Poker in Japan:
Live, Cashgames, Tournaments

gambling for real money in Japan in with 126.860.000 inhabitants, is only allowed in casinos or poker rooms.

Just in official casinos in are real money tournaments of Texas Hold'em permitted, because according to legislation in Japan poker is a game of luck. On this site we show you all the various ways to play poker in Japan and inform you about the legal framework in .

We show you how and where you can play Poker Japan

Popular Cities to play Poker in Japan

Poker Cash Games can meet in and therefore as well in Japan the element of the offence of illegal gambling. Poker players can be condemned based on these laws if one organizes public gambling or participates in it.

Is poker in defined as a game of chance?

There is still no standardized ruling whether poker is a game of chance or not. However the jurisdiction in Japan and therefore also in Japan defines poker as a game of luck. The difference is that national casinos in have a authorisation. Playing poker there is ok.

Poker in bars in Japan

Caution pubs & hosts! There is high risk of losing the official permission to operate a restaurant in Japan if you make yourself liable to prosecution.

Summary

  • Poker cash games are generally not legal in Japan and therefore also in Japan.
  • The casinos in Japan have a authorisation.
  • Mostly it is very tricky for the authorities in Japan to evidence prohibited gambling.
  • Tournaments are considered a game of skill, cash games a game of luck

Please note that the information provided does not constitute legal advice under the law and cannot replace legal advice, as such advice always requires knowledge of all individual circumstances, in particular of the specific individual case.

Cashgames: Real money poker games in Japan

Attention: Cash games are not allowed in Japan. If you still want to join poker games for cash in Japan, you will have to use casinos & poker clubs and poker rooms in the near area. Please read carefully the information on Home Games if you are searching for more alternatives.

  • Natural8
    Natural8
    Cash Games
    • Online
    • NLH
    • PLO
    4.9
    Limits
    $0.01/ $0.02
    up to $200/$500
    Players
    5032
  • WPT Global
    WPT Global
    Cash Games
    • Online
    • NLH
    • PLO
    4.9
    Limits
    $0.01/ $0.02
    up to $30/$60
    Players
    845
  • CoinPoker
    CoinPoker
    Cash Games
    • Online
    • NLH
    • PLO
    4.8
    Limits
    $0.05/ $0.10
    up to $1,000/$2,000
    Players
    718

Poker tournaments in Japan

Poker tourneys in Japan are not a problem under specific conditions. These are allowed as long as there are prizes and not real money to be won. Furthermore, big poker tournaments are held often in ! Current tournaments can be found in the tournament calendar.

  • Every Sunday
    Zodiac Main Event ¥388, ¥500K GTD
    • online
    4.9
    Buyin
    ¥388
    Guarantee
    ¥500,000
  • Sundays
    Sunday Slam
    • online
    4.7
    Buyin
    $110
    Guarantee
    $50,000

Past Tournaments

  • ¥ 0 + 30,000 No Limit Hold'em - Platinum (Event #4)
    The Bagus Place, 13-Oct-2019
  • ¥ 0 + 5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Main Event (Event #3)
    The Bagus Place, 13-Oct-2019
  • ¥ 0 + 15,000 Pot Limit Omaha (Event #7)
    The Bagus Place, 12-Oct-2019
  • �� 0 + 15,000 No Limit Hold'em - Stars150 (Event #1)
    The Bagus Place, 11-Oct-2019
  • ¥ 30,000 No Limit Hold'em - WPT 300
    Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, 15-Sep-2019
  • ¥ 50,000 No Limit Hold'em - WPT Japan High Roller
    Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, 15-Sep-2019
  • ¥ 20,000 No Limit Hold'em - Saturday SuperStack
    Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, 14-Sep-2019
  • ¥ 20,000 No Limit Hold'em - WPT Japan Main Event
    Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, 31-Aug-2019
  • ¥ 0 + 15,000 Pot Limit Omaha - PLO (Event #7)
    The Bagus Place, 14-Jul-2019
  • ¥ 0 + 5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Main Event (Event #3)
    The Bagus Place, 13-Jul-2019

Poker Clubs: The best poker rooms in Japan

Additional alternatives are offered by the many poker clubs & poker rooms with in and around Japan. In Japan there is a colourful poker room landscape with various tournaments with non-cash prizes. Here is a helpful list:

Live poker in casinos near by Japan

In the city itself, there is no casino with poker floor. has its casinos mainly in smaller places and outside the city center. It is certainly fast to access them by car or public transport. The majority have on top an own shuttle service. In case you decide to go by your own car, all casinos offer generous parking lots for poker enthusiasts. Meanwhile, every casino in Japan often plans real money poker games. There are a lot of tournaments and poker events that you can enter. On our site you'll see a summary, organized by federal states, of all places running poker with their individual offering and all other facts. In the area of Japan you will get to minimum two casinos with reasonable travel times and good live poker games.

