Who is Sashimi Poker? The Controversial Rise to the Poker Elite

Who is Sashimi Poker? The somewhat controversial story of her rise to the poker elite

Mysterious, magnetic, and never short of controversy, Sashimi Poker has quickly become one of the most talked-about figures in the poker world. With her bold personality, unfiltered table presence, and controversial stories, she’s captured attention both at and away from the table. But who is the woman behind the poker princess with the handle “sashimipoker”? From learning the game’s basics in her hometown to earning a seat on America’s most-watched poker livestreams, her journey is laced with high-stakes drama, glamour, and more than a few raised eyebrows. Best known for a now-infamous wardrobe malfunction that some say was a calculated move to rattle opponents, Sashimi Poker walks the fine line between strategy and spectacle. 

Sashimi (or Sashimi Poker) is a well-known name in the poker world, even though not much is known about her background, where she came from, how she learnt to play poker, and who she is behind the attractive poker star. Here is what the poker world has gathered about the identity of the player who made headlines due to an outrageous wardrobe malfunction, which might or might not have been intentional. 

Yuuki Kaida, also known as Sashimi Poker in the poker world, is a Japanese poker player. She is believed to be in her early 30s. Coming from a family with South Korean origins, but born and raised in Japan, Kaida grew up in a small coastal town in Japan. She later moved to Tokyo before venturing further from her home country and settling in the United States. Sashimi Poker is reported to have learned the basics of poker in her home country, but began appearing regularly at Las Vegas poker events. 

Although at first, she was not a prominent figure in the poker world in the US, she started to build out her connections within the game, reportedly trying to make her way onto the big field with the help of various wealthy men involved in the poker world. Based on one of the videos on her official YouTube channel, she is reported to have been in a brief relationship with famous poker player Joseph Cheong, who has won one WSOP Bracelet in his career and whose total live earnings currently stand at a whopping $19,514,359. 

Her increasingly frequent appearances in live-streamed poker games and her active presence on social media quickly made her famous in the gaming world. Her YouTube channel (@sashimipoker), with around 27,800 followers, is filled with videos of her vlogging about her poker tournaments and sharing highlights of her games with her fans. She started posting regularly on her channel four years ago but has been inactive since the summer of 2023. However, Sashimi is still active on her Instagram profile, where she has a following of more than 80,000 people.

Her posts showcase highlights of her poker matches and portray her high-end lifestyle. She regularly appears on private jets, plays golf, and travels worldwide. Sashimi Poker is also present on X (previously known as Twitter) with a following of around 38,600 people. Sashimi Poker is not afraid to engage with other players in controversial situations and often takes to her social media to show her side of the story.

The poker player behind the pretty face – Sashimi’s career and style of play

Sashimi has gained significant attention for her performances in high-stakes cash games, particularly on live-streamed platforms. After her reported appearances in smaller poker tournaments in Asia, she made her debut in the US in July 2021 on a stream of Poker At The Lodge. She gained widespread recognition through frequent appearances on the popular Hustler Casino Live, with the first episode featuring her airing in May 2022. Since then, she has participated in over 100 episodes and has generated a net profit of approximately $109,085 as of early 2025. One of her biggest pots was a $193,600 win with pocket tens, a hand that showcased her ability to extract maximum value under pressure. 

However, Sashimi Poker has not been as successful at the Lodge Poker Club (PATL). She appeared in five episodes and lost $15,905, including a particularly rough session in which she lost over $33,000. She played more than 600 hours in her professional career, and her net winnings currently stand at $163,385.

She mastered poker terminology and math early in her career and continues to improve by practicing regularly – “playing poker for fun,” as she describes on her Instagram profile. 

Her style of play, characterized by aggression, emotional manipulation, and timing, makes her easily recognizable among other players. She stirs things up at the table, throws her opponents off balance, and then snatches the win at the very last moment. She thrives in chaotic situations and often leans into controversy to throw her opponents off. Whether through unfiltered table talk, body language, or dramatic plays, she creates a stir that disrupts the game’s rhythm. 

She strategically uses this psychological edge. She strikes with sharp, decisive action once her opponents are rattled or distracted. Sashimi is unafraid to make big bluffs and place massive bets if she senses weakness. This fearless style sometimes leads to volatility, but it also makes her a dangerous opponent, as her moves can’t be easily predicted.

“Wardrobe malfunction” at HCL – the controversy that brought fame into Sashimi Poker’s life

Sashimi Poker is not unfamiliar with controversy and drama. The scandal that made her appear worldwide on front pages occurred in 2022 – a story that made headlines not only in the poker world but also on non-poker-related websites, such as The Sun and Daily Mail. 

