Eccentric Andreas Kniep Wins Second WSOP Circuit Ring in Thunder Valley
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Another World Series of Poker Circuit stop has wrapped up, this one at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California, which ran Sept. 25-Oct. 6. A familiar face emerged as the winner of the $1,700 WSOPC Thunder Valley Main Event on Monday as Germany's Andreas Kniep won his second Circuit ring and $185,458.
The WSOPC Thunder Valley stop consisted of 13 ring events with buy-ins ranging from $400 to $3,250. Other events included the $600 Big O, $600 2-7 Triple Draw and $400 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack.
2025 WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Kniep | Germany | $185,458 |
| 2 | Benjamin Primus | United States | $123,603 |
| 3 | Jennifer Molan | United States | $85,666 |
| 4 | Chris Elkins | United States | $60,439 |
| 5 | Zichuan Huang | China | $43,421 |
| 6 | Sarkis Khachatryan | United States | $31,776 |
| 7 | Scott Stewart | United States | $23,696 |
| 8 | Derric Haynie | United States | $18,013 |
| 9 | Anthony Swift | United States | $13,962 |
Another Ring for Kniep
The eccentric and always brightly dressed Kniep, who earned his second piece of WSOP hardware by besting heads-up opponent Benjamin Primus, is best known for a pair of deep summer runs. He finished 18th in the 2021 Main Event for $305,000 and fourth in the 2023 Millionaire Maker for a career-best $501,182.
Sacramento's Primus was also after a second ring after winning his first a little over a month ago in the WSOPC Graton $400 H.O.R.S.E. event, which earned him $7,667. His runner-up finish in the Thunder Valley Main Event earned him $123,603, more than double his previous best score on The Hendon Mob.
The final table included eight-time Circuit ring winner finisher Scott Stewart (7th - $23,696), who is coming off a breakout year that saw him winning the 2024 WPT World Championship for $2,563,900 and getting a Global Poker Award nomination for "Best Final Table Performance." It also included Anthony Swift, who saw the fate of Ophelia as he went out in ninth place for $13,962.
Kniep earned his first ring just over a year ago as he took down a $600 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed event at WSOP Graton for $15,907. He is currently a Google software engineer and a former SpaceX engineer.
Other players who won rings at Thunder Valley include this year's 8th-place Main Event finisher Jarod Minghini, who won his fifth ring in $600 PLO, and three-time bracelet winner Frankie O'Dell, who won his sixth ring in $600 H.O.R.S.E.
The WSOP Circuit is currently stationed at Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary, Canada, as well as Horseshoe Baltimore in Maryland. Next up will be a stop at Harrah's Pompano Beach in Florida running Oct. 9-20 and headlined by the $1,700 WSOPC Pompano Beach Main Event.
*Photos courtesy WSOP Circuit
