Shiina Okamoto

Shiina Okamoto, without a doubt THE female poker player of the year 2025, is an oxymoron. Okamoto is a shattering gentleness. Rough silk. Her face exudes purity, yet her game is the exact opposite: brutally aggressive.

Watching her play gives a certain thrill, but it quickly turns uncomfortable if you put yourself in the shoes of her opponents. Anyone opening to 2,000 gets 3-bet to 12,000 by the Japanese player.

A player attempts a 12,000 raise on the flop, only to get re-raised to 28,000 right in the face. In six observed hands she played, she won five of them before the river, thanks to bets as devastating as an Asian typhoon.

The sixth hand, you ask? No, she didn’t lose that one either.

Okamoto opened to 1,700 from the cutoff, and Ori Kossonogi 3-bet to 7,900 in the small blind. The Japanese player wasn’t going to be walked over and 4-bet to 18,000. Kossonogi used a time bank and decided to 5-bet shove all-in. Without hesitation, Okamoto called instantly.

Ori Kossonogi: A K

Shiina Okamoto: A K

The board brought no card capable of separating the two, and they split the pot. Six hands, five wins, one tie for Okamoto. Seven opponents at the table left gasping.