Globally renowned World Poker Tour is setting new heights for its annual festivities in the Land of the Rising Sun as it welcomes a likely record-breaking Main Event in this year’s series. In partnership with Sammy Inc, WPT Japan is exceeding everyone’s expectations having already recorded a total of 612 entries across its first three starting flights in cities Tokyo and Osaka.
Last year’s Main Event reached an all-time high of 726 entries and a prize pool of $35,000 in WPT Passport, with local player Charlie Ryuta taking the top payout along with the WPT Main Event title.
This year, WPT is back bigger than ever with a Main Event prize pool that has more than doubled to an impressive $91,500 and a guaranteed $30,000 for its champion alone. With one Day 1 left on schedule, interested players are still welcome to join the last flight this coming September 18, 2021, Saturday at Sammy Inc’s Headquarters in Tokyo, with Day 2 and 3 following thereafter. Japan-based players are invited to jump in on the recently launched Sammy’s poker application, M Hold’em, up until Thursday to qualify for the event.
Four starting flights complete this year’s Main Event schedule with its Osaka (Day 1B and Day 1D) games seeing only 23 players make it through Day 2 out of the 131 entries recorded. Tokyo’s first flight (Day 1A) on the other hand, met a staggering field of 481 entries with 111 players surviving to battle it out in this upcoming Sunday’s games. The player to watch out for is リンダマン, who currently holds the chip lead coming into Day 2 with a stack of 431,000 to top the list of 134 qualifiers.
2021 WPT Japan Main Event
Day 1A – Tokyo Results
Date: September 12, 2021
Entries: 481 players
Qualifiers: 127 players
Top 5:
1 – あさまる – 305,000
2 – Clubman – 282,500
3 – じゅんいち – 260,500
4 – おかむ – 247,500
5 – ケント – 232,000
Day 1B – Osaka Results
Date: September 12, 2021
Entries: 91 players
Qualifiers: 16 players
Top 5:
1 – リンダマン – 431,000
2 – たけにい – 264,000
3 – きゃつん – 222,500
4 – O.P.M.キング – 218,000
5 – O.P.M.ペコ – 181,500
Day 1D – Osaka Results
Date: August 22, 2021
Entries: 40 players
Qualifiers: 7 players
Top 5:
1 – O.P.M.あきまる – 198,000
2 – タッさん – 191,500
3 – リョウ – 190,500
4 – アルパカ – 163,500
5 – みすた – 107,500
Additionally, the series’ two-day Students Poker Championship U-23 side event will begin on September 19, 2021, Sunday, alongside Day 2 of the Main Event. A field of 200 poker enthusiasts under the age of 23 will test their skills on the felt with the champion geared to receive a WPT Japan trophy and a supplementary prize valued at $910. A concluding freeroll on September 20, 2021, Monday wraps up this year’s schedule of events.
WPT Japan Event Schedule (Venue: Sammy Corporation)
| Date | Time | Event | Tournament | Category | End of Reg |
| 09/18/21 | 10:00 | #1 | Main Event Day 1C – Tokyo | Qualifier & Guest | 15:55 |
| 09/19/21 | 10:00 | #1 (2) | Main Event Day 2 | – | – |
| 10:30 | #2 (1) | U-23 Day 1 | Guest | 16:40 | |
| 09/20/21 | 10:00 | #1 (3) | Main Event Day 3 | – | – |
| 10:00 | #2 (2) | U-23 Day 2 | – | – | |
| 10:00 | #3 | Freeroll | Guest | 12:15 |
Stay tuned to Somuchpoker as we bring you the awaited results for WPT Japan’s record-breaking fifth edition.
