As expected, the late stages of the registration period saw a further boost for the turbo heat which bumped the size up to 332 entries for the final level of entry and re-entry with some 200 players remaining.
In the meanwhile, Day 1c is the verge of ending the action tonight as only around 15 minutes are left on the clock with six tables remaining.
With around 100,000 in the middle to the 9♥7♥2♦8♠ turn, yukine and her table neighbour caught on a big move with 7♠4♥ for a pair of sevens only. yukine was out in front with the K♥K♦ and doubled for massive 241,000 once the A♥ river ended the hand. Her opponent was left with fumes and they busted shortly after.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
590,000
355,000
|
355,000 |
Hinako raised to 15,000 and a shorter stack pushed all-in for 81,000 from the small blind. Ryuichiro asked for a count and reluctantly called from the big blind before Hinako then instantly moved all-in. Within a split second, Ryuichiro groaned and ultimately folded.
Small blind: J♣8♣ 
Hinako: A♥A♣
The 7♦3♠3♥J♠9♥ board brought no upset and Hinako joined the contenders for the Day 1c chip lead, of which there are half a dozen.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
570,000 | |
|
216,000 |
During the final hands of the night, Tatsuya was all-in preflop for 111,000 and rubbed his hands when he saw himself up and ahead with J♦J♣ against the A♠J♠ of Akira.
The A♦Q♠5♥ flop changed his mood momentarily, but happiness was restored on the J♥ turn via one-outer before the 4♦ river brought no further shenanigans.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
230,000 | |
|
150,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Fewer than 45 players have bagged up their chips at the end of the final three hands for the night and CHENG was the last casualty.
In the meanwhile, the turbo heat 1d is now in level 11 with an unofficial 357 entries and approximately 144 players remaining. However, both figures are subject to change and official confirmation. The turbo heat will play the current level and another four of 20 minutes each before bagging up their chips as well.
Assorted counts for Day 1c are to follow shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
613,000
138,000
|
138,000 |
|
||
|
|
604,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
601,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
|
589,000
589,000
|
589,000 |
|
|
572,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
551,000
551,000
|
551,000 |
|
519,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
|
|
503,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
|
457,000
457,000
|
457,000 |
|
|
418,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
|
381,000
381,000
|
381,000 |
|
348,000
348,000
|
348,000 |
|
338,000
338,000
|
338,000 |
|
336,000
191,000
|
191,000 |
|
|
329,000
329,000
|
329,000 |
|
|
314,000
49,000
|
49,000 |
|
313,000
52,000
|
52,000 |
|
309,000
229,000
|
229,000 |
|
299,000
299,000
|
299,000 |
|
292,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
|
269,000
269,000
|
269,000 |
|
|
242,000
242,000
|
242,000 |
|
|
234,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
|
226,000
226,000
|
226,000 |
|
|
213,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
613,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
604,000 | |
|
|
601,000 | |
|
|
589,000 | |
|
|
572,000 | |
|
|
551,000 | |
|
|
519,000 | |
|
|
503,000 | |
|
|
457,000 | |
|
|
418,000 | |
|
|
381,000 | |
|
|
348,000 | |
|
|
338,000 | |
|
|
336,000 | |
|
|
329,000 | |
|
|
314,000 | |
|
|
313,000 | |
|
|
309,000 | |
|
|
299,000 | |
|
|
292,000 | |
|
|
269,000 | |
|
|
242,000 | |
|
|
234,000 | |
|
|
226,000 | |
|
|
213,000 | |
The action started somewhat slow with the first tournament to kick off in the vast space of La Belle Salle in Shinjuku being the third and penultimate flight of the 2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Japan, but a handful of tables soon turned into frantic live poker action in Japan. By the time the room started to fill and other events of the 2025 Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT) kicked off, the sound of riffling chips and chatter dominated and Event #22 NLH Colossus by Mission RunGood continued to grow.
Ultimately, the last flight with a regular level structure of 35 minutes each reached another 406 entries to boost the inaugural partnership between two thriving live poker brands from opposite parts of the world to four figures. And with the evening flight adding nearly as many entries, the tournament can certainly be considered a smashing success with more than 1,500 total entries.
Once the dust had settled for Day 1c, a very close-knit final sprint for the lead ended upon six players within ten big blinds. Tomokatsu Kumano narrowly secured the top spot with 613,000 after securing two late double-ups, one of which was a bad beat of sorts with ace-queen versus ace-king preflop, as he pulled ahead of yukine (604,000) and Kei Okuda (601,000).
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomokatsu Kumano | Japan | 613,000 | 102 |
| 2 | yukine | Japan | 604,000 | 101 |
| 3 | Kei Okuda | Japan | 601,000 | 100 |
| 4 | Pon | Japan | 589,000 | 98 |
| 5 | Hinako | Japan | 572,000 | 95 |
| 6 | Tado | Japan | 551,000 | 92 |
| 7 | Yusuke | Japan | 519,000 | 87 |
| 8 | aki1022 | Japan | 503,000 | 84 |
| 9 | KJ | Japan | 457,000 | 76 |
| 10 | Jon | Japan | 418,000 | 70 |
yukine was also involved in the massive pots during the final level of the night when their pocket kings for an overpair held against seven-four for a move on just a pair of sevens with one card to go. Okuda came out on top of a similar clash when his opponent called down a turn jam with ace-jack high and couldn't catch up against his pocket kings. And Hinako, one of several women who advanced from Day 1c, notched up several knockouts in the last few levels culminating in aces beating jack-eight suited preflop.
This penultimate starting day certainly kicked off more rowdy than the first two flights with numerous eliminations in the first level alone, one particular table had three departures within a matter of minutes to showcase the rapid action. Among those who steadied their ship to a healthy stack thereafter were the likes of Yusuke (519,000), aki1022 (503,000), Jon (418,000), Yuya (348,000), and Ryuichiro (213,000).
Two players from South Korea advanced in Hoyeon (313,000) and Kyeonghwan (149,000) with the former knocking out three opponents within the same level. The last of these showdowns was certainly a highlight as an ordinary flip with pocket eights against ace-ten produced unbeatable quads on the turn.
In case you are wondering why most players use an alias, that's the default for the low and mid-stakes highlight of the year in Japan with the game ID solution, which powers the registration system, JOPT player contracts and Web Coin prize distribution. One player not needing introduction to the field was the official JOPT partner Junnosuke Taguchi, a very popular singer-songwriter, actor, model, and former member of the Japanese idol group KAT-TUN. Unfortunately, Taguchi didn't make it through Day 1c despite being perhaps the best-dressed participant in the entire room.
All those who bowed out early on Day 1c still had the chance to enter the turbo heat 1c as of 5 p.m. local time with a level duration of 20 minutes each, and the late registration closed with an unofficial number of 357 entries on top when no more entries were allowed for the ¥25,000 buy-in. The survivors of the turbo heat will join the 136 players who advanced across the first three flights and return on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, to play all the way down to the winner. The final chip counts for Day 1d and the Day 2 seat draw will be published later tonight or early in the morning when it has been provided by the JOPT.
Recommencing blinds for the final day will be 4,000-8,000 with a big blind ante of 8,000 and the level duration reverts to 30 minutes each with a break every four levels. The top 175 spots will earn a portion of $165,394.37 in prizes via JOPT player contracts, with the tally already set at the start of Day 1a according to Japanese gaming regulations. it will be an action-packed final day to determine the recipient of the first-ever RunGood ring outside of the United States and you can follow all of it right here on PokerNews.
$175 Colossus
Day 1cd Completed
