Alan Engel

Alan Engel, better known as Ari Engel, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household; his father was a rabbi. As a child, Engel spent 14 hours a day reading sacred texts at an Orthodox Jewish theological school near Chicago. He later attended New York University, where he double-majored in finance and business management, originally aspiring to work on Wall Street.

After graduating, Engel turned a $150 online poker deposit into $15,000 within ten days, prompting him to quit his job and pursue poker full-time. He eventually moved to Las Vegas to be closer to the tournament action.

Engel's first World Series of Poker cash came in 2006. He quickly expanded his horizons, cashing at the Aussie Millions in Melbourne for the first time in 2008. By 2011, he was competing in Europe, where he finished sixth in the European Poker Tour Prague Main Event for over $150,000—then his largest cash. Over the following years, Engel added cashes in the Philippines, England, Spain, Peru, and his native Canada. His first WSOP Circuit ring came in March 2007 in Atlantic City, winning a $300 No-Limit Hold'em event for $63,018.

Engel has won four WSOP bracelets. His first live bracelet came in 2019 in Event #48: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em for $427,399. He secured his second in 2021 by winning the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better World Championship, defeating Zachary Milchman after a six-hour heads-up battle for $317,076.

Engel then added two online bracelets: in 2023, he won $500 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo 6-Max (Online Bracelet Event #28) for $38,197, and in 2024, he captured $400 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo (Online Bracelet Event #29) for $34,200. As of 2026, Engel has 120 WSOP final tables (including unofficial) and over 480 money finishes across all WSOP events. He also has 21 money finishes on the World Poker Tour and 4 on the European Poker Tour.

Engel holds the all-time record for WSOP Circuit rings, with 17 victories (some sources report 19 as of 2026). He tied the previous record in August 2023 by winning two rings in consecutive days at the WSOP Circuit online series in Michigan. He then broke the record in February 2024 by winning his 17th ring at a WSOP Circuit event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. His rings span a wide variety of game types, including No-Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, H.O.R.S.E., and heads-up formats. He also has 87 WSOP Circuit final tables (including unofficial).

Engel's largest live cash came in 2016 when he won the Aussie Millions Poker Championship Main Event for A$1,120,110 (approximately $1.1 million). He defeated Tony Dunst heads-up at a final table that included Samantha Abernathy and Kitty Kuo. Engel also finished tenth in the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event and won a second Aussie Millions ring in 2019.

In August 2016, he placed third in the EPT Barcelona €10,000 High Roller 8-Handed event for €307,900. Other notable results include a win at the 2024 Caesars Palace Mixed Game Poker Series in a $500 + 60 T.O.R.S.E. 7-Handed event for $16,045, and consistent deep runs in high-stakes mixed games.

Engel is ranked 192nd on the all-time poker money list and tenth among Canadian players. His career live tournament winnings exceed $9.1 million (with WSOP-specific earnings over $5.6 million according to WSOP.com). He has 21 money finishes on the World Poker Tour and 4 on the European Poker Tour. His online poker aliases include "BodogAri" and "BacBillNat9."

Engel remains highly active on the tournament circuit. In the 2026 World Series of Poker, he cashed multiple times, including a 10th-place finish in Event #70: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $80,636, a 39th-place in Event #14: $1,500 Mixed PLO Hi-Lo 8 / Omaha Hi Lo 8 / Big O for $7,302, and a 50th-place in Event #20: $1,500 Dealers Choice for $3,331. He continues to add to his record ring count and bracelet tally.

While specific details about Engel's playing style are not widely documented, his results demonstrate proficiency across a wide range of poker variants—No-Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, mixed games like H.O.R.S.E. and T.O.R.S.E., and online turbo formats. His ability to adapt and sustain success over nearly two decades has earned him a reputation as one of the most dedicated and consistent grinders in the game. Engel's record 17 WSOP Circuit rings and four bracelets cement his legacy as a Canadian poker icon and a dominant force on the global tournament scene.