Daniel Lowery Wins 22nd WSOP Circuit Ring at Choctaw, Moves Clear of Ari Engel

For about six weeks, the race for second place on the WSOP Circuit‘s all-time ring list was a dead heat. Daniel Lowery and Ari Engel both reached 21 rings at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in late September, a day apart. On Wednesday night in Durant, Oklahoma, Lowery broke the tie.

The Arkansas veteran topped a 449-entry field in the $400 No-Limit Hold’em 40/40/40 event at Choctaw and beat fellow American Andrew Chubick heads-up. He collected $28,710 and ring number 22. That puts him alone in second place, one ahead of Engel and four behind record holder Maurice Hawkins.

It’s also Lowery’s third ring of 2026, and it came at the venue that has arguably done more for his career than any other.

Final Table Results and Payouts

We’ve added two columns that most results tables leave out: each player’s share of the prize pool, and how many buy-ins each player turned their $400 into. Together they show how a field of this size pays out.

Place	Player	Prize	% of Pool	Buy-ins Won
1	Daniel Lowery	$28,710	19.4%	71.8x
2	Andrew Chubick	$18,940	12.8%	47.4x
3	Daniel Biddle	$13,270	9.0%	33.2x
4	John Valkenaar	$9,460	6.4%	23.7x
5	Jason Williams	$6,870	4.6%	17.2x
6	Steven Johnson	$5,090	3.4%	12.7x
7	Michael Hamblin	$3,840	2.6%	9.6x
8	Raed Abualfilat	$2,950	2.0%	7.4x
9	Ayman Alqarqaz	$2,320	1.6%	5.8x

Percentages and buy-in multiples are PokerClubGames calculations from the published payouts.

The nine players at the final table shared $91,450, about 62% of the total prize pool. The gap between second and first was worth $9,770, more than eighth and ninth place earned put together. That’s why experienced players fight so hard for the top spot once they’re heads-up.

Where Your $400 Actually Goes

With 449 entries producing $148,170, exactly $330 of each buy-in reached the prize pool. The other $70, or 17.5%, covered the house fee and staff costs. That’s normal for low buy-in Circuit ring events, but it adds up if you play a lot of them. At that rate, you need a decent return over many events just to cover the fees. Players like Lowery, who cash and win regularly, can absorb that cost. Recreational players should simply be aware of it.

What Is a 40/40/40 Event?

If you’re new to the Circuit schedule, the name can be confusing. A 40/40/40 is a No-Limit Hold’em ring event that’s only open to players aged 40 and over. It’s one of several age-restricted tournaments on the WSOPC calendar, alongside the 50+ seniors events.

These events tend to play a little differently from open tournaments. There are fewer hyper-aggressive young online regulars and more experienced live players who are comfortable with a patient, solid game. That suits a player like Lowery perfectly. Several of his recent rings have come in age-restricted events. He won two seniors titles at a single Hard Rock Tulsa stop in March 2025, and his 20th ring came in the $300 Seniors event at Tulsa earlier this year.

Some players see age-restricted events as easier rings. The reality is more complicated. Fields are smaller and the average player is less aggressive, but many of your opponents have played live poker for decades. Winning one still means outlasting hundreds of players.

How Choctaw’s 40/40/40 Compares to Other 2026 Stops

Here’s how this event compares with the other $400 40/40/40 tournaments on the 2026 WSOP Circuit, based on published results.

Stop	Month	Entries	Prize Pool	Winner’s Prize	Winner’s Share
Cherokee (Summer)	Aug	1,001	$330,330	$51,138	15.5%
Cherokee (Winter)	Feb	771	$254,430	$42,289	16.6%
Illinois (Grand Victoria)	Apr	706	$232,980	$39,643	17.0%
Choctaw (Fall)	Nov	449	$148,170	$28,710	19.4%
Oklahoma (Hard Rock Tulsa)	Mar	350	$115,500	$23,733	20.5%
Las Vegas (Summer)	Jul	331	$109,230	$22,798	20.9%
Mississippi	Apr	272	$89,760	$19,768	22.0%

Two things stand out:

• Choctaw is growing. The same event at the 2025 fall stop drew 365 entries and a $120,450 pool. This year’s 449 entries is a 23% increase, a good sign for the Oklahoma stop heading into its Main Event weekend.
• Smaller fields give the winner a bigger slice. The Mississippi champion took 22% of the pool, while the Cherokee summer winner got only 15.5%. Bigger fields pay more places, so the money is spread more thinly. A larger event means a bigger first prize in dollars, but a harder path to it and a smaller percentage of the pool.

