Last Updated on September 29, 2026 by Bala Kumar
The WSOP Circuit is back at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. The fall 2026 series runs from September 24 through October 5, with 16 official ring events and a $1,700 Main Event.
This page covers the full fall schedule, Main Event flight times, results so far and every key date left on the calendar. For the complete January 2026 results and all past champions, see our WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley guide.
Fall 2026 Schedule at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Series Dates | Thursday, September 24 – Monday, October 5, 2026 |
| Venue | Thunder Valley Casino Resort, 1200 Athens Ave, Lincoln, CA 95648 |
| Ring Events | 16 |
| Main Event | $1,700 NLH, $500,000 guaranteed |
| Main Event Day 1 Flights | October 2 and October 3, 11 a.m. |
| Biggest Buy-in | $3,300 NLH High Roller (October 1) |
| Final Event | $400 NLH Series Finale (October 5) |
| Ring Winner Bonus | $5,000 WSOP Paradise package |
Full Fall 2026 Event Lineup: All 16 Ring Events
These are all 16 ring events on the fall 2026 schedule, in the order WSOP announced them.
| # | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Date | Status |
| 1 | NLH Seniors (50+) | $400 | – | Sept 24 | ✅ Lance Oliver |
| 2 | NLH Freezeout | $400 | – | Sept 24 | ✅ Greg Meder |
| 3 | NLH Opener / Mini Main | $400 | $250,000 | Sept 24–27 | Results pending |
| 4 | No-Limit Hold’em | $400 | $50,000 | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 5 | Pot-Limit Omaha | $600 | – | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 6 | NLH Mirror Mystery Bounty | $400 | – | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 7 | H.O.R.S.E. | $600 | – | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 8 | NLH Knockout ($100 bounties) | $400 | – | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 9 | NLH Monster Stack | $400 | $200,000 | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 10 | Omaha 8 | $600 | – | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 11 | Deuce to Seven Triple Draw | $600 | – | See WSOP Live app | – |
| 12 | NLH High Roller | $3,300 | – | Thursday, Oct 1 | Upcoming |
| 13 | NLH Main Event | $1,700 | $500,000 | Oct 2–5 | Upcoming |
| 14 | No-Limit Hold’em | $400 | – | Sunday, Oct 4 | Upcoming |
| 15 | NLH Knockout ($500 bounties) | $1,100 | – | Sunday, Oct 4 | Upcoming |
| 16 | NLH Series Finale | $400 | – | Monday, Oct 5 | Upcoming |
Events #1–3 use official numbering. For events #4–16, WSOP announced the lineup but not every event number and start time, so the numbers above follow the announced order. Check the WSOP Live app for exact start times.
Fall 2026 Results So Far
| Event | Winner | Details |
| #1: $400 NLH Seniors | Lance Oliver | First ring of the fall series |
| #2: $400 NLH Freezeout | Greg Meder | – |
| #3: 400Opener/MiniMain(250K GTD) | TBD | Played September 24–27 |
WSOP calls Event #3 “The Opener,” while Thunder Valley’s poker room calls it the “Mini Main.” Both refer to the same $400, $250,000-guaranteed event.
What to expect from the Opener: It’s usually the biggest field of any Thunder Valley series. Last fall’s Opener drew 1,240 entries and a $409,200 prize pool, and Kevin Bass won it for $58,837, the second-biggest first prize of the series after the Main Event. In January 2026, the Opener drew 1,228 entries and a $353,357 prize pool, with Anthony Banuelos winning $58,437.
We’ll update this table as each winner is crowned.
Thunder Valley Main Event: Flights, Dates & Format
The $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event is the flagship event of the fall series.
| Day | Date | Time |
| Day 1A | Friday, October 2 | 11 a.m. |
| Day 1B | Saturday, October 3 | 11 a.m. |
| Day 2 / Final Table | October 4–5 (expected) | Check WSOP Live app |
Guarantee: $500,000. That’s half of the $1 million guarantee used in fall 2024 and fall 2025, and it should be easy to beat. Every Thunder Valley Main Event with a published prize pool since January 2024 has topped $1 million, including January 2026’s $1,157,460 from 764 entries.
Why two flights matters: Fall 2025 offered three Day 1 flights. With just two this year, players have fewer chances to re-enter, so expect Day 1B on Saturday to be the busier flight as weekend players arrive.
