Posted by A unique payout structure for an upcoming women’s event at the Japan Open Poker Tour has triggered intense backlash across the poker community. Organizers announced that the top three finishers in the upcoming Tokyo event will receive bulk quantities of condoms and personal lubricant rather than standard cash prizes.
The ¥30,000 ($190) Ladies Championship is scheduled to kick off on Oct. 12 and is sponsored by Japanese condom manufacturer Sagami. In promotional posts on X (formerly Twitter), tour organizers defended the arrangement, stating that the event is “challenging women players with fun and respect.” The company added that Sagami “has continued to create products for women and loving couples, supports the journey and the challenges of women players.”
Despite the high-minded phrasing, the prize pool has raised eyebrows because there appears to be no cash payout for the top finishers. Instead, the tournament winner is slated to receive jewelry and other merchandise alongside the corporate-branded contraceptive items. Furthermore, Sagami plans to plaster its branding throughout the tournament area and set up promotional booths allowing players to sample its inventory on-site.
Sagami boasts a notable history with a female founder, Saku Matsukawa, who established a small factory and began manufacturing and selling Japan’s first latex condom back in 1934. However, modern players feel the crossover promotion deeply misses the mark when trying to attract a competitive field. For players looking for more traditional action and lucrative guarantees, platforms like CoinPoker offer massive cryptocurrency tournament series without the bizarre novelty items.
Social media erupted with criticism following the announcement. An X user identified as @whitezexy was among the first to call out the promotion. “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,” whitezexy posted. “Honestly, it just looks like they’re treating the winners not as ‘players’ but as sexual beings.”
Whitezexy continued, questioning the oversight of the event organizers: “Did really no one stop this prize list? The recipients’ names and photos are going to be announced publicly, so did anyone even once imagine how these women would feel receiving this? Going out of their way to prepare up to L-size feels like nothing but a sleazy design that invites people to speculate about the winners’ private lives and partners.”
Prominent poker figures also chimed in with disbelief. High-stakes regular and YouTuber Joey Ingram expressed shock over the prize distribution. “So they buy in for real money and there are no cash payouts?” he posted. “Only payouts in condom and lube?” Another user simply labeled the entire promotion as “insane,” while ACR Poker team pro Svitlana Dryha added bluntly: “This might be the worst possible way to say ‘we support women in poker’ and then announce condoms as prizes.”
Not every voice in the community was completely opposed, as a small fraction of users defended Sagami’s right to sponsor and promote women’s empowerment initiatives. However, the controversy adds to a long history of debate surrounding women-only poker events. Past controversies include the 2019 Battle of Malta utilizing topless male dealers, and a male player winning a South Florida ladies event in 2023.
Many elite female pros have questioned whether segregated events are even the right tool for growing the demographic base. Poker professional Kristen Foxen expressed skepticism in a 2024 interview with Card Player, noting: “I would like to see the promotion of poker in a way that’s toward men and women. But other than that, I think it’s a little weird to say things like, ‘we need more women in poker,’ or ‘we need ladies events to get more women in poker.’ I don’t think it works. Overall, I think that a real message to women should be that poker is the one sport where men and women can compete on an equal playing field.” To better understand the psychological profiles of opponents in mixed fields, check out our guide on poker player types and playing styles.
Source: CardPlayer Industry
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