Land based events may be hard to come by in Asia but if you are in Japan next month and longing for some live table action, then you are in luck. Taking place from November 5 to 7 is an exciting new event, the Japan Poker Festival (JPF), which will be held at the Shinagawa Grand Hall in the bustling capital city of Tokyo. The three day series is a collaborative effort by the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association (CTP) and the Japanese Casino Industry (JCI). It brings together some of the most sought after events in Asia that have been compromised by the ongoing pandemic. Ten games fill the schedule with buy ins from JP￥3,000 (~US$ 25) to JP￥25,000 (~US$ 220). The lineup includes the Japan Millions Tournament which is a version of the highly popular Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT), the Asian Poker Tour Japan Special Tournament, and The Hendon Mob Championship. Headlining the festival is the JPF Main Event with ongoing qualifiers running until the end of October.
Japan Poker Festival Main Event
Much like the set up in Korea, to secure a seat to the JPF Main Event, players must win their entry ticket via qualifiers offered at accredited poker stores. Qualifiers have been running since the start of October and will run throughout the month. Players will be given one final chance to qualify on the festival’s opening day.
Date: November 5 to 7
Buy in: JP￥5,000 (~US$ 45)
Qualifiers: October 1 to 31 and November 5 (opening day)
Japan Millions Tournament
For the first time, the highly popular Taiwan Millions Tournament, a homegrown product by the CTP, will be taking a trip overseas. Since its inception in 2018, the event has seen attendance balloon with its latest Season 10 attracting 1,163 entries last January. For the upcoming event, the name has been branded Japan Millions Tournament to suit the festival. The champion will be awarded the special Taiwan handmade shield.
Date: November 7, 2021
Buy in: JP￥15,000 (~US$ 130
APT Japan Special Tournament
Through the years, one of Asia’s leading poker brands, the Asian Poker Tour, has built a strong following of Japanese players. Its sought after tours around the region have seen its Japanese attendance consistently rise. In 2019, the tour brought the popular series to Tokyo for the first ever APT Japan, however the following year it was canceled due to the ongoing global health crisis. For the upcoming JPF, players will get to experience the brand’s highly revered structure at the APT Japan Special Tournament which is the first event scheduled.
Date: November 5, 2021
Buy in: JP￥10,000 (~US$ 88)
The Hendon Mob Championship
The Hendon Mob, the largest poker player database in the world, joins the lineup with their brand of poker offered for the first time in Asia. The THM Championship (THMC) has only been held in different parts of Europe making its debut in Japan quite special. The upcoming event will run for two days.
Date: November 6 to 7
Buy in: JP￥25,000 (~US$ 220)
Other events
All Night Dragon – JP￥15,000
Midnight Bunny – JP￥10,000
WGPoker Japan Ladies – JP￥5,000
Big Bunny Festival – JP￥15,000
Super Midnight Gorilla – JP￥12,000
Tokyo Sports Turbo Tournament – JP￥8,000
Japan Poker Festival schedule
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in (JPY) |
| November 5, 2021, Friday | 17:00 | Japan Poker Festival Main Day 1 Last | 5,000 |
| 18:00 | #1: APT Japan Special Tournament | 10,000 | |
| 21:00 | #2: All Night Dragon | 15,000 | |
| 23:00 | #3: Midnight Bunny | 10,000 | |
| November 6, 2021, Saturday | 11:00 | Japan Poker Festival Main Day 2 | – |
| 11:30 | #4: The Hendon Mob Championship Japan Day 1 | 25,000 | |
| 17:00 | #5: WGPOKER Japan Ladies | 5,000 | |
| 20:30 | #6: Big Bunny Festival | 15,000 | |
| 23:00 | #7: Super Midnight Gorilla | 12,000 | |
| November 7, 2021, Sunday | 11:00 | Japan Poker Festival Main Day 3 Final | – |
| 11:00 | #4: The Hendon Mob Championship Japan Day 2 | – | |
| 11:00 | #8: Japan Millions Tournament (TMT JAPAN) | 15,000 | |
| 15:00 | #9: Tokyo Sports Turbo Tournament | 8,000 |
