The countdown to the 2025 WSOP starts here. 100 bracelets. All the poker players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Daniel Lowery is a happily married father of four, a sawmill owner by day and poker enthusiast by night. He’s second on the all-time WSOP-C ring list with 18 after winning two senior events back-to-back in Tulsa.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
I looked at some schedules yesterday and am looking forward to playing at the Wynn. I played a mix of events at the Wynn and the WSOP last year, and I'm going to do that again.
I know I want to play in any big-field events, like the Monster Stack and Millionaire Maker. I'm also playing the Seniors this year. I played it last year but didn't do very well. I’ll also play the $5K Seniors. I do pretty well in the big fields and have proven that over the last three or four years. I've never had a problem navigating a big field.
Do you play satellites?
I'll play as many milestone satellites as I can because they are excellent value for how I play. I've had a lot of success with those at the series since they've implemented them. I gather chips pretty quickly in those tournaments.
What advice can you share for big-field events?
I try to start slowly and see how the table is playing. But I tend to lean toward trying to be the table captain more than just leaving it to chance. I try to take control as quickly as I can.
The key in those huge fields is not to get overwhelmed by looking around the room at how many people are left in the event. I do my best to focus on the eight people at my table. I also try to stay very aware of the chip average so I don't fall too far behind.
I’m not concerned about who the chip leader is or whether I am. I'm more concerned with the chip average in the event than the big blinds that the GTO players focus on.
'It's just different in the desert'
How will you prep for the six-week grind?
During the last three years I played, I had fatigue early because I'm used to getting up at 5am. The week before I head out, I’ll stay up until 3 or 4am to reset my sleep schedule. That helps me a lot. I’ll also hydrate three or four days before I go out there. It's just different in the desert.
What change would you like to see implemented at the WSOP?
I'd like to see more security, to be honest. I'm always worried that something bad could happen in some of those big events. I mean, when you're inside those massive rooms, and there's one way in and one way out... I mean, it could be a bad thing.
I think they could check everyone a little better. It would be a minor inconvenience for some people, but it could save some lives, possibly down the line.
I'd also like to see more security out by the parking. You never see a security guard out in the parking garages.
Will you catch Ari Engel in the race for Circuit rings?
I doubt I’ll ever play enough to do it, but I’ll go hard when I can. I’m assuming the guys playing tons of volume in the online circuit events will have more than anyone soon.
Quickfire round
Do you think Phil Hellmuth will play the Main Event?
Fatigue is a real thing for us older players. I actually hope he sticks to his guns; maybe then some changes will be made.
Who would you swap 5% with?
I normally swap 5% with Chris Conrad. I swap with Michael Lech and La Sengphet as well when we get to play the same events.
Who's going to have the best WSOP?
Josh Reichard
You can follow Dan Lowery on X.
