In the storied history of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), only a handful of players have managed to win the same bracelet event in consecutive years. Shiina Okamoto, of Japan, is one of them.
Prior to committing herself full-time to studying poker, Okamoto worked in investment banking and architecture. After discovering the game from a friend in her board game circle, Okamoto’s interest was immediately sparked. Eventually, she quit her job to pursue poker on a professional level.
Okamoto’s first experience playing poker in a casino setting came at the 2022 WSOP. While she failed to produce meaningful results, Okamoto later secured her first five-figure score thanks to a tenth-place finish in the €2,100 No Limit Hold’em event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) stop in Barcelona.
Then, at the 2023 WSOP, Okamoto properly introduced herself to the poker world by navigating her way through a 1,295-entrant field to claim the runner-up prize in the $1,000 Ladies Championship. The following year, Okamoto returned to the WSOP and improved on her prior finish in the Ladies Championship – outlasting a 1,245-entrant field and defeating Jamie Kerstetter during heads-up play to claim her first bracelet.
In 2025, Okamoto did the unthinkable. After reaching the final table in the Ladies Championship for the third year in a row, Okamoto successfully defended her title. With the chip lead in hand to start the final frame of play, Okamoto kept her foot on the gas – defeating Heather Alcorn heads-up to win a second consecutive Ladies Championship bracelet.
Okamoto currently serves as an ambassador for both the Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT) and GTO Wizard.
