Gambling Editor
Manjunath Mulinti turned an earlier near-miss into a breakthrough title, winning the $1,700 buy-in WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event in October after finishing seventh in the same event in January. He outlasted 599 entries to claim $172,325 and his first WSOP Circuit ring, according to CardPlayer.
The result marked a major step for the player from just outside San Jose, California. The October victory came in only his 11th recorded tournament cash, capping a rapid rise that had already brought him back to a Thunder Valley final table for a second time in 2026.
A breakthrough season for Mulinti
Mulinti’s January seventh-place finish was the starting point for an unusual second act at the same venue. Between those two runs, he made several deep tournament finishes over the summer, including 16th place in the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Championship bracelet event.
All of Mulinti’s recorded career earnings have come in 2026. After the Thunder Valley win, they stood at $257,356-a striking total for a player still early in his live-tournament record, and one that could rise further before the year ends.
The fall event generated a $907,485 prize pool, with 90 players reaching the money. Among those paid were two-time World Poker Tour champion and double bracelet winner J.C. Tran, who finished eighth for $16,730, and Henry Acain, whose run ended in fifth place for $40,310.
Mulinti takes control at the final table
Mulinti began the final day with a narrow chip lead over Dawson Dvorak. He built his position further when Andrew Nguyen was eliminated in sixth place for $29,510: Mulinti’s pocket jacks held up against Acain’s pocket nines and Nguyen’s K♥Q♥, adding a significant pot to his stack.
Dvorak finished fourth for $56,090, while Jonathan Wang took third for $79,490. Once the tournament reached three-handed play, Mulinti pulled clear, climbing to 16 million chips-twice the combined stacks of Wang and Jesse Stephens.
Wang’s Q♥10♥ moved ahead of pocket nines on the flop, but the full Q♣8♦7♠5♣6♣ board gave Mulinti a straight and sent Wang to the rail. Stephens, who earned $114,660 as runner-up, briefly found a favorable flop with 7♦3♦, but Mulinti had taken the lead by the Q♣ turn with Q♠8♣. The K♠ river changed nothing, closing out the title for Mulinti.
A ring and a Paradise package
The win added 840 Card Player Player of the Year points to Mulinti’s total, bringing him to 1,187 for the year and into the top 600 of the race presented by CoinPoker. His first Circuit ring also earns him a $5,000 WSOP Paradise prize package.
The package includes a seat in the $2,750 Circuit Championship mystery bounty event in December. After turning a January final-table finish into an October title, Mulinti has secured a new opportunity to build on a season that has already changed the shape of his tournament record.