In late 2022, Sashimi Poker participated in Hustler Casino Live’s event, Max Pain Monday, a new poker reality show that some people believe is more about entertainment and drama than the actual poker itself, generating views and using female players to create drama and attract even more attention. In the infamous live stream episode, Sashimi appeared wearing a prosthetic body suit and fake breasts that slipped out of the sheer top that she was wearing while other players were trying to concentrate on the game. 

The male opponents were visibly distracted by the scene, and the match commentator seemed uncomfortable. 

“Sashimi, come on, please. I’m looking away from the screen right now – are you, guys? Sashimi, come on, please” – he was heard saying on the live stream.

This creative— and perhaps not entirely ethical —method of trying to distract her opponents caused a stir in the poker world and on social media. Some fans found the scene amusing and viewed it as a light-hearted joke. In contrast, others criticized her actions, saying this tasteless attempt to gain an unfair advantage over the others is demeaning to female players in poker. It also did not help the situation that a newcomer in Max Pain Mondey called Tao called out Sashimi saying “she is old” and “sucks at poker” – which Sashimi Poker reacted with quote tweeting Tao’s video and calling her a slur. 

This controversy arose at a particularly inopportune time for the female poker community and Hustler Casino Live, as it occurred just a few months after the scandal involving Robbi Jade Lew and Garrett Adelstein. Adelstein accused Lew of cheating in an episode of HCL after she pulled a controversial move that made no sense in the eyes of poker professionals. She later denied these accusations but refunded Adelstein’s $135,000 winnings. Hustler’s third-party investigation also concluded that there was, in fact, “no evidence of wrongdoing,” but the poker community remains split over the matter. 

Women in a male-oriented field – female poker controversies

There have been many dramas and controversies involving female players and women in the poker world, further sparking debates about sexism, professionalism, and ethics in the game. Examples of these controversies, other than Sashimi’s and Lew’s case, involve Vanessa Kade’s stand against racism, Molly Bloom’s illegal poker games, and a male player entering and winning a ladies’ tournament. Let’s take a look at these controversial cases!

Vanessa Kade’s stand against racism

In November 2024, Canadian professional poker player Vanessa Kade criticized CoinPoker for hiring Benjamin “Bencb789” Rolle, a $100,000 WCOOP champion, as their ambassador, whom she labeled an “overt sexist.” She was referring to his previous opinion shared on his social media account about men having an inherent advantage at poker and calling out women who spoke up on the matter.

“Also, I find it very concerning how women are throwing around terms like sexist, racist, and misogynist. You are trivializing these terms for people who are real victims. You are inflating their use, making it harder for people to speak up and address issues. This is what is happening in 2024: the moment you don’t like an opinion, you call it racist, sexist, or misogynistic without even knowing what these terms mean,” he wrote in his tweet. 

Vanessa Kade’s comment started a conversation on social media about sexism in the poker world – or rather, a wave of negative comments insulting her under her post.

Molly Bloom’s illegal poker games

The controversial story of Molly Bloom, also known as the Poker Princess, is widely recognized within and outside the poker community. The story that put Bloom on the front pages was told in both her 2014 memoir and the 2017 biographical film about her life, titled “Molly’s Game”. Bloom, a former Olympic-level skier, helped organize high-stakes poker games in the United States, reportedly involving celebrities, such as actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, athletes, businessmen, and other wealthy individuals. The buy-ins to the games were often $250,000 or more, and the nights were organized in five-star hotels, with private chefs, bodyguards, and exclusive guest lists. 

In 2013, the FBI launched an investigation into her case when they raided her poker operation as part of a larger crackdown on illegal gambling and Russian mob connections. She was found guilty, but was later sentenced to one year of probation and substantial fines. She later revealed in a podcast that she was involved with the mafia, threatened by an armed person who robbed her apartment and physically abused her. 

Man wins ladies’ tournament in Florida.

In 2023, a man named David Hughes won a $250 buy-in Ladies No-limit Hold’em tournament after netting $5,555 for the win. He exploited Florida’s anti-discrimination laws that forbid casinos from banning men from entering a women’s event. Some of his female opponents from the game took to social media to express their feelings about the unusual and somewhat unethical situation, with one of them saying, “While we appreciate the dead money, I wish men would get what these events stand for.”

That was not the first time a man entered and won a poker competition organized for women: in 2009, Abraham Korotki won the $300 buy-in Ladies No-limit Hold’em event. These cases sparked a debate in the poker world about the role of only-female tournaments, gender differences, and sexism in poker. 

Conclusion: More Than the Headlines

Sashimi Poker is undoubtedly a controversial figure in the modern poker scene, but there’s more to her than the headlines, rumours, and constant criticism (deserved or not). Beneath the surface, she is a sharp, aggressive player with a deep understanding of poker theory and a unique ability to manipulate table dynamics.

Love or criticize her, one thing’s clear: Sashimi Poker has carved out a space for herself in a male-dominated industry.