Defending champion: Jaime Haletky won the January 2026 Main Event for $205,460, his second Thunder Valley title. Fall 2025’s winner, Rayo Kniep, beat Benjamin Primus heads-up with pocket aces for his second ring and first Main Event title.
Day-by-Day Calendar: What’s Left
| Date | What’s On |
| Tue, Sept 29 – Wed, Sept 30 | Mid-series ring events (NLH, PLO, Mixed Games, Monster Stack) |
| Thu, Oct 1 | $3,300 High Roller |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Main Event Day 1A (11 a.m.) |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Main Event Day 1B (11 a.m.) |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Main Event Day 2 · $400 NLH · $1,100 Knockout |
| Mon, Oct 5 | $400 Series Finale · last ring awarded |
Main Event day-2 and final-table dates are estimated from the flight schedule; confirm in the WSOP Live app.
Satellites & Online Qualifiers
If $1,700 is a big buy-in for you, satellites are the cheapest way in. Thunder Valley ran a Circuit package satellite on September 23, and online qualifiers for the stop are available on ClubGG. The poker room also canceled its regular daily tournaments from September 21 to October 5 to make room for the Circuit.
Want to sharpen your game before playing a satellite? Practice No-Limit Hold’em with free online poker games.
The Big Prize: A Ticket to WSOP Paradise
Every 2026 Circuit ring winner receives a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, which includes a seat in the $2,750 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty plus hotel accommodation in the Bahamas.
That event opens WSOP Paradise 2026 at Baha Mar in Nassau, which runs December 2–17 with 20 bracelet events and $120 million in guarantees. The Mystery Bounty itself has a $5 million guarantee, with more than 1,000 ring winners expected to take part.
Fall 2026 vs. Fall 2025: What’s Changed
| Feature | Fall 2025 | Fall 2026 |
| Dates | Sept 25 – Oct 6 | Sept 24 – Oct 5 |
| Ring Events | 13 | 16 |
| Main Event Guarantee | $1,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Main Event Day 1 Flights | 3 | 2 |
| High Roller Buy-in | $3,250 | $3,300 |
| Main Event Champion | Rayo Kniep ($185,458) | TBD |
The 2026 fall schedule adds three more ring events and new formats like a Mirror Mystery Bounty and a $1,100 Knockout with $500 bounties.
Thunder Valley 2026: Both Series Compared
| Feature | January 2026 | Fall 2026 |
| Dates | Jan 15–26 | Sept 24 – Oct 5 |
| Ring Events | 16 | 16 |
| Main Event Entries | 764 | TBD |
| Main Event Prize Pool | $1,157,460 | $500,000 GTD |
| Main Event Champion | Jaime Haletky | TBD |
| High Roller | $3,250 (82 entries) | $3,300 |
Next WSOP Circuit Stops After Thunder Valley
| Dates | Stop | Location |
| Oct 1–12 | Harrah’s Pompano Beach | Pompano Beach, FL |
| Oct 15–26 | Turning Stone | Verona, NY |
| Oct 22 – Nov 2 | Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe | Stateline, NV |
| Oct 22 – Nov 2 | Caesars Southern Indiana | Elizabeth, IN |
| Oct 28 – Nov 9 | Choctaw Durant | Durant, OK |
| Dec 2–17 | WSOP Paradise 2026 | Nassau, Bahamas |
For Northern California players, Lake Tahoe is the closest follow-up stop, starting less than three weeks after Thunder Valley ends.
Poker Room Contact
| Detail | Information |
| Venue | Thunder Valley Casino Resort |
| Address | 1200 Athens Ave, Lincoln, CA 95648 |
| Poker Room Director | Ben Erwin |
| Phone | (916) 408-9095 |
| Website | Thunder Valley Poker Room |
| Live Coverage | Poker.Org Instant Live Feed |
FAQs
When is the WSOP Circuit at Thunder Valley in fall 2026?
September 24 to October 5, 2026.
When does the Thunder Valley Main Event start?
Day 1A is Friday, October 2, at 11 a.m., and Day 1B is Saturday, October 3, at 11 a.m.
What is the Main Event buy-in and guarantee?
$1,700, with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
How many ring events are on the fall 2026 schedule?
16 official WSOP Circuit ring events.
When is the High Roller?
The $3,300 High Roller is on Thursday, October 1.
What is the last event of the series?
The $400 NLH Series Finale on Monday, October 5.
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