Kyle Grupp Wins WSOP Circuit Turning Stone Main Event

Kyle Grupp captures the WSOP Circuit Turning Stone title

The 2026 WSOP Circuit stop at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, produced one of the season’s biggest live-field tests. The $1,700 no-limit hold’em main event attracted 996 entries, building a $1,508,940 prize pool that comfortably cleared the $1 million guarantee.

When the dust settled, Kyle Grupp of Clarence, New York stood alone with the trophy, the first WSOPC gold ring of his career, and $246,362 in prize money. Winning a major Circuit main event in your home state adds another layer to the achievement, because the pressure and the recognition are both amplified.

For tournament players, this kind of result is a reminder that the Circuit remains one of the best proving grounds in live poker. Deep fields reward patience, adaptability, and the ability to survive long stretches without premium spots. If you are studying live tournament structure or comparing places to play, resources like poker rooms and poker clubs can help you build volume and sharpen your game away from the table.

Why this win matters for Kyle Grupp

This was Grupp’s biggest live cash to date. His previous top score was $165,000 for a 54th-place finish in the 2025 WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas. With this victory, his lifetime live earnings climbed past $836,000.

More importantly, the win did not come out of nowhere. Grupp had already made two WSOP Circuit main event final tables before this breakthrough. He finished 4th in this same Turning Stone event in 2023 and 6th in the WSOP International Circuit Montreal main event in 2025.

That kind of record tells a clear story:

• he consistently runs deep in large fields;
• he understands late-stage tournament pressure;
• he can turn previous near-misses into a title run;
• he has the composure to close once the spot finally appears.

Players who want to improve their own tournament results can learn a lot from that pattern. In a poker school, this is exactly the type of profile coaches point to when discussing long-term EV and final-table conversion.

How the final table unfolded in Verona

The final day began with seven players remaining, and Joel Cattelane entered as the chip leader. Grupp started in the middle of the pack, which meant he did not have the comfort of a big stack but also did not face immediate elimination pressure.

The top 114 places were paid, with several notable players making deep runs:

• David Stefanski — 58th;
• Vinny Pahuja — 24th;
• Mukul Pahuja — 22nd;
• Hamid Izadi — 8th.

Cathy Schenone was first to fall on the final day, finishing 7th for $32,160 when pocket sixes failed to improve against Greg Ostrander’s pocket nines.

Soon after, Tina Panichi exited in 6th place for $43,050. Her A♣Q♣ ran into K♠K♦ held by Grupp. Panichi picked up a gutshot and overcard on the flop, then an open-ended straight draw on the turn, but the river bricked and her run ended there.

Key hands that decided the title race

At five-handed play, Cattelane slowed Grupp’s momentum by catching a bluff and building a sizable stack advantage. For a while, it looked like Cattelane was in control and Grupp would need a major swing to get back into contention.

That swing started to arrive with Greg Ostrander’s elimination. He got his chips in with A♠Q♥ against Daniel Wagner’s 9♥8♥, but the flop brought two eights, giving Wagner trips and a commanding lead. Ostrander finished 5th for $58,647, and his latest deep run pushed his live earnings beyond $1.3 million.

Wagner then became the next player to fall. His A♥Q♠ could not overcome 8♥8♣ for Cattelane. The board ran out king-high and Wagner exited in 4th place for $81,282.

One of the most important pots of the tournament came when Grupp moved all in from the small blind with 6♠3♠ against short stack Steven Tabb. Tabb called with A♣9♠, but the board Q♠8♥3♣J♣2♦ gave Grupp a pair of threes and the pot. Tabb earned $114,576 for 3rd place, his second-best live score to date.

Expert analysis: what this result says about late-stage tournament poker

Grupp’s win is a textbook example of how live tournaments are actually won. Final tables are rarely decided by one dramatic cooler alone. More often, the title goes to the player who survives the swings, applies pressure at the right moments, and avoids unnecessary risks when the ICM pressure rises.

A few strategic takeaways stand out:

• Grupp stayed patient even when Cattelane built a chip lead.
• He did not chase marginal spots out of frustration.
• He found the right moment to attack when stack sizes and position aligned.
• In heads-up play, he adjusted quickly once the chip lead changed hands.

That matters because many players still underestimate how much the endgame changes once stacks get shallow and pay jumps become important. In live poker, especially on the Circuit, the player who understands pressure better than the field often wins more than the player who simply accumulates chips early.

For serious grinders, this is a useful reminder to keep studying both strategy and the ecosystem around the game. Tracking value spots, table selection, and even the quality of the local live scene can matter. If you are building a volume plan, checking promotions & bonuses and comparing options across poker rooms can improve your long-term ROI.

Heads-up battle for the gold ring

Cattelane entered heads-up with a little more than a 2:1 chip lead. He extended that advantage early, but Grupp fought back before the first break in the duel.

After the restart, Grupp won a large pot without showdown on an A♣K♦9♣9♦3♣ board. Cattelane had taken an aggressive line preflop and on the flop and turn, but after Grupp put nearly 28 big blinds into the river, Cattelane laid it down. In one hand, the stack dynamic flipped and Grupp took roughly a 2:1 lead.

The final hand began with a button raise from Grupp holding J♦9♠. Cattelane 3-bet from 750,000 to 4,500,000 in the big blind with A♣3♣. The K♣9♠7♣ flop gave Cattelane the nut flush draw, and after his 7,500,000 bet, Grupp called with second pair. The 10♠ on the turn changed nothing. Cattelane shoved his last 5,700,000, Grupp called, and the 2♥ river missed both players. Grupp’s pair of nines held and locked up the title.

Cattelane took home $164,220 for second place. It was by far his best live-result to date, topping the $17,665 he earned for 11th place in this same event last spring.

What Turning Stone means for the Circuit season

This event reinforced why WSOP Circuit stops remain so valuable for live players. The combination of a strong guarantee, a manageable buy-in, and a large but beatable field creates a setting where consistency matters as much as peak performance.

Grupp’s breakthrough also fits the broader Circuit narrative: experienced players who repeatedly make final tables often convert sooner or later. He now has 912 Card Player Player of the Year points from this victory, and it was his third POY-qualified final table of the year. That kind of consistency can quickly change a player’s standing in season-long races.

For players building their own path, the lesson is straightforward. Study the late game, respect ICM, and keep finding events where your edge can show. Whether you are looking for a new live environment, a local poker club, or a structured training path through poker school, the Turning Stone final table shows that persistence plus preparation can still produce a career-changing score.

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