Seat 5: Ari Engel (Toronto, Canada) - 8,155,000 chips
Alan “Ari” Engel is a former number one ranked online player in the world and 2014 PokerStars SCOOP Champion. At one point "Bodog Ari" was considered one of the highest volume online tournament players in the world, but following Black Friday, he was forced to pack up his residence in Las Vegas and travel the world as a nomadic poker grinder.
It’s worked out well for Ari with over US$2.2 million in live career earnings to date with results all over the world. His biggest score came with a win in the 2014 Punta Cana Classic for US$177,000 but he is best known for his six WSOP circuit rings across the US. An Aussie Millions title would further confirm his place as one of the world's elite players, and with a big chip lead entering the final table, he's in pole position to do so.
Ari credits Andrew Brown for teaching him the game some 12 years ago, while Kevin McColgan and Nachman Berlin have been his biggest poker influences.
Ari spent eight years of his youth living in Melbourne, so winning the Aussie Millions would be a very special accomplishment.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,155,000 |