Japan Open Poker Tour(JOPT)

Last Updated on October 6, 2026 by Bala Kumar

In 2011, few would have believed a homegrown series could one day draw more than 4,500 entries into a single Main Event. Today the Japan Open Poker Tour does exactly that. In 2026 alone, seven completed stops have produced 13,120 Main Event entries, and JOPT has become one of Japan’s largest live poker tournament series, with its own unique entry system.

This guide covers how JOPT works and how to enter, plus the latest JOPT schedule, JOPT results and JOPT winners, updated every season.

What Is the Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT)?

JOPT, short for Japan Open Poker Tour, is a live poker tournament in Japan that runs several festivals a year. Each festival, usually called a “stop”, has its own Main Event plus a large schedule of side events covering Hold’em, Omaha and mixed games. The season builds towards the JOPT Grand Final in Tokyo.

JOPT Tokyo is the tour’s home base, but stops such as JOPT Osaka, JOPT Sapporo and JOPT Fukuoka have grown into major festivals too, and Nagoya and the Kansai area hosted stops in earlier seasons. Every stop is a self-contained festival, so you can play one without committing to the whole tour.

JOPT History: From 2011 to Thousands of Entries

The official archive goes back to Season 1 in September 2011, when separate Main Events ran in Tokyo and Osaka. Through most of the 2010s the tour grew steadily, with Main Event fields typically between 100 and 400 players, plus occasional stops in Nagoya, Kyoto and even overseas.

Around 2022 the tour moved from season numbers to year-based branding, and that is roughly when the boom hit. JOPT Main Event field sizes from the official winners archive show how dramatic it was:

Several stops tripled or nearly quadrupled their fields between 2023 and 2024, and the 2025 Grand Final’s 4,525 entries is the largest Main Event in the archive. Some milestones worth knowing: KONISHI Kaito became the youngest Main Event champion at 17 (Osaka #03, 2023), and TaeQ became the first Korean player to win a JOPT Main Event (2026 Grand Final).

JOPT Ticket System: How the Japan Open Poker Tour Works

JOPT uses a ticket-based system that differs from conventional international poker tournaments. Main Event entry can involve JOPT tickets plus a yen fee, while prize and entry structures vary by event. Players should check the official Players Guide for the specific stop.

Here is how it works in practice, based on official JOPT announcements:

Tickets and entry rights are won in live satellites held at poker rooms across Japan, plus online and other qualifying routes. The Main Event is listed in each Players Guide as a number of tickets plus a yen fee. Tokyo #03 in October 2026, for example, lists “3 Tickets + ¥8,000” for a 50,000-chip stack.

Direct buy-in has ended. Earlier in 2026 some stops also offered a direct cash buy-in for the Main Event (Osaka #01 listed “3 Tickets + ¥7,000 or ¥120,000”). JOPT has announced that from Sapporo #02 (September 18, 2026) onward, direct buy-in is no longer accepted for the Main Event or for side events that accept Main Event tickets. You now need to qualify. This is the most important thing to know about the JOPT Main Event buy-in today.

New “Main Event entry rights” from 2027 Tokyo #01. Rights issued for the 2027 Tokyo #01 Main Event onward are a personal right to enter a specified Main Event. According to JOPT, they have no monetary face value and no discount function, and must be used by the person who won them.

Side events are entered at the venue by paying the listed fee. Payment methods listed on recent guides include cash (JPY), credit card and e-money.

Prizes: prize structures, trophies and any player contracts or awards are explained on the official “About Prize” page and in each Players Guide. Read these before you play, because they differ from what many international players are used to.

JOPT Main Event

The Main Event is the centrepiece of every stop and the title every player wants. Here is what to expect:

Starting stack: recent Main Events have started players with 50,000 chips.

Entry: tickets or entry rights plus a yen fee. Direct buy-in is no longer accepted from Sapporo #02 (September 2026) onward.

Day 1 flights: usually four live flights over two days, typically a morning flight, an evening flight and a turbo flight, so you can pick the one that suits your schedule.

