Lincoln, California (6 October 2022) - There is a rumbling in Northern California, as poker players from near and far have made their way to Thunder Valley Resort and Casino in pursuit of World Series of Poker glory. The WSOP Circuit tour has made its return to Thunder Valley, with circuit rings already being rewarded to seven players. With six more tournaments remaining including the circuit stop’s Main Event, there is still plenty of hardware to give out as players battle on the felt.
Although usually commentating on the poker action, some familiar faces have been seen at Thunder Valley taking part in some of the earlier tournaments of the series. Beloved poker commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern, most famously known for being the dynamic commentating team of the yearly WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, have made their presence felt at Thunder Valley entering a number of circuit events. Although neither Chad or McEachern have scored a cash yet, players in attendance continue to enjoy their warm presence at the poker table.
While the majority of our event winners have been first-time champions, two veteran poker players earned their second career WSOP Circuit tournament wins this past week. On Monday, October 3rd, California native Lian Liu secured his second career WSOP Circuit ring winning the $400 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed tournament along with the $11,526 top prize. Also becoming a multi-time champion was Tyler Patterson, who won his first live WSOP Circuit ring in the $600 Omaha 8 event as well as the $16,943 top prize.
Here is a look at the full list of WSOP Circuit winners that have already been crowned at Thunder Valley this week:
Event #1: $400 Seniors Event - John Duckworth
Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold'em - The Opener - Bryant Miller
Event #3: $600 No-Limit Hold'em - Matt Widdoes
Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed - Lian Liu
Event #5: $600 H.O.R.S.E. - Eddy Vataru
Event #6: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout Bounty - Ian Waldron
Event #7: $600 Omaha 8 - Tyler Patterson
There are six events yet to be played before the series wraps up, Monday, October 10th. For a complete schedule of remaining events, click here.
The $1,700 Main Event of the Thunder Valley Circuit series will begin tomorrow, Friday October 7th and will run two separate flights both tomorrow and Saturday, October 8th. The tournament boasts an impressive $500,000 guaranteed prizepool, sure to attract a large field of players. Last year, local player Victor Paredes won the Thunder Valley Main Event for $169,294, his only WSOP Circuit ring to date.
Any official gold ring winners from this WSOP Circuit stop will qualify for the new invitation-only “Tournament of Champions”. The $1 million freeroll event will be held during the 2023 World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. 2022/23 online and live bracelet winners will also be eligible to compete in the new signature event.