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Las Vegas, Nevada (October 6, 2026) - The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit recently wrapped up nearly two weeks of tournament action at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California, with 16 gold rings awarded and players from throughout the region competing across a diverse schedule of events.

Manjunath Mulinti emerged as the Main Event champion, earning his first WSOP Circuit ring and a career-best $172,325 payday. Mulinti topped a field of 599 entries in the $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event to create a $907,485 prize pool, defeating Jesse Stephens heads-up for the title. Stephens earned $114,660 for his runner-up finish, while Jonathan Wang took third place for $79,490.

The victory marked a remarkable turnaround for Mulinti, who had already reached the final table of the same Thunder Valley Main Event earlier in 2026. Mulinti finished seventh in that tournament, earning $26,920, before returning to Thunder Valley for another deep run nearly nine months later.

This time, Mulinti entered the final table as the chip leader and used the experience gained from his first deep run to complete the job. He navigated a talented final table that included Stephens, Wang and longtime Northern California standout JC Tran, who finished eighth for $16,730. Mulinti ultimately pulled away from the field before defeating Stephens in a brief heads-up battle to secure the championship.

The Main Event served as the centerpiece of a 16-ring series that featured nearly two weeks of tournament action at Thunder Valley. The schedule included a $400 Mini Main Event that drew 1,072 entries and generated a $309,520 prize pool, with Jonathan Epstein claiming the title and $53,150.

Other notable winners included Mark Egbert, who captured the $3,300 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, Lee Markholt, who took down Event #14, and William Chao, who won the $600 H.O.R.S.E. event. 

With Mulinti claiming his first Circuit ring in the $1,700 Main Event, the Thunder Valley series provided another memorable chapter in the 2026 WSOP Circuit season. Like every Circuit stop this year, each ring winner also earned a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, providing an additional incentive for players competing throughout the series.

The 16-ring Thunder Valley series once again showcased the depth of the WSOP Circuit, bringing together established champions, rising tournament players, and regional poker enthusiasts for nearly two weeks of competition.

Thunder Valley WSOPC Main Event Final Table. (Photo courtesy of Poker.Org)

Thunder Valley WSOP Circuit Main Event Final Table Results:

1st place: Manjunath Mulinti - $172,325
2nd place: Jesse Stephens - $114,660
3rd place: Jonathan Wang - $79,490
4th place: Dawson Dvorak - $56,090
5th place: Henry Acain - $40,310
6th place: Andrew Nguyen - $29,510
7th place: Bin Duan - $22,010
8th place: JC Tran - $16,370
9th place: $12,970

Congratulations to every Thunder Valley WSOP Circuit Ring Winner

Congratulations to Manjunath Mulinti on becoming the latest Thunder Valley WSOP Circuit Main Event champion. Mulinti and every WSOP Circuit ring winner at Thunder Valley have not only accomplished the feat of securing WSOP Circuit rings, but they have also punched their ticket to one of the biggest poker events of the year: WSOP Paradise 2026.

All 2026 WSOP Circuit ring winners are awarded an exclusive $5,000 WSOP Paradise 2026 package, which includes a seat in the 2026 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty ($2,750 buy-in) and complimentary accommodations at Baha Mar Resort in The Bahamas. The added prize gives every WSOP Circuit ring winner the opportunity to compete on one of poker's biggest international stages while enjoying a world-class tropical resort experience.

The value of this promotion was showcased at WSOP Paradise 2025, where Mark Darner turned his qualification into a career-defining victory. Darner captured the $2,750 WSOP Circuit Championship No-Limit Hold'em Mystery Bounty title, earning his second WSOP gold bracelet along with the tournament's $350,000 first-place prize. His success demonstrates the incredible opportunities available to WSOP Circuit ring winners and highlights the path from winning on the Circuit to competing for major titles on poker's global stage.

Be sure to check out the full list of WSOP Circuit ring winners from the Thunder Valley WSOP Circuit series:

WSOPC Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Seniors - Lance Oliver - $15,270
WSOPC Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout - Gregory Meder - $9,670
WSOPC Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Mini Main Event - Jonathan Epstein - $53,150
WSOPC Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold'em - Zachary Smyth - $16,100
WSOPC Event #5: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha - Travis Fujisaka - $7,945
WSOPC Event #6: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Mirror Mystery Bounty - Frank Lin - $9,265
WSOPC Event #7: $600 H.O.R.S.E. - William Chao - $9,875
WSOPC Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout - Alan Turabayev - $6,510
WSOPC Event #9: $600 Omaha 8 - Eugene Chun - $11,265
WSOPC Event #10: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack - Michael Hubbard - $36,400
WSOPC Event #11: $600 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw - Rudolph Sisson - $7,195
WSOPC Event #12: $3,300 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller - Mark Egbert - $50,210
WSOPC Event #13: $1,700 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event - Manjunath Mulinti - $172,325
WSOPC Event #14: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - Lee Markholt - $14,410
WSOPC Event #15: $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout - Alejandro Madrigal - $11,475
WSOPC Event #16: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Series Finale - Warren Kashiwagi - $10,310