics of this race greatly and nobody has benefitted more than Engel. Half of his 10 rings since 2021 have come from online Circuit events, which shows his versatility on the felt as well as on the screen.
Maurice Hawkins – 16 Rings
In second place on the Circuit ring leaderboard is Maurice Hawkins with 16 rings. The Florida poker pro is a controversial figure on the WSOP Circuit who has made many enemies along the way. Nevertheless, he has been a consistent force on the Circuit since as far back as 2008.
He has $5.7 million in career live tournament earnings and his most recent ring is perhaps the most impressive on his resume. In May 2024, he won the WSOP Cherokee Main Event, which is always the largest Circuit main on the entire WSOP Circuit schedule. He achieved this for the second time in his career and took home over a quarter of a million dollars.
Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook
Hawkins continues to play Circuit events around the country, especially the ones in the South. His consistent presence and drive keep him alive as a factor in this race.
He is no doubt one of the most motivated players to be the top dog on this list, as he has made clear several times after winning these rings. He has even been known to talk a little bit of trash to fellow top Circuit ring chasers.
Josh Reichard – 15 Rings
There is a tie for third place on the WSOP Circuit ring list with 15 won and holding one of the spots is Josh Reichard. The Wisconsin grinder has been a longtime force on the WSOP Circuit and has been accumulating rings since 2013.
Reichard long dominated the midwestern part of the Circuit, snapping up a total of 11 rings in just five years from the end of 2013 to the start of 2019. He and Hawkins have a long standing rivalry as they have been neck and neck in rings for many years. His most recent ring came in November of 2023 at the Elgin, IL Circuit stop at Grand Victoria Casino. He had a near miss in September at Council Bluffs, finishing 4th in the Main Event.
Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook
While Reichard is still a strong force in tournament poker and is always a threat to bink one at any moment, there is an obstacle to his battle at the top of this Circuit ring leaderboard.
He has diversified where he plays his poker in recent years, openly admitting that he is not as enamored with the WSOP Circuit as he once was. He now often chooses to play MSPT, WPT and even Moneymaker Tour events over WSOP Circuit events.
Daniel Lowery – 15 Rings
The other player tied for third in Circuit rings is Daniel Lowery who has asserted himself into this discussion with repeated good results. First and foremost an owner of an Arkansas sawmill, he nevertheless plays often enough to be a force on the Circuit.
The 51-year old travels all around the Circuit and often plays many events. His rings range from the South in Cherokee to California in Graton to Choctaw and even in the Caribbean in Aruba. He has added a lot of rings to his haul in recent years with six since 2022 and most recently in the Cherokee Monster Stack in February of 2024.
Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook
Lowery is a real contender at the top of this leaderboard thanks to his robust Circuit schedule. He primarily plays on the WSOP Circuit and does not delve into other tours as often as his rivals on this list with his only other endeavors being on the RunGood Series. He also is great at getting to the business end of events as he also has a plethora of runner-up finishes on the Circuit.
Other Contenders/Dark Horses
Outside of the top four, there is a bit of a gap but there are some others who could emerge as challengers for that top spot.
The majority of players who are in the 9-13 ring range seem to have their best days behind them, as many of them have not won a ring in a while or play far less than they used to. The players on this reflect current trends of winning.
- Michael Setera – Amassed a staggering 12 rings from September to December 2023 all from online events, with most being in small field Michigan only events. So while he may move to the top by continuing to win such events, it will likely not be regarded in the same way and held in the same vein of respect.
- Soheb Porbandarwala – Dangerous player who can win online and live. Has 12 rings total and has won six since May of 2023 with four online and two live.
- John Holley – Now has 11 rings with five coming in the last two years with two in 2024.
- Richard Ali – Another player who is racking up a lot of recent online rings with eight total.
WSOP Circuit Ring Chase
The WSOP Circuit ring chase is sure to only heat up in the coming year. In fact, I expect these numbers for these players to change within this 2024-25 WSOP Circuit season, so this is likely just a snapshot of the moment.
It will certainly be interesting to follow this race to see who will end up being the first player to 20 WSOP Circuit rings.