GACKT (above, center) made not be a household name in the United States, but those in Asia know all about the pop superstar and actor. GACKT has released nine studio albums and is considered one of the biggest musicians in all of Japan. Recently, at a special VIP reception celebrating the WPT’s $1 billion milestone, Bicycle Hotel & Casino tournament director Mo Fathipour referred to him him as the “Michael Jackson of Japan.”
Here at the Season XVI WPT Legends of Poker, GACKT is just another face in the crowd at one of poker’s most historic events, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of place. In fact, GACKT is very much at home in a sea of poker players who are hoping to be adding their name to the WPT Champions Cup.
GACKT has been playing poker for six years, and he told WPT.com that he is hoping to use his platform to change the perception of poker in Japan.
“When I had my music world tour in Europe, I looked into the poker cash games,” GACKT said. “I had a lot of fun and realized how fun poker is. In Japan, it’s kind of sensitive because playing poker sounds like gambling. I didn’t say anything at first, but the times are always changing and I decided to be someone who could tell people to join poker and that it’s not just gambling. It’s a game of strategy. When I play poker it makes me strategize my every move and try to think ahead of my opponents.”
While GACKT hasn’t been playing live tournaments for very long, he has already enjoyed some success on some very marquee poker events. This summer, he cashed in the WSOP $1,111 Little One for One Drop, but more impressively, he finished fourth in one of the $25,000 High Roller tournaments at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas., taking home $75,600…

Read more here: worldpokertour.com