Kyle Grupp Wins WSOPC Turning Stone Main Event

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Tue Oct 27, 2026, 2:44 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

Kyle Grupp Wins WSOPC Turning Stone Main Event

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Kyle Grupp finally secured his first World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) gold ring at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. The local player outlasted 995 other entries in the $1,700 buy-in Main Event, collecting $246,362 for the victory.

The win marked a breakthrough for Grupp, who had previously come close to claiming a Circuit Main Event title. He also earned a $5,000 package for WSOP Paradise 2026, adding another reward to his career-best tournament result.

Grupp Turns Previous Near-Misses Into Victory

Grupp entered the tournament with unfinished business at Turning Stone. He finished fourth in the venue's WSOP Circuit Main Event in 2023, narrowly missing the title. In 2025, he also placed sixth in the WSOP International Circuit Montreal Main Event.

This time, Grupp converted another deep run into a championship. After securing the title, he reflected on the significance of winning outright at a familiar venue.

"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."

His victory came in a field of 996 entries, pushing the tournament beyond its $1 million guarantee. The result also gave Grupp a valuable opportunity to compete at WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas.

His package includes entry to the $2,750 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty and complimentary accommodation at Baha Mar Resort.

Grupp Builds Momentum at the Final Table

Grupp made several key moves during the final-table battle, including eliminating Tina Panichi in sixth place. He held K♠ K♦ against Panichi's A♣ Q♣, and his pocket kings held to secure the knockout.

Steven Tabb finished third after another important confrontation with Grupp. Tabb held A♣ 9♠, while Grupp showed 6♠ 3♠. The board ran Q♠ 8♥ 3♣ J♣ 2♦, giving Grupp a pair of threes and sending Tabb to the rail.

Those eliminations helped Grupp reach heads-up play against Joel Cattelane. However, Cattelane began the duel with a chip advantage, leaving Grupp with more work to do before claiming the championship.

Heads-Up Comeback Secures the Gold Ring

Cattelane initially held the upper hand, but Grupp gradually shifted the momentum. Their final confrontation ultimately decided the title and the $82,142 difference between first and second place.

Grupp held J♦ 9♠ against Cattelane's A♣ 3♣. The board came K♣ 9♠ 7♣ 10♠ 2♥, giving Grupp a pair of nines. Cattelane moved all-in on the turn with a flush draw, but the river failed to complete it.

Grupp's pair held, securing the championship and leaving Cattelane with $164,220 for second place.

Final Table Results

Kyle Grupp took home the title and $246,362 first-place prize after defeating Joel Cattelane heads-up. The final nine players earned the following payouts:

Place Player Prize
1st Kyle Grupp $246,362
2nd Joel Cattelane $164,220
3rd Steven Tabb $144,576
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

Turning Stone Victory Adds to Grupp's Poker Résumé

The WSOP Circuit series at Turning Stone featured 18 official ring events from October 15-26, 2026. Its Main Event provided one of the series' major highlights, with Grupp emerging from a field of nearly 1,000 entries.

For Grupp, the result represents more than a substantial payday. It ends a run of close calls at major Circuit Main Events and delivers his first gold ring on familiar ground.

The WSOP Paradise package also gives him another opportunity to compete on a major international stage. 

Meanwhile, poker fans following tournament results and the wider landscape surrounding US online poker sites have another live-poker breakthrough to follow as Grupp builds on his biggest career victory.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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