Kyle Grupp Wins WSOPC Turning Stone Main Event for $246,362 and First Ring

Kyle Grupp won the WSOP Circuit Turning Stone Main Event on October 26, taking the $246,362 first prize, his first WSOP Circuit ring and a package to WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. The $1,700 buy-in tournament ran October 22–26, drew 996 entries and produced a $1,508,940 prize pool; 151 places paid.

Final table and payouts

The final nine finished as follows with exact prizes and updated career earnings where provided:

• 1st — Kyle Grupp: $246,362; career earnings: $851,830

• 2nd — Joel Cattelane: $164,220; career earnings: $229,780

• 3rd — Steven Tabb: $114,576

• 4th — Daniel Wagner: $81,282

• 5th — Greg Ostrander: $58,647

• 6th — Tina Panichi: $43,050

• 7th — Cathy Schenone: $32,160

• 8th — Hamid Izadi: $24,457

• 9th — Bryan Swanson: $18,940

The final hand ended with Grupp victorious over Joel Cattelane in heads-up play. Grupp's $246,362 score is $152,088 more than his fourth-place finish in the same event in 2023.

Grupp's run and remarks

Grupp, a New York player from Buffalo, returned to Turning Stone three years after reaching his first WSOP Circuit final table in this Main Event. He said Turning Stone is his home casino and recounted driving in for the $400 events when he was learning tournaments. He described the 2023 fourth-place finish as "bittersweet because I came in with the chip lead."

On his 2026 victory he said: "To get my first ring here and take it down outright like that is really special. I kind of called my shot with this one too, I told my friends. I don’t normally say that about tournaments, but I was on a great run and I was playing well, held when I needed to, got it in good when I needed to."

Grupp started the final day with the fourth-biggest stack, mirroring his 2023 finish in an inverted way: from first to fourth in 2023, and fourth to first in 2026. The final table collapsed from seven players to the winner in roughly five hours.

He noted the quality of the opposition, saying Dan Wagner (listed in payouts as Daniel Wagner) sat to his left and Joel Cattelane came into heads-up with the chip lead. Grupp said he had to be careful and not overextend. Once heads-up began he felt confident.

Timing and context for Grupp

Grupp described 2026 as a difficult tournament year before this victory, with a month in Las Vegas that produced mostly small cashes. He called the result "really special" given that context. The win pushes his career tournament earnings to over $800,000, listed in the results as $851,830.

He discussed the value of the ring and the money: "The money is sweet, and that’s what I’m here for, but the first ring in this specific event in my home casino, it’s really special. I don’t know if I can put a price on that."

WSOP Paradise package and next steps

The Main Event winner also receives a package to WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. Grupp said he had previously tried to win a seat to the $25,000 event via a satellite and bubbled; he may attempt another route to the $25k but had not decided at the time of his interview. He plans to continue an online Sunday grind and has another month of tournaments before potential travel to the Bahamas.

Grupp added that he had been burnt out after several intense years and had been picking spots more selectively in 2026. The Turning Stone victory has renewed his motivation and he expects to push forward without taking an extended break.

Tournament facts and structure

The WSOP Circuit Turning Stone Main Event was a $1,700 buy-in tournament held at Turning Stone in Verona, New York. The field size was 996 entries; 151 players finished in the money. The total prize pool was $1,508,940. Second place paid $164,220 and third paid $114,576.

For coverage of other circuit stops and events see the events section and for related player stories check our news coverage.

"To get my first ring here and take it down outright like that is really special," Grupp said, reflecting on his win and redemption at his home casino.

"The money is sweet, and that’s what I’m here for, but the first ring in this specific event in my home casino, it’s really special," Grupp said when asked to weigh money versus a title.