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Shion Sakamoto is a Japanese poker player who claimed a career-defining result at APPT Korea 2026, winning Event #5 — the KRW 900,000 Mystery Bounty — at Paradise City Incheon in South Korea on September 6, 2026. He collected KRW 28,890,000 in prize money and added a further KRW 12,350,000 in bounty prizes after racking up 11 knockouts on his way to the title.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
Sakamoto's career-best live score came from winning the APPT Korea 2026 Event #5: KRW 900,000 Mystery Bounty at Paradise City Incheon, South Korea (according to The Hendon Mob). The KRW 150,000,000 guaranteed event attracted 246 entries, generating a total prize pool of KRW 191,300,000. Sakamoto took home KRW 28,890,000 (~USD 21,265) in prize money plus KRW 12,350,000 (~USD 9,175) in bounties — a total haul exceeding KRW 40,000,000.
Biography & Poker Background
Based in Japan, Sakamoto is a tournament player who competes on the Asian live circuit, with APPT Korea 2026 marking his most prominent result to date. He came into the Mystery Bounty final day as one of the shorter stacks among the 37 survivors, having bagged just 174,000 chips at the end of his starting flight. From there, he steadily built his stack and held the chip lead for much of the final table, eliminating seven of the remaining players himself. Runner-up was Masataka Ueda, with Kyota Henzan finishing third.
Speaking after the win, Sakamoto described his approach simply: "I tried to focus on every single hand, and I don't want to waste my chips, even if I am chip leader."
Play Style & Strategy
Sakamoto is a tournament player with experience across the Asian live circuit. His APPT Korea Mystery Bounty win — turning a short stack on Day 2 into a wire-to-wire chip lead across the final table, while accumulating 11 bounties along the way — demonstrated both composure under pressure and an aggressive approach to eliminations that defined his run to the title.
Social Media & Online Presence
About the Editor
Callum Jury is Somuchpoker's Live Content and Social Media Specialist, reporting live from WSOP and Asia Pacific poker festivals including the APT and PokerStars LIVE series. Originally from the Lake District in the UK, he has covered the Southeast Asian poker circuit since 2025, combining day-by-day tournament reporting with the social and digital content that brings the action to fans.