Poker Writer
Poker solver software developer GTO Wizard announced Japanese poker player Shiina Okamoto as the newest GTO Wizard Pro on Thursday. GTO Wizard posted on their X account, announcing the signing along with a list of Okamoto’s recent accomplishments.
Okamoto made history this summer at the WSOP when she won the Ladies Event for the second consecutive year, a feat made even more impressive in that she also finished as the runner-up in 2023. Going second-first-first in an event that typically draws about 1,000 entries qualifies as one of the most statistically improbable feats in poker history. The Ladies Event win catapulted her fame in the poker world to a new level.
After her second WSOP bracelet, the 30-year-old from Tokyo also won an open-field High Roller event in late July.
GTO Wizard is a learning tool for serious poker players, allowing the user to solve for close-to-perfect play in most situations in a matter of seconds. One of the features differentiating it from other similar pieces of software is the recently-added capability to handle multiway postflop situations.
The only thing holding Okamoto back in the Card Player rankings is that many of her biggest successes have come in restricted field events, like the Ladies, which don’t qualify for points. That hasn’t deterred GTO Wizard, who signed her as a new wizard pro. Okamoto reacted to the signing on her X account with a statement. She mentions that she has been a longtime user of GTO Wizard.
Excited to announce that I’ve officially joined as a GTO Wizard Pro!!
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I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve officially started working as a GTO Wizard Pro.
I’m truly delighted to become a member of the GTO Wizard team, which I’ve been using for so long!
I look forward to your continued support!
GTO Wizard’s Impressive Roster of Sponsored Pros
GTO Wizard is developing a stable of pros rivaling that of many poker sites.
Okamoto is joining the likes of Joey Ingram and Phil Galfond. She’s also hot on the heels of Dan “Jungleman” Cates, who was announced in May as a GTO Wizard Pro ambassador. Cates is fresh off a series of record-breaking heads-up battles with Ossi Ketola and is one of the biggest names to represent GTO Wizard.
Though she doesn’t have the same longstanding reputation as Galfond or Cates, Okamoto is a fresh face and represents an entirely different demographic. Seeing her included will likely appeal to younger players and to women. Meanwhile, the number of poker players from Japan is growing. There was a strong Japanese contingent at this summer’s WSOP, although unfortunately, one of the biggest headlines of the summer was one of these visiting players going missing during the series.
Some tournaments in Asia have shown strong support for women’s events.
