Kazuhiko Yotsushika

Kazuhiko Yotsushika, based in Tokyo, is a real estate entrepreneur who runs a company in Kumamoto, Japan. Before poker, he made a name for himself as a master of backgammon, winning the Japanese national championship. This analytical background sharpened his mathematical skills and risk management, which he later applied to poker. Transitioning to the felt, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of Japan's most successful exports to the global high-roller circuit.

Yotsushika's career highlight came in 2018 when he won the €25,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona, earning $431,092—his largest live score to date. He has consistently performed on big stages: he finished third in a €2,000 event at EPT Prague in December 2024, and made the final table of a €10,000 event at EPT Monte Carlo in 2024. More recently, he placed seventh in the 2025 EPT Barcelona Main Event for $141,224 and took the chip lead on Day 3 of the same festival's €1,650 PokerStars Open. He also cashed in the 2024 WSOP $1,500 Seven Card Stud and won a hyper turbo high roller at the 2024 APT Taipei.

Yotsushika is renowned for an intelligent, technical, and unflappable style. Nicknamed "The Maverick," his approach combines mathematical precision from his backgammon days with deep psychological fortitude—his deadpan expression makes him nearly impossible to read. He excels at both deep-stack High Rollers and high-variance Hyper Turbo events, demonstrating adaptive aggression. His strategy revolves around equity calculations, position-based pressure, and maintaining composure in nosebleed stakes against the world's best.

As the third-highest-earning Japanese player (as of 2024) and a primary ambassador for the game in Japan, Yotsushika has helped elevate the country's status on global tours like the Triton Poker Series and APT. He is often grouped with Masashi Oya and Tsugunari Toma as leaders of the modern Japanese poker wave. With an estimated net worth over $5 million and a fashion-forward, stoic image, he continues to inspire a new generation of players in Asia.