From Scandal to Poker Pro? Actor Tanaka Kei Sweeps Prize Money at International Tournaments!

Actor Tanaka Kei (41), who has effectively halted his entertainment activities following affair allegations with top actress Nagano Mei (26), is now showing impressive skills in international poker tournaments.

According to Japanese media outlets like Sports Hochi, Tanaka Kei placed 7th in the 25,000 Challenge NLHE event at the “Aussie Millions” international poker tournament held in Melbourne, Australia, on the 5th. He made it to the final table with an aggressive playing style and reportedly earned approximately 111,720 Australian dollars (about 118 million KRW) in prize money.

He has been consistently participating in international poker tournaments over the past year. Notably, at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas last July, he placed 3rd out of 1,935 participants, taking home about 17 million yen. He also reportedly earned around 20 million yen (about 186 million KRW) during two months of competing in European tournaments.

On the other hand, his acting career has taken a major hit. In April last year, he was caught up in a scandal involving an affair with actress Nagano Mei, who is 15 years his junior. The controversy grew after selfies of the two and reports of them visiting each other’s homes late at night were made public.

Tanaka Kei denied the claims, stating, “As a man with a wife and children, I was not in an affair with Nagano,” but the damage to his image was severe, leading to the cancellation of several drama and commercial contracts.

He was recently spotted attending a performance by Oguri Shun, the CEO of his agency, but public sentiment remains cold. Some netizens have commented on his change in appearance, noting that he looks like he has gained weight.

Born in 1984, Tanaka Kei became one of Japan’s leading actors through his roles in various works, including “Gokusen,” “Water Boys,” “Crying Out Love in the Center of the World,” and the “Doctor-X” series.