Sweet 16: Lowery draws level with Hawkins in WSOP Circuit ring race

On Monday, Dan Lowery further cemented his name in the annals of poker history as he won his 16th World Series of Poker Circuit ring in Event #9: $250 Seniors NLH at the Choctaw Casino and Resort. In doing so, Lowery drew level with Maurice Hawkins in the all-time WSOP Circuit winners tally. Both Lowery and Hawkins sit in second place with 16 rings apiece, just one off of Ari Engel's 17.  

Event #9 drew a field of 500 entrants to generate a prize pool of $100,000, with 75 players paid and $18,682 for the eventual winner. Lowery maneuvered his way through the early stages before reaching the the final table as the overwhelming chip leader. From there, he had the know-how and experience to close out the win, defeating Brian Green heads up to secure his 16th WSOP Circuit ring.  

Dan Lowery draws level with Maurice Hawkins in second place on the list of all-time Circuit wins.

Lowery spoke with PokerOrg in the aftermath of his victory, reflecting on the heated race for the top spot on the WSOP Circuit ring tally between himself, Hawkins, and Engel. “The ring race heated up about a year and a half ago. Me and Ari were talking a little playful, and it kind of got out of control because he just started winning everything. But we’re gonna try and catch him,” he said.

In relative contrast to Lowery's thoughts, Hawkins recently expressed his point-of-view on the value of WSOP Circuit rings in a video clip. As part of his thesis, Hawkins stated: “I think that they’ve watered it down to a point where they’re worthless. You have people winning rings where first place is like $4,000, $5,000, $6,000.

“With this whole online thing, you could play a $200 tournament with 60-70 people in it and win a ring - it’s just diluted, and it's making it worse, it doesn’t even mean anything anymore. It used to mean something, now it means nothing."

While Hawkins no longer sees the value in accumulating rings, he's unlikely to stop playing for them as one of the Circuit's most prolific competitors.

'I don't try and get too crafty'

An experienced player, Lowery recognized the necessity for an adjustment in his playstyle during the Seniors event. “You have to back off a little and don’t bloat pots because they trap a lot more,” he explained. “I don’t try and get too crafty. I just keep it A-B-C until the later stages, and then I try to put it on them.”  

Dan Lowery proudly displays his 16th WSOP Circuit ring.

Lowery may not have been the oldest player in the field, but his career on the Circuit serves him well when it comes to competing against his fellow seniors. “I think I have more experience than most of them, even though they’re 30 years older than me,” he continued. “But I’m having fun with the seniors. I won my first one twelve days after I turned 50.”

When asked about what motivates him to continue playing and chasing rings, Lowery responded, “Lately, it’s been about where I want to go, who’s going to be there, and who I can hang out with.”

WSCOP-C Choctaw Event #9: $250 Seniors NLH final table results