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Las Vegas, Nevada (September 15, 2026) - The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit crowned its first Main Event champion at Caesars Virginia, with Virginia resident Valentin Lita capturing the $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event for $181,853 and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.

Lita defeated a field of 665 entries to claim the inaugural WSOP Circuit Main Event title in the Commonwealth. The tournament generated a $1,007,475 prize pool, more than doubling the event’s $500,000 guarantee.

Originally from Romania, Lita moved to the United States 23 years ago and now resides in Ashburn, Virginia. After nearly two decades of playing poker, Lita earned the largest tournament score of his career and became the first player to win a WSOP Circuit Main Event at Caesars Virginia.

Lita entered the final day in the middle of the pack, while eventual runner-up Marshall White held the chip lead. As play progressed, Lita steadily climbed the leaderboard before taking control of the tournament and ultimately defeating White heads-up for the championship.

White finished runner-up for $121,214, while Donald Pritt rounded out the top three with an $83,103 payday. Luke Graham finished fourth for $58,122, followed by Kyle Lin ($41,485), Louis George ($30,233), Johnathan Cuevas ($22,502), Jeffrey Trudeau ($17,117) and Alexander Bergelson ($13,312).

The victory capped the inaugural WSOP Circuit series at Caesars Virginia, which featured 18 official Circuit ring events in Danville. Lita’s victory also comes with a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, giving the newest Circuit champion an opportunity to continue his run at the WSOP’s December festival in The Bahamas.

With the historic victory, Lita adds his name to the record books as the first WSOP Circuit Main Event champion crowned in Virginia.

The first-ever Caesars Virginia WSOPC Main Event final table. (Courtesy of Poker.Org)

Caesars Virginia WSOP Circuit Main Event Final Table Results:

1st place: Valentin Lita - $181,853
2nd place: Marshall White - $121,214
3rd place: Donald Pritt - $83,103
4th place: Luke Graham - $58,122
5th place: Kyle Lin - $41,485
6th place: Louis George - $30,233
7th place: Jonathan Cuevas - $22,502
8th place: Jeffrey Trudeau - $17,117
9th place: Alexander Bergelson - $13,312

Congratulations to every Caesars Virginia WSOP Circuit Ring Winner

Congratulations to Valentin Lita on becoming the first-ever Caesars Virginia WSOP Circuit Main Event champion and winning his first WSOP Circuit ring. Lita and every WSOP Circuit ring winner at Caesars Virginia 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 Caesars Virginia WSOP Circuit series:

WSOPC Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack Opener - David Childs - $30,881
WSOPC Event #2: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Mini Main Event - Andrew Cunningham - $84,897
WSOPC Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - Alan Sacks - $25,333
WSOPC Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Seniors Event - Robert Teseny - $42,393
WSOPC Event #5: $600 No-Limit Hold’em - Jennifer Zewe - $31,411
WSOPC Event #6: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo - Tremayne Nunley - $14,919
WSOPC Event #7: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack - Brandon Rhodes - $57,562
WSOPC Event #8: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better - Brian Thompson - $17,672
WSOPC Event #9: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em - Kyle Lin - $38,166
WSOPC Event #10: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha - John Wilder - $20,161
WSOPC Event #11: $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event - Valentin Lita - $181,853
WSOPC Event #12: $400 Big O - Matthew Bretzfield - $17,204
WSOPC Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Ladies Event - Amy Houghtling - $9,860
WSOPC Event #14: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - Aaron Miles - $20,307
WSOPC Event #15: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - Philip Depinto - $22,936
WSOPC Event #16: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 40/40/40 - Adam Teasdale - $40,454
WSOPC Event #17: $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller - James Gamblin - $39,931
WSOPC Event #18: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack Closer - Zheng Fang - $21,558