Japan Open Poker Tour Enters Partnership with RunGood Poker Series

On February 27, 2025, a new cross collaboration between two live poker tours has been made announced. The US-based RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) is entering a partnership with the Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT) and will have it’s first ever international ring event during the upcoming JOPT Grand Final, which is set to take place from April 25 until May 5, 2025 at the Belle Salle Takadanobaba in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Tana Karn, President of RunGood said in the official announcement on the tour’s website,

Our goal has always been to bring the excitement of poker to new audiences, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with the Japan Open Poker Tour for this momentous occasion. Japan’s poker scene continues to flourish, and this event is a testament to the global reach and passion of the game.

Japan Open Poker Tour And RunGood Poker Series Team Up

RunGood Poker Series launched one decade ago in 2014 and was founded from RunGoodGear, a poker clothing company that came to life just two years prior in 2012. Since then, the brand has become a fixture of the American live poker and gained a lot of popularity in the mid-stakes scene. The brand was named Best Mid-Major Tour/Festival in the Global Poker Awards 2022.

It is the first time the brand embarks on a journey outside of the United States after rapid growth throughout the years, which has seen RunGood become one of the most popular operators on the circuit. From April 27 to 29, 2025 players in Tokyo will compete for the RunGood Poker Series ring, Japan Open Poker Tour trophy, as well as limited edition RunGood hats and shirts.

NLH Colossus Sponsored by Mission RunGood

The official name of the tournament is “NLH Colossus Sponsored by Mission RunGood” and includes four starting days on April 27 and 28 respectively with an entry fee of 25,000 Japanese Yen, which equals approximately USD 166. So far, it has not been announced what prizes beyond merchandise the participants will be competing for.

Poker in Japan

Live poker in Japan still faces a lot of obstacles, as it is by law not allowed to compete for real money prizes. These guidelines may change in a few years from now, but the tides of time are moving rather slow despite the construction of Japan’s first-ever casino on home soil. The MGM Osaka Casino Resort on Yumeshima island near Osaka is expected to open in late 2030.

This hasn’t stopped an increase in popularity for the card game with plenty of small poker clubs located all over the country. In major Japan-based tournaments, players are typically competing for packages to other international live poker events, as has been the case with the JOPT up until now as well.

Japan Open Poker Tour

Japan Open Poker Tour was established in 2011 and has become the longest-running and largest live poker tournament in the country with regional stops throughout the year and an annual Grand Final. The brand biggest turnout was in October 2024 in Tokyo with 3,225 entries.

JOPT previously partnered with leading online poker site GGPoker and sent players to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, among others. However, that partnership has come to an end recently as the operator announced in September 2024 that it will no longer sponsor the tour after three and a half years of cooperation. Shiina Okamoto, 2024 WSOP Ladies Event bracelet winner and rising star in the Japanese poker scene, remains an official ambassador of the brand.