Another fun-filled affair is in store for poker players geolocated in the Land of the Rising Sun as the internationally renowned World Poker Tour announces its awaited annual stop this 2022. Held previously in Tokyo, this year’s festivities will be taking place at yet an equally popular destination, Osaka, Japan. The special WPT event is set to play through in Osaka City Central Public Hall from August 12-14, 2022, running a similar format to its previous editions with players required to enter via live satellites or online qualifiers.
“This year’s event in Osaka will be part of the continued celebration of the 20th anniversary of World Poker Tour,” said Event Director Miyata Tatsumune. “We are proud to host this event at a venue that has been deeply involved in the development of culture and art in Osaka, and look forward to cementing poker as a new piece of that local culture.“
Last year’s WPT Japan saw a record-breaking turnout for its Main Event with champion Kimijima Shoki bagging the biggest score of the series after outlasting the 1,291-entry field. Shoki took home a WPT Passport worth $30,270 for the top prize in addition to the widely coveted trophy. The 2021 games stands to be the largest WPT Japan field in history, breaking the 1,000 entrant mark for the first time in five years whilst recording a 77% increase in attendees from its 2020 events.
“I am delighted that Japan’s enthusiasm for poker continues to thrive,” said Cathy Zhao, Senior Director of Global Tour Management. “Our partners in Japan have been instrumental in helping plan and execute these festivals.“
“Japan’s growing interest in poker is turning heads across the industry,” said Adam Pliska, World Poker Tour CEO. “We are proud to have set records at our previous event in Tokyo and our eyes are firmly set on new goals for this August.“
Having broken records for their events in the country 3 years in the running, a more extensive lineup of great value tournaments as well as bigger prize pools can be expected of this season’s festival. Specific details on WPT Osaka’s tournament schedule and prizes are yet to be released.
