One of the most popular, player-friendly series on the WSOP Circuit gets underway on Thursday in Northern California, as tour staple Thunder Valley Casino Resort hosts its latest series.
Located less than an hour from Sacramento and under two from San Francisco and the region’s wine country, Thunder Valley is an absolute must-play for Circuit fans and poker players in general.
Not only because of the enticing location, but also for the incredible staff, outstanding restaurants and amenities, diverse tournament offerings, and a host of satellites to get players of all levels and bankrolls into the action.
16 WSOP Circuit rings will be up for grabs in the Thunder Valley poker room.Mixed games and massive marquee events
Along with all the big-name WSOP Circuit events, Thunder Valley prides itself on offering a healthy dose of mixed games when the Circuit comes to town, and this series will be no different.
$600 H.O.R.S.E., Omaha 8 or Better, and the only 2-7 Triple Draw ring event on the Circuit are all on offer amidst the 16-ring event schedule.
Those will accompany such series staples as the $400 Mini Main Event, which comes with a $250,000 guarantee, and the $400 Monster Stack, which carries a $100,000 guarantee.
There will also be a $400 Mirror Mystery Bounty event, where the mystery bounty payouts mirror those of the tournament payouts.
Plus, of course, the $1,700 Main Event with a $500,000 guarantee, which will undoubtedly be shattered, as Thunder Valley has drawn million-dollar prize pools regularly for previous Circuit Main Events.
January 2026 WSOPC Thunder Valley Main Event champion Jaime Haletky took home $205,460.
Satellites galore
Thunder Valley is also one of the most satellite-friendly venues on the Circuit, offering not just feeders into the Main Event, but also step tournaments and satellites that provide packages into multiple ring events.
For as little as $120, players could earn seats in $400 and $600 events, along with the Main Event.
Details and schedules for step tournaments and satellites, which are already running, are available on the WSOP Live app.
Thunder Valley Ambassador Wagyu will be there. Will you? Happy anniversary!
Thunder Valley has earned a well-deserved reputation nationwide as a poker hotspot, with almost every major tour making its way through its doors for almost 15 years, and this series marking the ten-year anniversary of the WSOP Circuit as part of its booming tournament schedule.
That inaugural WSOPC Main Event at Thunder Valley was won in 2017 by WSOP bracelet and three-time Circuit ring winner, Nick Pupillo, a regular attendee of the WSOP Circuit series here, who we’re sure to see this time as well.
September 2017 Thunder Valley champ Nick Pupillo will always make his way back to NorCal.Thunder Valley has crowned plenty more great Circuit champions as well, including recent winners from January Jaime Haletky, and last September's champion, Rayo Kniep, whose victory came with an unforgettable, colourful celebration and winners’ photo.
Rayo Kniep's win last September was neon through and through.The next round of fun and excitement in NorCal is set to get underway, and PokerOrg will be there for the Main Event starting on Friday, October 2 and right until the final card is dealt on Monday, October 5.
We hope to see you there at Thunder Valley Casino Resort!
Complete schedule and tournament info available on WSOP.com