The Ring Race: Hawkins 26, Lowery 22, Engel 21

Rank	Player	Rings	Most Recent Ring
1	Maurice Hawkins	26	Choctaw, July 2026
2	Daniel Lowery	22	Choctaw $400 40/40/40, Nov 2026
3	Ari Engel	21	Council Bluffs $400 NLH, Sept 2026

For a while, this looked like a two-horse race between Hawkins and Engel. The pair swapped the lead several times through 2024 and early 2025, with each briefly holding the record. Hawkins then went on a tear. He reached 20 rings in August 2025 and has added six more in roughly a year, which gives him a four-ring gap over his nearest rival.

Lowery has quietly been the most consistent challenger. He reached 20 rings in March 2026, matching Engel. Then came an unusual sequence at Council Bluffs in September. Lowery won the $400 Big O, his first ring in that Omaha variant, for $8,607, and Engel finished third in the same event. Less than 24 hours later, Engel came back from a big chip deficit heads-up to win a $400 No-Limit Hold’em event and match Lowery at 21.

Now Lowery has edged ahead again. Can he catch Hawkins? Four rings is a big gap, but it isn’t out of reach. Lowery has won three rings in 2026 alone, though Hawkins is still adding to his own total.

Why Choctaw Keeps Paying Off for Lowery

Lowery lives in Arkansas, a manageable drive from Durant, and Choctaw has been the scene of some of his biggest moments:

• Ring 6 (November 2017): the $1,675 Choctaw Main Event, a 908-entry field, for $258,784. It’s still his biggest Circuit score.
• Ring 11 (January 2023): the $500 Gargantuan, where he beat 1,627 entries for $102,511.
• Ring 16 (November 2024): a $250 seniors event with 500 entries, for $18,682.
• Ring 22 (November 2026): this week’s $400 40/40/40, for $28,710.

That’s at least four rings at one venue across nearly a decade. It shows the value of knowing a room well: the dealers, the structures, the regular players and how deep the fields run. Lowery is also a long-time ambassador for the RunGood Poker Series, so he spends much of the year on the same regional circuit.

A Career Built on Volume and Patience

Lowery’s story should encourage any aspiring tournament player. When he won his first ring at Harrah’s New Orleans in 2013, he was a 39-year-old sawmill owner who had reached several Circuit final tables without winning one. In the 13 years since, he’s added 21 more rings, and The Hendon Mob now credits him with just under $4.2 million in live earnings.

He doesn’t chase the biggest buy-ins. Most of his rings come from $250 to $500 events, the same tournaments recreational players enter every week. Engel once joked online that Lowery barely plays any volume yet keeps winning, a comment that was part compliment and part disbelief.

Practical Lessons From Lowery’s Approach

• Pick your spots. Low buy-in, big-field events reward patience and solid fundamentals more than fancy plays.
• Know your best venues. Lowery’s record at Choctaw shows the value of playing where you’re comfortable.
• Don’t ignore other games. His Big O win shows that a little skill in Omaha variants opens up softer fields and extra chances at a ring.
• Mind the fees. With 17.5% of each $400 buy-in going to fees, bankroll planning matters for anyone playing a full series schedule.

What’s Next at WSOPC Choctaw

The Choctaw fall stop runs until November 9. The $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event begins on Friday, November 6, with two Day 1 flights, Day 2 on Sunday and the final table on Monday. Lowery has won this Main Event before, so don’t be surprised to see him in contention again. The full schedule is on the official WSOP Circuit Choctaw page.

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