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Naoya Kihara is a Japanese professional poker player based in Tokyo who holds a unique and growing place in the history of the game. In 2012 he became the first Japanese player ever to win a World Series of Poker bracelet - and in June 2026, he claimed his second and third in the same week, winning back-to-back $10,000 Championship events at the WSOP to join one of the rarest clubs in poker history. A mixed game specialist with over $3.1 million in live earnings, Kihara stands alone at the summit of Japan’s all-time bracelet leaderboard.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
With total live tournament earnings exceeding $3,135,873 across 110 recorded cashes (according to The Hendon Mob), Kihara holds three WSOP gold bracelets and 10 WSOP final tables. His career-best live cash of $639,257 came from a 3rd-place finish in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship at the 2022 WSOP.
Notable results include:
- June 2026: 1st place in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship at the WSOP for $301,970 - his third career bracelet, won three days after his second.
- June 2026: 1st place in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship at the WSOP for $428,923 - his second bracelet, secured after recovering from a single chip.
- July 2022: 3rd place in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship at the WSOP for $639,257 - his career-best cash.
- June 2022: 5th place in the $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship at the WSOP for $73,453.
- June 2022: 3rd place in the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice at the WSOP for $52,282.
- June 2012: 1st place in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed at the WSOP for $512,029 - his first bracelet and the first WSOP bracelet won by a Japanese player in history.
Biography & Poker Background
Born in 1982 and based in Tokyo, Kihara came up through the online poker world in the mid-to-late 2000s before transitioning to live tournament play. In the years before his children were born he played deep into the night to overlap with peak traffic in European and American time zones - a schedule he later adjusted to prioritise family life. He has spoken openly about balancing poker with fatherhood, describing it as a deliberate choice to remain actively involved in his children’s upbringing even at the cost of his tournament schedule.
His 2012 WSOP breakthrough made international headlines, with ESPN covering the significance of a Japanese player claiming the first bracelet for his country. The win was widely seen as a potential catalyst for a poker boom in Japan.
For over a decade after that first bracelet, Kihara continued to perform at the highest level in mixed game events without adding a second title. His standout 2022 summer - three mixed game final tables including a third in the Poker Players Championship - kept him among the most respected names in that corner of the game. Then at the 2026 WSOP, after nearly walking away from tournament poker entirely, he produced back-to-back Championship victories in the span of three days. Winning consecutive $10K Championship bracelets puts him in the company of just five other players in WSOP history: Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, Greg Merson, George Danzer, and Jason Mercier. With three bracelets, he now stands clear of Ryutaro Suzuki and Shiina Okamoto as Japan’s most decorated WSOP player of all time.
Speaking after his second 2026 bracelet win, Kihara said he was 44 and had seriously considered retiring from tournament poker - but that the run had convinced him to play on for at least two or three more years.
Play Style & Strategy
Kihara is a mixed game specialist with particular strength in draw and stud formats. His three-cash summer at the 2022 WSOP and his 2026 back-to-back Championship wins demonstrate both an elite command of multiple disciplines and the composure to perform across a gruelling multi-week schedule. His recovery from a single chip in the 2-7 Lowball event before going on to win a second Championship days later is one of the most striking sequences of results in recent WSOP history.
Social Media & Online Presence
Originally from the Lake District, UK, I’ve spent the last few years living and breathing the Southeast Asian poker circuit. Since 2025, I’ve been a fixture on the floor at the APT, PokerStars, and WSOP events, serving as a lead reporter and media specialist for Somuchpoker. My work is about more than just recording action; I manage the social media and digital content that brings action rail to the fans. By combining a business education and creative background, I aim to look past the technical hand histories to capture the actual human grit and drama that happens during a deep run.
