There’s no stopping Shiina Okamoto at the moment. After winning the WSOP Ladies bracelet for the second year running this summer, Shiina earned a fourth career title in a high roller at the Taiwan Millions last week for $16,425.
She also won the Female Player of the Series award and plans to return for more TMT championship events beginning October 17. Ahead of that, Shiina is playing poker in London for the first time at the PokerStars Women’s Summer Festival in London on August 12.
PokerOrg reached out to Shiina in Japan to discuss her reception by the media, her WSOP Main Event experience, and the growth of poker in her country.
How do you feel a few weeks removed from your iconic win defending your WSOP Ladies title this summer? Has it sunk in?
Honestly, I don’t have any new feelings even a few weeks out from it, because from the start of the final table, I believed I would win. It wasn’t that I was overly confident, but I tried to believe that outcome in order to stay calm and composed while playing.
How does it feel compared to the previous year’s win in the same event?
Last year, when I won after being runner-up the year before, I felt I was really lucky. But this year it went beyond that. I felt almost spiritual, like I might have been born under a lucky star.
What is one of the coolest comments a player shared with you after the WSOP Ladies win?
What made me so happy was a comment that said, “Shiina’s back-to-back win story is so unrealistic that it would be boring if it were turned into Manga.”
What kind of feedback did you receive from your tablemates when you sat down to play the WSOP Main Event?
Nothing too crazy, but many players congratulated me and asked to take photos together. I was really happy.
Did you find that your opponents were playing differently against you at that point since you are known more widely now?
I didn’t notice a big difference even after the win, but I did try to bluff a bit less and go for thin value more often. Many players tend to assume that female players don’t bluff much, and I used to adjust to that by bluffing more. But after the win, I didn’t feel like I’d still be perceived as a typical female player.
You're back home in Japan. Can you share anything about the reception you received once returning home?
Nothing special. I didn’t have a celebration party with my family or friends this year, since I was already congratulated a lot last year and the year before. Unfortunately, only a few Japanese media outlets covered me this year, even though I got a lot of attention last year.
Do you think poker will become more popular in Japan due to the popularity of you and Masato Yokosawa?
Yes. It is mainly thanks to Masato, but more and more female players have started playing poker partly because of me.
What kind of work do you think you need to do to take your game to the next level in your mind?
I’m not very confident in deep stack strategy, so I need to study cash games more.
What goals have you set for yourself for the rest of 2025?
I just want to get stronger so I can win not only in ladies’ events but also in open events.
You can follow Shiina on X and Instagram