Casinos, Poker Rooms & Venues offering Poker in Japan

  • A Muse ( Website )
    Japan, 〒150-0031 Tōkyō-to, Shibuya-ku, Sakuragaokachō, 3−22
  • AAA'sRestaurant & Bar ( Website )
    Japan, 〒330-0845 Saitama-ken, Saitama-shi, Ōmiya-ku, Nakachō, 2 Chome−41 KETYビル
  • Akiba Guild ( Website )
    Japan, 〒101-0021 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−11−6
  • Amusement Bar Poker Face ( Website )
    Fukuoka Prefecture Kitakyushu City 8 - 16, Azabu 21 Building 9 Floor 802 - 0081
  • Amusement Bar Zeus ( Website )
    Japan, 〒530-0003 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Kita-ku, Dōjima, 1 Chome−3−1
  • Amusement Casino JiQoo ( Website )
    25-3 Kabukicho 1-chome, Shinjuku, Tokyo
  • Amusement Peaks Billiard & Cafe ( Website )
    Japan, 〒733-0037 Hiroshima-ken, Hiroshima-shi, Nishi-ku, Nishikanonmachi, 1−23
  • Back Door Bar ( Website )
    Prosperita Nishinakasu ⅡJapan〒810-0002 Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Chūō-ku, Nishinakasu, 1−4
  • BaneBAGUS
    Kaleid Shibuya Miya Masuzaka B1 Shibuya Ward , Shibuya- ku, 150-0002 Tokyo
  • Cafe & Bar Liiink ( Website )
    Japan, Mie Prefecture, Yokkaichi, Suwasakaemachi, 4−9
  • Casino & Bar Paraja ( Website )
    Japan, 〒104-0061 Tōkyō-to, Chūō-ku, Ginza, 6 Chome−3−15 長谷ビルⅡ
  • Casino Apollo Yotsuya ( Website )
    Japan, 〒160-0006 Tōkyō-to, Shinjuku-ku, Funamachi, 舟町ビル
  • Casino Stadium Tokyo (Shinjuku)
    東京都新宿区西新宿7-10-20 第一日新ビル4階 Shinjuku 160-0023
  • Club 46 ( Website )
    Japan, 〒107-0062 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Minamiaoyama, 3 Chome−2−7 ブラック青山
  • Corner Pocket ( Website )
    Japan, 〒111-0042 Tōkyō-to, Taitō-ku, Kotobuki, 3 Chome−9−5

Best Poker Players from Japan

The following list shows you the Top 10 poker players with the highest tournament winnings from Japan.

Homegames: Pokern for real money in Japan in private locations

In Japan the judisdiction of the federal state applies. In order to play legal poker home games in Japan you must be aware of the following:

Do you play publicly?

The poker game needs to be played in public to be criminal liable. A poker game is public after the jurisdiction in , if "it is made outwardly recognizably accessible to a not firmly closed circle of acquaintances". An example of this is the poker for high stakes of money in Japan's bars, which usually anyone can join. This is illegal.

How often does the homegame take place in Japan?

Even a closed society can be considered public in according to § 285 II StGB, if gambling takes place there according to law.If the round takes place regulardy, it is illegal in private rooms in Japan as well as in public. So, if money games are hosted for every week on the same day, it does not matter if it is a private room or not. Both are illegal.

The best Online Poker Rooms in comparison

If you are looking for a fast way to play poker in Japan, we can advise online poker. There are some well known poker platforms where you can poker for real cash. After many years of online poker history, several providers proofed themselfes as the most trustful and consistent. We strongly recommend creating an account with these poker platforms and playing poker there. The poker games on offer are great, the choice is extensive, the player pool is numerous and the rake is not too high. Poker-in.com lists the most important and best providers in comparison.

 updated: 28.03.2024
 –  of  of the best online poker sites compared
Comparison Winner
AEG VX9-2-ÖKO
AEG VX9-2-ÖKO AEG VX9-2-ÖKO AEG VX9-2-ÖKO AEG VX9-2-ÖKO AEG VX9-2-ÖKO
1. GG Poker 2. WPT Global 3. 888poker.jp 4. Coinpoker 5. Betsson 6. Unibet
ggpoker
Our Rating Very Good
wptglobal.com
Our Rating Very Good
888poker.jp
Our Rating Very Good
coinpoker
Our Rating Good
betsson
Our Rating Good
unibet
Our Rating Good
Top Rating
Top Rating
Top Rating
Top Rating
Good Rating
Good Rating
Sign Up Bonus Up to $600
New Players only
Up to $1,200
New Players only
Up to $200
New Players only
Up to ₮700
New Players only
Up to €100
New Players only
Up to $500
New Players only
Amount

Up to $600

Up to $1,200

Up to $200

Up to ₮700

Up to €100

Up to $500
Sign Up Bonus
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