Hayato Kitajima 🇯🇵

Hayato Kitajima, currently residing in Tokyo, Japan, is a veteran player in the Asian poker scene. He is one of the few Japanese professional poker players who excels in No-Limit Hold'em and non-Hold's Hold'em variants. His schedule typically includes major events such as the Asian Poker Tour (APT), the World Poker Tour (WPT), and the Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT). In 2025, he was very active in South Korea, achieving good results in the Korea Poker Cup and APT series held in Jeju Island, notably finishing as runner-up in a Turbo PLO Ultimate Hi-Lo event.

Bei Dao is highly regarded as a hybrid game expert. While many professional tournament players focus on Texas Hold'em, Bei Dao's trophy cabinet includes titles in Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) and Five-Card Poker (PLO). His ability to switch between different game types makes him highly competitive in the "Player of the Series" race. Furthermore, his outstanding performances in fast and ultra-fast high roller events—such as his runner-up finish at the APT Taipei Ultra-Fast High Roller—demonstrate his ability to adapt to fast-paced formats and the pressure of short-stack ICM.

Hayato Kitajima boasts over $1.124 million in live casino winnings, currently ranking 20th on Japan's all-time poker money list (data from Hendon Mob). His career is renowned for its consistent and outstanding performances in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Australia. His highest live casino winnings are $84,755, a standout among his numerous five-figure earnings. Kitajima had a particularly strong run towards the end of the 2025 season. In November 2025, he traveled to the Starlight Casino on Australia's Gold Coast to participate in the WSOP International Circuit, reaching the final table of two major events: a sixth-place finish in the AUD 2,500 Main Event for AUD 54,405 (approximately $35,527), and a third-place finish in the Big Chip Event for $269,854 (approximately $1,717,434). He is also a multiple-time Asian Poker Tour (APT) champion. In May 2024, he won his fourth APT title at the APT Phu Quoc event, taking home the PL Omaha High – 5 Card tournament. In the same series, he finished third in the Zodiac Classic event, earning 694,470,000 VND (approximately US$27,340).