Manjunath Mulinti Wins Thunder Valley WSOP Circuit Main Event for $172,325
The San Jose-area player turned a seventh-place finish in January into his first Circuit ring nearly nine months later.
Manjunath Mulinti won the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event, beating a 599-entry field for his first Circuit ring and a career-best $172,325. The tournament at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California, generated a $907,485 prize pool and paid 90 players.
Mulinti defeated Jesse Stephens heads-up after a five-hand match. Stephens collected $114,660 as runner-up, while Jonathan Wang earned $79,490 for third. Mulinti had eliminated Wang with a river straight to set up the final duel.
The result marked a sharp improvement on Mulinti’s previous run in the same event. He finished seventh for $26,920 in January, when it was only his second recorded live tournament cash. Card Player reported that the title was his 11th recorded cash, with all of his recorded earnings coming during 2026 and reaching about $257,000 after the victory.
Mulinti, who is from outside San Jose, California, said he used the months after that first final table to study deep-run and ICM decisions. He also worked with coach Florian Pesce after meeting him at the 2026 World Series of Poker. “I did my studies and learned my lessons from the mistakes I made,” Mulinti said. “I’ve been prepping for it.”
He began this final table as chip leader, but described it as a tougher lineup than his January appearance, naming Stephens, Wang and J.C. Tran. Tran ultimately finished eighth. Mulinti built a large lead three-handed, holding about two-thirds of the chips in play before taking out Wang and quickly closing out Stephens.
The win followed other deep summer results, including 16th place from 2,148 entries in the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Championship bracelet event. It also earned Mulinti 840 Card Player Player of the Year points, bringing his 2026 total to 1,187.
As a 2026 Circuit ring winner, Mulinti receives a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, including entry to the $2,750 Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty event and accommodations at Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas. The event is held in December.