Online and international qualification: recent stops have added online Day 1 flights and qualifying flights outside Japan. These are qualification routes with their own dates, so check the Players Guide carefully.

Late registration: live Day 1 flights generally allow registration until around Level 9.

Day 2 and Day 3: survivors from every flight combine on Day 2, and most Main Events conclude on Day 3. Smaller stops can be shorter: the first Fukuoka Main Event in 2026 used a two-day format.

Field size: in 2026, Tokyo Main Events drew 3,241 and 3,330 entries and the Grand Final 2,816, while regional stops drew between 757 (Sapporo #01) and 1,179 (Fukuoka #01).

JOPT Satellites: How to Qualify

A JOPT satellite is the cheapest way into the biggest events, and the satellite ecosystem is a big part of what makes the tour so accessible.

Partner-room satellites: poker rooms all over Japan run live satellites that award JOPT tickets. The official site keeps a satellite calendar, and searching “#JOPT” on social media is a quick way to find one near you.

Online qualification: recent stops have offered online Main Event Day 1 flights on JOPT’s official app, letting players start their run from a phone. Tokyo #02 in 2026, for example, ran 14 Day 1 flights across live, international and online routes.

International qualifying flights: some stops have included qualifying flights abroad, such as in South Korea.

On-site satellites: during each festival, satellites into bigger side events run daily, commonly at ratios like 1-in-12 (one seat for every twelve entries). Late-night satellites are a popular way to reach high-buy-in events the next day.

After you qualify: bring your tickets to the venue, register for your chosen Main Event flight, and keep any receipts or QR codes the venue issues. Using a JOPT Main Event satellite early also gives you the freedom to pick the most convenient Day 1.

How to Enter JOPT: Step by Step

1.         Choose your stop and events. Check the official schedule and decide which Main Event flight and side events fit your trip.

2.         Qualify for the Main Event. Win tickets or entry rights through satellites or online qualifiers. Direct buy-in is no longer available.

3.         Check side-event fees and late registration. Each event closes registration at a set level, usually somewhere between Level 4 and Level 10.

4.         Register at the venue. Bring the ID required by the official entry guide.

5.         Play your Day 1 flight.

6.         Bag and return. Survivors from all flights combine on Day 2, and the event usually finishes on Day 3.

Can Foreigners Play JOPT?

Yes. If you are wondering can foreigners play JOPT, the answer is a clear yes. International players compete at every stop, and qualifying flights have been held outside Japan. JOPT publishes Main Event entry guides in English, Korean and Simplified Chinese. Read the guide for your stop before you travel, especially the parts on registration, ID and how tickets work.

JOPT Venues and Locations

Practical tip: book accommodation within walking distance. JOPT schedules run late, with hyper turbos and satellites often starting around 2:00 to 3:00 a.m.

JOPT Poker Games and Tournament Formats

The range of JOPT poker games is one of the tour’s biggest strengths. No-Limit Hold’em dominates, but JOPT has one of the deepest mixed-game lineups you will find in Asia.

No-Limit Hold’em: Main Event, Deepstack, Superstack, Megastack, Monsterstack, Mystery Bounty, Progressive Bounty, Tag Team, 3-on-3, Heads-Up, 6-max, Hyper and Turbo formats, plus the JOPT Ladies Championship.

Pot-Limit Omaha: PLO, 5-Card PLO, PLO 6+, PLO Hi/Lo, Double Board Bomb Pots, PLO Heads-Up and Tag Team.

Mixed and draw games: 10-Game MIX, T.O.R.S.E., 2-7 Triple Draw & Badugi, 2-7 Single Draw, 6-Card Archie, Triple Stud and Dealer’s Choice.

JOPT Buy-ins: Typical Ranges

JOPT buy-ins change by stop, but recent schedules follow a clear ladder:

A recreational player can build a full festival around the low tier, while bigger events usually offer satellites so you can take a cheaper shot at them.

