Turning Stone WSOP Circuit Main Event: Kyle Grupp Wins $246,362 and His First Ring on Oct. 26
Updated on October 27, 2026.
Kyle Grupp of Clarence, New York, won the Turning Stone WSOP Circuit Main Event on Monday, Oct. 26, for $246,362 and his first gold ring. The $1,700 event drew 996 entries in Verona, New York, and Grupp came from behind heads-up to beat Syracuse native Joel Cattelane.
Quick summary
- Winner: Kyle Grupp (Clarence, New York), $246,362 and his first WSOP Circuit ring.
- Field: 996 entries over three starting flights, for a $1,508,940 prize pool against a $1 million guarantee.
- Runner-up: Joel Cattelane, $164,220. Steven Tabb finished third for $114,576.
- Bonus: a $5,000 package for WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas, given to every 2026 Circuit ring winner.
- Grupp finished fourth in this same event in 2023. This is his biggest live score.
Who won the Turning Stone WSOP Circuit Main Event?
Kyle Grupp won it, closing out the fall Circuit stop at Turning Stone Resort Casino on Oct. 26. The series ran Oct. 15-26 and awarded 18 gold rings, according to WSOP.com.
Grupp is no stranger to this event. He finished fourth in the Turning Stone Main Event in 2023 and sixth in the 2025 WSOP International Circuit Montreal Main Event. According to Card Player, his previous best live cash was $165,000 for 54th place in the 2025 WSOP Main Event, and he now has more than $836,000 in lifetime live earnings.
The tournament also beat its guarantee by a wide margin. Card Player reports a $1,508,940 prize pool, more than $500,000 above the $1 million guaranteed, with the top 114 finishers in the money.
How the final table played out
Grupp started the final table in the middle of the pack, according to Card Player. He climbed with a big hand early: his pocket kings held against Tina Panichi’s ace-queen of clubs, and Panichi went out in sixth.
Bracelet winner Greg Ostrander fell in fifth when Daniel Wagner flopped trips with two eights on board. Wagner then went out in fourth when his ace-queen lost to Cattelane’s pocket eights.
With three left, Grupp shoved six-three of spades, and Steven Tabb called with ace-nine. A three on the flop gave Grupp a pair, and Tabb went out in third.
Cattelane started heads-up with the chip lead, WSOP.com reports, but Grupp turned it around. On the final hand, Grupp raised with jack-nine and Cattelane three-bet with the ace-three of clubs. The flop came king-nine-seven with two clubs. Cattelane bet his nut flush draw, and Grupp called with a pair of nines. Cattelane moved all in on the 10♠ turn, Grupp called, and the 2♥ river missed the clubs.
Turning Stone Main Event payouts
Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
1 | Kyle Grupp | $246,362 |
2 | Joel Cattelane | $164,220 |
3 | Steven Tabb | $114,576 |
4 | Daniel Wagner | $81,282 |
5 | Greg Ostrander | $58,647 |
6 | Tina Panichi | $43,050 |
7 | Cathy Schenone | $32,160 |
8 | Hamid Izadi | $24,457 |
9 | Bryan Swanson | $18,940 |
Source: WSOP.com and Card Player.
What does a WSOP Circuit ring winner get?
Besides the ring and the prize money, every 2026 Circuit ring winner gets a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, according to WSOP.com. The package includes a seat in the $2,750 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty and a stay at Baha Mar in the Bahamas, where WSOP Paradise is held in December.
What it means for players in New York
Grupp won live, but many New York players also play online between Circuit stops. New York does not license online poker, so there is no state-regulated site there. If you’re looking at online poker in New York for real money, read our state guide first.
International rooms such as ACR Poker accept New York players, but they are not licensed by any US state, so state consumer protections don’t apply. Ignition Poker does not accept New York players. For the rules in other states, see our guide to online poker in the USA.
Many US players deposit at these rooms with crypto, such as Bitcoin or USDT, because banks often decline card payments to offshore poker sites. If you open your account through the button in our ACR Poker review and message us on Telegram, you get 35% rakeback, paid monthly, plus ACR’s 100% first-deposit bonus up to $2,000 (bonus terms apply). To compare rooms, see our list of the best online poker sites.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Who won the Turning Stone WSOP Circuit Main Event?
Kyle Grupp of Clarence, New York, won the $1,700 Main Event on Oct. 26, 2026. He beat Joel Cattelane heads-up for $246,362 and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.
How many players entered the Turning Stone Main Event?
The event drew 996 entries across three starting flights. The prize pool reached $1,508,940, according to Card Player, above the $1 million guarantee.
What does a WSOP Circuit ring winner get besides the money?
Every 2026 Circuit ring winner gets a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, according to WSOP.com. It includes entry to the $2,750 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty and a stay at Baha Mar in the Bahamas.
Can you play real money online poker in New York?
New York does not license online poker. Some New York players use international rooms such as ACR Poker, which are not licensed by any US state, so state consumer protections don't apply. Read our New York guide before you play.
Sources
- WSOP.com: Kyle Grupp wins the Turning Stone WSOP Circuit Main Event
- Card Player: Kyle Grupp wins WSOP Circuit Turning Stone Main Event
- PokerTube: Kyle Grupp takes first ring in Turning Stone Main Event
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Who writes this
The RakebackPokerWorld team: professional poker affiliates since 2017, more than 20,000 players helped. We test rooms, payments and rakeback before recommending them.
