Asia’s impressive World Series of Poker continued overnight with Japan winning just the second WSOP gold bracelet in their history.
Takahiro Nakai, from Osaka, outlasted a massive field of 2,497 players to win the US$1,000 No Limit Hold’em event and a first prize of US$399,039. Incredibly, the 36-year-old played his first ever WSOP event only last week when he cashed in the Draftkings 50/50.
Japan’s only other WSOP bracelet came three years ago when Naoya Kihara won the US$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event.
Nakai emerged victorious after an epic heads up battle with New York’s Mel Weiner that had to be paused overnight before the pair returned yesterday. Weiner, 73, was chasing his second gold bracelet after winning his first 19 years ago in a No Limit Hold’em event at Binion’s in 1996.