JOPT Strategy Tips

Good JOPT tournament strategy starts with understanding who you are playing against.

Use your stack early. A 50,000-chip starting stack leaves room to play patiently before antes build up. There is no need to gamble in the first few levels.

Expect a mixed-skill field. Huge entry counts mean lots of inexperienced players. Solid, value-heavy poker beats fancy bluffs on Day 1.

Pressure the bubble. Players who qualified through satellites often tighten up near the money because the event means a lot to them. Well-timed aggression works.

Adjust for format. Turbos and hypers reward a clear push/fold plan. In bounty events, calling a little wider to win a bounty is often correct, especially against short stacks.

Pick your flight by energy. If you have flown in from another time zone, a later or turbo flight can be the better choice.

JOPT Live Stream

Want to follow the action without playing? The official JOPT live stream coverage is published on the tour’s official YouTube channel, with Main Event and final table coverage from major festivals, and the official website features live-stream content during events. Past streams stay available, which makes them a useful study tool for seeing how strong players handle deep runs in large live fields.

Notable JOPT Champions

Part 2: Current Season – Schedule, Results & Winners

Last updated: October 6, 2026. Data from official JOPT announcements and results. This section is refreshed after every stop.

JOPT 2026 Schedule

Here is the full JOPT 2026 schedule with the status of every stop.

JOPT Upcoming Events

Note that the tour names each stop by season, so the festival starting on December 24, 2026 is officially 2027 Tokyo #01.

Next Stop: JOPT Tokyo #03 (October 8–12, 2026)

For anyone searching JOPT Tokyo 2026, the official Players Guide lists 126 events over five days at Bellesalle Takadanobaba. Main Event entry is listed as 3 tickets + ¥8,000 for 50,000 chips.

Qualification routes vary, so online and international flights should not be treated as standard live Day 1s. Side events range from a ¥3,000 Sit & Go to the ¥500,000 NLH Platinum, with the Ladies Championship (¥30,000) on the final day.

JOPT 2026 Results

The latest Japan Open Poker Tour results for the current season:

JOPT 2026 Season by the Numbers

Recent rule changes to know:

•           Direct buy-in for the Main Event ended from Sapporo #02 (September 18, 2026).

•           New Main Event entry rights apply from 2027 Tokyo #01.

•           JOPT has also said that Main Event tickets issued at 2026 Sapporo #01 cannot be used at 2027 Sapporo #01, even though the printed expiry date is January 31, 2027.

JOPT Grand Final

The Grand Final is the season’s flagship festival in Tokyo and usually runs over the late-April to early-May holiday period. The 2026 edition ran April 24 to May 6, and its Main Event drew 2,816 entries, won by TaeQ. The 2025 Grand Final set the all-time record of 4,525 entries, won by mkhope.

JOPT Schedule Archive

2026: Tokyo #01, Sapporo #01, Osaka #01, Grand Final, Tokyo #02, Fukuoka #01, Sapporo #02, Tokyo #03, Osaka #02

2025: Tokyo #01 (Dec 30, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025), Sapporo #01 (Feb 21–24), Osaka #01 (Mar 19–23), Grand Final (Apr 25 – May 6), Tokyo #02 (Jul 17–21), Sapporo #02 (Sep 12–15), Tokyo #03 (Oct 9–13), Osaka #02 (Oct 30 – Nov 3)

2024: Tokyo #01 (Jan 4–8), Sapporo #01 (Feb 22–25), Osaka #01 (Feb 23–25), Grand Final (Apr 26 – May 5), Tokyo #02 (Jul 11–15), Sapporo #02 (Sep 13–16), Tokyo #03 (Oct 10–14), Osaka #02 (Nov 1–4)

2023: Tokyo #01 (Jan 5–9), Osaka #01 (Mar 10–12), Grand Final (May 1–7), Tokyo #02 (Jul 14–17), Osaka #02 (Jul 28–30), Tokyo #03 (Oct 5–9), Osaka #03 (Nov 2–5)

Add 2027 here as the season progresses.

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