The Japan Open Poker Tour has been criticized, after it emerged that the winner of next week’s Ladies Championship in Tokyo is set to receive 150 condoms and lube as a prize.
Meanwhile, the second- and third-place finishers in the event would also condoms as prizes, along with more lubricating gel and merch.
On Tuesday, the JOPT announced the prizes in collaboration with Sagami, a Japanese manufacturer of condoms that is sponsoring the ¥30,000 ($190) buy-in Ladies Championship, scheduled for Monday, October 12.
“Sagami, which has continued to create products for women and loving couples, supports the journey and challenges of women players,” it said on X.
While the prizes have since been removed from the JOPT website, a press release announcing the partnership simply describes them as “Sagami Product Gift Sets.”
“Is This a Joke?”
Social media user @whitezexy was among the first to draw attention to the event and its prizes.
“Is this some kind of joke?” they said on X. “It’s a tournament meant to broaden the base of female players, yet they’re handing out massive quantities of sex products to the top three women.
“Honestly, it just looks like they’re treating the winners not as “players” but as sexual beings.”
The prizes originally listed for first-place were:
- 12 boxes of Sagami Original condoms (10 per box)
- 3 boxes of Sagami Original Large condoms (10 per box)
- Three bottles of water-based lubricating gel
The top three finishers are also set to receive jewellery, and merch including hoodies, t-shirts and socks.
“Isn’t consideration for sponsors outweighing respect for the players?” asked @whitezexy. “The moment they turn it into ranked prizes like “1st place: 150, 2nd place: 80,” it stops being education and becomes a spectacle. They even prepared pearl rings and ear cuffs, but the massive condom haul ruins the whole thing.
“If you’re calling it a women-only event, at least treat women first and foremost as individual poker players. That’s what I think.”
The 2025 festival was supported by a record-breaking 60 sponsors, and this year is no exception, with the website listing several other sponsored events. They include cigar and jewellery brands, as well as Event #34, which is sponsored by Burger King. The winner of that event will walk away with free Whopper coupons for six months, along with a set of original playing cards.
In the press release, Sagami announced that they will be bringing the company’s founding spirit of “Fun First, Respect Always” to the event.
This mantra is based on the philosophy of its founder, Saku Matsukawa, who believed that the foundation of all human interaction is “an attitude of enjoying everything first” and “showing respect to others and things.”
In 1934, Matsukawa was responsible for manufacturing Japan’s first thin latex condom. She was inspired by seeing how unwanted pregnancies resulted in poverty and a high number of abandoned orphans in early 1930s Japan.
The 0.01mm Sagami Original is among the thinnest condoms on the market, compared with normal condoms, which range from 0.04-0.07mm.
The Growth of Japanese Poker
Poker in Japan has become more and more popular in recent years, helped by the exploits of its players on the world stage, such as Ryutaro Suzuki, Koji Fujimoto, and Naoya Kihara, as well as the historic back-to-back Ladies Championship wins of Shiina Okamoto.
Shiina Okamoto on Fame, Friendliness, and the Challenge of Women’s High Rollers
Japan has also seen the popularity of its live events increase. The RunGood Poker Series visited the country earlier this year, while the USOP hosted a major event in Osaka in 2025. The Japan Open Poker Tour also continues to go from strength to strength, with last year’s Tokyo festival generating an estimated $3 million in total prize pools.
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor