The Bernard Lee Poker Show 12-14: 2019 WSOP Bracelet Winner Ari Engel

Bernard Lee Contributor

Aug 10, 2019 Last updated Nov 04, 2022

Guests:

Ari Engel

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In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the PokerNews Podcast Network, Bernard Lee interviews 2019 World Series of Poker $2,500 no-limit hold’em winner, Ari Engel.

Prior to this summer’s bracelet win for $427,399 over a field of 996 entrants, Ari had tremendous success online and in live tournaments, but not great success during the summer WSOP. Ari has captured nine WSOP Circuit rings and the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event for over $1 million, but had made only one final table over the past 15 years at the WSOP.

In total, he has earned over $6.5 million throughout his illustrious career. During the interview, Ari not only discusses his bracelet win, but also his nomadic lifestyle and other accomplishments in the poker world.

Show Time Stamps

0:00	Welcome to The Bernard Lee Poker Show as this week’s guest is 2019 WSOP bracelet winner Ari Engel.
0:32	Bernard discusses Ari Engel’s victory in 2019 WSOP $2,500 no-limit hold’em event.
1:48	Bernard discusses The Triton Million – A Helping Hand For Charity. Aaron Zang wins the inaugural event for over $16 million, while Bryn Kenney becomes the all-time career money leader with his runner-up finish.
4:59	Advertisement
5:29	Bernard welcomes Ari Engel to the show.
6:50	Ari joins the show.
7:41	Ari describes his unsuccessful streak at the WSOP over the past 15 years. “I kind of had a lot of negative thoughts when it came to playing in (Las) Vegas in the summer.”
11:22	Ari explains the difficulty in winning in no-limit hold’em events during the WSOP and the mental toll it has taken on him. “I just try to make good decisions. I tried to not let it affect me when I’m on the table, but it’s really hard to separate the two.”
14:05	Ari discusses how the $2,500 WSOP event felt getting down to the final table. “I was kind of the chip leader with 11 or 12 left, so I was more trying to abuse the other people that were trying to make the final table.”
18:13	Ari recalls the tough field in the $2,500 no-limit hold’em event, how it affected his play and was possibly a blessing in disguise. “I can’t get away with as much…so I didn’t try to get away with as much.”
20:09	Ari describes a hand versus Ben Keeline at the final table where Ari folded pocket jacks. “He reshoved 33 blinds, and normally I would just be calling that pretty easily, but there were four shorter stacks than him…it was most of my stack…so I ended up folding…As it turns out, he had (pocket) 9’s.”
22:44	Ari describes the importance of winning his first WSOP bracelet. “It’s cool having a bracelet. I love it. I’m been chasing it forever, but I’m playing this game as my career and this is how I’m going to be funding my retirement. That’s the more important part.”
23:35	Ari explains how important the big scores are for him and how it affects his yearly totals. “There’s no question that if you take away my two or three or five biggest days of the year, every year is a losing year.”
24:48	Ari acknowledges you can’t expect to win every event and you have to be okay with that mentally. “The loses are all part of the winning formula.” Ari also states, “So we all acknowledge that we’re going to lose 80-85% of the time…Go down on your own terms.”
30:21	Ari discusses the dilemma of balancing surviving in tournaments or going as hard as you can.
36:15	Las Vegas Laundry Services Ad
37:16	Bernard continues his interview with Ari Engel, 2019 WSOP bracelet winner.
38:04	Ari considers himself a nomad with no real home base. “I’m a person of the world. I’m a nomad. Do a lot of travelling outside of the world of poker. I don’t stay in one place more than a couple of weeks and sometimes in one place for just a few days. I’m constantly on the move. I don't really have a home base.”
39:41	Ari analyzes how to increase your poker bottom line by saving money, especially on airline flights.
41:35	Ari lends advice to potential players of the WSOP Circuit. “One of the most important things you can do is focus on keeping down those expenses, especially in lower stakes tournaments.”
47:21	Ari describes the transition from online poker where he had an incredibly successful career to live poker tournaments.

Let us know what you think of the show - tweet about the podcast using #BernardLeePokerShow, and be sure to follow @BernardLeePoker on Twitter or Instagram.

You can follow Ari Engel on Twitter @AriEngelPoker.

The Bernard Lee Poker Show is now available on iTunes.

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