Manjunath Mulinti wins WSOPC Thunder Valley and his first Circuit ring

Manjunath Mulinti won the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event on 6 October 2026 and took home $172,325 plus his first WSOP Circuit ring. Mulinti had already reached the final table of the same event in early 2026, finishing seventh as a rookie; this time he returned with more experience, a high-level coach and the chip lead to start the day.

WSOPC Thunder Valley: the rematch that began in January

Mulinti arrived at the second festival of the year in Northern California having finished seventh in the January edition. That result was “a good start” for someone with less than a year of tournament results, but he did not know how to capitalise on final-table opportunities then. "I was still a beginning player. I didn't know how to pick spots, and had never played a final table in my life," Mulinti told PokerOrg. "I was a beginner to poker, so I was not aware of deep run plays and ICM play. I did my studies and learned my lessons from the mistakes I made. I’ve been prepping for it.”

The win at Thunder Valley capped a rapid progression: from “novice” nine months ago to champion of an event that drew 599 entries this time.

How Mulinti played the Thunder Valley final table

According to Mulinti, the final table at this second festival was tougher than January’s and included several high-performing local players: runner-up Jesse Stephens, third-place finisher Jonathan Wang and JC Tran, the North American player with the most regional titles. JC Tran was seen as “the man to beat,” although he finished eighth.

When three players remained—Mulinti, Stephens and Wang—the stacks were practically even. Mulinti began winning multiple small pots and used his stack to apply pressure. He extended his lead to control two-thirds of the total chips before eliminating Wang in third place. Shortly after, after only five hands of heads-up, he defeated Stephens to secure the title.

The role of coaching: Florian Pesce and technical preparation

Mulinti credits part of his performance jump to the preparation and support of a coach. During the summer, at the World Series of Poker, Mulinti had a deep run in the Circuit Championship, where he finished 16th of 2,148 entries. There he met Florian Pesce, who won the WSOP Circuit Main Event in Cherokee in February 2025. Pesce became his coach and guided him during preparation and in the moments before the final table.

Mulinti explained: "During the summer, I met him during the WSOP when I had a deep run in the Circuit Championship. I met him there, and then I thought, you know, I think it's time for me to plug my leaks. He was the one who was actually guiding me through (this Main Event) also. Every day, and before the final table as well, he was constantly helping me."

Pesce’s instruction translated into a more aggressive and decisive style in the tournament’s late stages, particularly in the transition from three to two players.

Fields and concrete results from the tournament

• Total entries: 599

• First prize: $172,325

• Champion: Manjunath Mulinti

• Runner-up: Jesse Stephens

• 3rd place: Jonathan Wang

• 8th place: JC Tran

Mulinti also recorded a notable performance in the WSOP Circuit Championship over the summer, where he reached 16th place among 2,148 entries, data points that reflect his rapid accumulation of experience in large-field tournaments.

Short-term plans and projected trajectory

Mulinti plans to invest his winnings and continue building his tournament résumé, beginning with the Bay 101 Shooting Star series at his local casino in San Jose. The player mentioned his intention to play more World Series of Poker events in the future and left open the possibility of returning to the WSOPC Thunder Valley final table in January; given his recent development, a third consecutive final-table appearance would not be surprising.

For event operators and fans tracking emerging players, Mulinti’s story provides an example of how coaching and experience in large fields can transform a player in under a year.

Competitive context in North America and echoes of the result

The Thunder Valley Main Event showed the depth of the North American circuit and how local players like Jesse Stephens and Jonathan Wang maintain high performance in regional tournaments. JC Tran, despite being the table favourite due to his regional record, could not convert that advantage into the expected result and finished 8th.

Mulinti now enters the radar for other major tournaments and his victory adds another name to the list of WSOP Circuit champions in 2026. Interested readers can follow his participation in upcoming series such as the Bay 101 Shooting Star and in future events of [World Series of Poker](/events).