Yukinori Kojima is a Japanese poker player who claimed the biggest result of his career at APPT Korea 2026, winning the Super High Roller at Paradise City Incheon in South Korea . Mounting a remarkable comeback from a short stack, Kojima defeated Kotaro Kurotaki in a two-and-a-half-hour heads-up battle to claim KRW 95,534,000 (~USD 70,782) and his first major title.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

Kojima’s career-best live score of KRW 95,534,000 (~USD 70,782) came from winning the APPT Korea 2026 Super High Roller at Paradise City Incheon , South Korea (according to The Hendon Mob). Runner-up Kotaro Kurotaki collected the second-place prize after an extended heads-up duel that lasted over two and a half hours.

Biography & Poker Background

Based in Japan , Kojima competes on the Asian live circuit with the APPT Korea 2026 Super High Roller marking a significant breakthrough result. He came into the final table as one of the shorter stacks and mounted a sustained comeback, making it increasingly difficult for opponents to read his game with a deliberately unpredictable approach.

Speaking after the win, Kojima described his heads-up strategy: “I tried to keep my mind blank while still thinking - I focused on playing in a way that made it impossible for my opponent to read what I was thinking. So I think there were some pretty tricky plays.” On what comes next, he was measured: “There isn’t anything in particular; I just want to keep challenging myself in big tournaments going forward.”

Play Style & Strategy

Kojima’s APPT Korea Super High Roller performance was defined by resilience and deliberate unpredictability. After coming from a short stack, he outlasted a competitive final table before engaging in a marathon heads-up battle against Kotaro Kurotaki - a player who had built a dominant chip lead earlier in the day. Kojima’s self-described approach of making his thought process unreadable proved decisive, with a series of tricky plays in the heads-up that wore down Kurotaki over more than two hours of play. The match was decided when Kojima’s pocket queens held against Kurotaki’s pocket eights, ending a back-and-forth battle.

Social Media & Online Presence

• The Hendon Mob Profile