button in SafariKNT and nakaji04 Lead the Way After Big Turnout for Day 1a in Tokyo
The second-ever cooperation between the RunGood Poker Series and the Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT) brought with it the 2026 RGPS Passport Japan and the first of six starting days was a roaring success at Belle Salle Takadanobaba near the bustling Shinjuku in the centre of Tokyo. Officially dubbed as NLH Colossus Sponsored by RunGood Passport, the ¥15,000 (~$95) buy-in drew a field of 548 entries for Day 1a of which 82 players advanced after 13 levels of 30 minutes each.
After the final hands of the night, the two chip leaders were separated by only a fraction of a big blind as KNT (807,000) and nakaji04 (805,000) separated themselves from the rest of the pack for now. Third in chips was a player with the alias "tact" who also nearly increased their starting stack twenty-fold to 585,000. Wareme-chan was among the early chip leaders and maintained that feat to claim 450,000 to their name for the final day.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KNT | Japan | 807,000 | 135 |
| 2 | nakaji04 | Japan | 805,000 | 134 |
| 3 | tact | Japan | 585,000 | 98 |
| 4 | Wareme-chan | Japan | 450,000 | 75 |
| 5 | kazuki1 | Japan | 445,000 | 74 |
| 6 | ranponokage | Japan | 420,000 | 70 |
| 7 | Nica | Japan | 380,000 | 63 |
| 8 | kiyu2025 | Japan | 353,000 | 59 |
| 9 | maaku@HUCK | Japan | 348,000 | 58 |
| 10 | tsukune0712 | Japan | 311,000 | 52 |
It was an incredibly busy third day of the 2026 JOPT Grand Final with almost all tables in the vast tournament area used for one of the several tournaments running today, which also included a Tournament for Kids as well. The action kicked off with six tables in play but the field size grew by the minute from thereon.
Two-time WSOP Ladies Event gold bracelet winner and JOPT ambassador Shiina Okamoto was in the room for various photo shoots but didn't enter the fray, nor did defending champion Jun "Misawa" Obara who arrived just after the end of the late registration to jump into another Side Event soon after that.
One year ago, the very same tournament attracted a field of 1,585 entries with a larger buy-in of ¥25,000 (~$175) and that attendance will likely be smashed in the next three days as another five flights are scheduled until April 29, 2026. Some key details are however already known. According to the current Japanese regulations for live poker, the prize pool and payout information has to be submitted for approval prior to the start of the event already and it equals $89,159.06 with the top 199 spots paid.
Two flights are scheduled for tomorrow on Monday, April 27, 2026, with Day 1b scheduled to commence at 11 a.m. local time whereas Day 1c follows at 4 p.m. local time. Both feature the same 13 levels of 30 minutes each with the late registration open until the end of level nine.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be back then to bring you as many of the exciting hands from Belle Salle Takadanobaba.