Andreas Kniep Wins Thunder Valley WSOPC Main Event
Summary:
- Germany’s Andreas Kniep captured his second WSOP Circuit ring and $185,000 at Thunder Valley.
- Runner-up Benjamin Primus earned $123,000, more than doubling his previous career-best.
- Other notable ring winners included Jarod Minghini and Frankie O’Dell.
The World Series of Poker Circuit recently wrapped up its stop at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. The highlight of the series came when Germany’s Andreas Kniep claimed the $1,700 WSOPC Thunder Valley Main Event, securing his second Circuit ring and $185,458 in prize money.
The Thunder Valley stop featured 13 ring events, with buy-ins ranging from $400 to $3,250. Among the events were the $600 Big O, $600 2-7 Triple Draw, and the $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack, offering something for all kinds of players.
Kniep Defeated Primus
Kniep, known for his bright, eccentric style, defeated heads-up opponent Benjamin Primus to take the title. Kniep is no stranger to deep runs in WSOP events, having finished 18th in the 2021 Main Event for $305,000 and fourth in the 2023 Millionaire Maker for a career-best $501,182.
He earned his first Circuit ring just over a year ago by winning a $600 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed event at WSOP Graton for $15,907. Outside of poker, he works as a software engineer at Google and previously worked at SpaceX, showing that high-level poker can coexist with high-powered careers.
Sacramento’s Primus, meanwhile, was chasing his second Circuit ring after winning the $400 H.O.R.S.E. event at WSOPC Graton just over a month ago. His runner-up finish at Thunder Valley earned him $123,603, more than doubling his previous career-best score on The Hendon Mob.
The final table was stacked with notable names, including eight-time Circuit ring winner Scott Stewart, who finished seventh and took home $23,696. Stewart had a breakout year in 2024, winning the WPT World Championship for $2,563,900 and earning a Global Poker Award nomination for Best Final Table Performance.
Oregon-based Jennifer Molan came in third with $85,666, while Anthony Swift also made it to the final table, exiting in ninth place for $13,962.
Minghini and O’Dell Take Home Rings
Other ring winners at Thunder Valley included Jarod Minghini, who captured his fifth ring in a $600 PLO event, and three-time WSOP bracelet winner Frankie O’Dell, who took his sixth ring in the $600 H.O.R.S.E. event.
The WSOP Circuit is now underway at Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary, Canada, and Horseshoe Baltimore in Maryland.
Up next, poker aficionados can join Harrah’s Pompano Beach in Florida from October 9-20, with the $1,700 WSOPC Pompano Beach as the main event.
