The 2026 World Series of Poker has already witnessed an impressive performance from Naoya Kihara, the Japanese former pro who won two bracelet events back to back earlier this month.
And with Shiina Okamoto returning to try and defend her two consecutive Ladies Championship wins, the stars of Japanese poker are well represented at this year’s World Series.
But fans of the game in the land of the rising sun — especially those who don’t speak English — have not always been well catered to when it comes to watching the action from Las Vegas.
That’s changing this week thanks to a new broadcast agreement that will see WSOP coverage available on Abema, a streaming TV network in Japan.
Shiina Okamoto has become one of Japan's biggest poker stars.Japanese commentary included
The first content to be made available, including Japanese commentary, is likely to be Day 2 of the Ladies Championship on Saturday (Friday in the US — note that Japan is 16 hours ahead of Las Vegas).
Coverage is set to continue throughout July, including the final day of the $1K Mystery Millions and the $5K 6-Max event, while the run to the final table of the Main Event is also expected to be available in daily streams.
The news comes hot on the heels of a new app available in Japan that allows players to qualify online for major WSOP and APT events.
Poker in Japan faces some unique challenges, with most tournaments unable to pay out real cash prizes. But the rapid rise of poker across Asia is undeniable, as so clearly seen recently at many record-breaking stops on the Asian Poker Tour.
The wider availability of native-language poker content for fans of the game across Japan can only be a good thing for the continued growth of the game. Find out more at Abema.
