Hey, Poker Playas!
So players, how should performance be measured?
Should it be the trophies collected? cashes you made? Final table appearance. if that was the measurement then Mike Takayama would be one of the top PH players without a doubt.
12 titles, 44 final table appearances, and 63 cashes. but there is even more to that.
Other achievements
Mike Takayama
First Filipino to win a WSOP Bracelet
First Filipino to have titles in the US, Europe, and Asia
2X won players of the series this year alone
Not a year goes by without him without a major event, so if titles were the measurement, Mike will still win.
Behind the achievement
A few weeks ago Mike Takayama won a title in the EPT Prague. which was a piece of great news to the Filipinos.
During that time, one player in the tournament was bad-mouthing Mike Takayama, and another won another Local event.
He said loudly that the only reason Mike Takayama won was that “He was sponsored or else he would be able to go there” adding also the other player had so much dandruff.
Yes, there are other players who have had good achievements this year. but the reason Mike will always be number one is because not of his achievement but because he is a great human being.
A Mentor, guardian, sponsor and believer to some key people in 2022
Here is a fun fact that nobody knows, a lot of the tournament in the Philippines this year was in fact in some ways connected to Takayama.
The Billiard players that shifted to poker and won big this year? gues who was the big influencer that made them shift to poker?
The other champions that won this year, guess who help them find a sponsor to play?
The other champions whose game improved this year, guess who was guiding them?
We are even curious about the “Tsoke Theories” that pros talk about on how they can play their hands.
There was even one big buy-in tournament where Takayama, direct or indirectly was the reason they got players. Without Mike Takayama that tournament would have suffered a huge Overlay, and we mean millions. It should have been called Takayama Cup.
The truth is, Takayama getting involved in any tournament is a big factor for a live tournament to have a good turnout.
A great Family man
Did you know that Mike won two big high-roller events in Cambodia?
But what was amazing about it was none went to Mike and all was given to Grace, His wife.
That is how dedicated Mike is to his family.
This year alone he had missed quite a few events including main events just because they clashed with either birthdays or other celebrations with his Family.
Family first for Mike Takayama.
In conclusion
Mike Takayama is the top performer of 2022. for being able to achieve that careful balance of personal life and poker life.
We expect more for him this 2023.
