2026 WSOP Circuit Turning Stone Main Event champion
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014
Kyle Grupp is an American poker player from Clarence, New York. He won the October 2026 World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, earning $246,362 and his first Circuit ring. The $1,700 tournament drew 996 entries. According to the WSOP, it was the largest live tournament payout of his career through that date.
⠀
Who Is Kyle Grupp?
Grupp is a New York tournament player with a record of deep runs in regional and national events. Turning Stone has been a recurring stop in his results. He reached the final table of its WSOP Circuit Main Event in 2023, finishing fourth, then returned three years later to win the same event.
Public tournament records list Clarence, New York, as his residence. His date of birth and early personal background are not reliably established in the sources reviewed, so those details are not included here.
⠀
Kyle Grupp's Turning Stone Circuit Win
In the 2026 Turning Stone Main Event, Grupp advanced from a 996-entry field to face Joel Cattelane heads-up. Cattelane began the duel with the chip advantage, but Grupp recovered and took the title. The official result lists $246,362 for Grupp and $164,220 for Cattelane.
The win brought Grupp his first WSOP Circuit ring. The WSOP also said the ring came with a $5,000 package for WSOP Paradise 2026. The package is a tournament benefit separate from his cash payout.
⠀
Other Notable Results
Grupp's 2025 WSOP Main Event run ended in 54th place for $165,000, according to tournament databases. He also finished seventh in the $3,500 championship at the January 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open for $67,655. Those results show that his Turning Stone victory followed several significant cashes rather than appearing out of nowhere.
Tournament databases report gross cashes, not a player's profit after buy-ins, travel, taxes or expenses. Published career totals can also differ while recent results are being added, so no fixed lifetime earnings figure is stated here.
⠀
Why Kyle Grupp Matters in Poker
Grupp's 2026 win turned a previous near miss at his home-state Circuit stop into a title. The same Main Event had given him a fourth-place finish in 2023; his return produced his first ring and his largest recorded live score. His next tournament plans are not assumed from the Paradise package.
⠀
Sources
World Series of Poker, Turning Stone Circuit Main Event news and official result
The Hendon Mob Poker Database, Kyle Grupp results
Card Player, Kyle Grupp tournament results
