Faraz Jaka
Encyclopedia
Faraz Jaka is an American
professional poker
player and businessman who was World Poker Tour
(WPT) Player of the Year for Season VIII
(2009–2010). He has reached two WPT final tables, two WSOP final tables and his lifetime tournament winnings exceed $4 million. Jaka is also co-founder of Axis CasterBoarding, a California-based caster board
company.
and is of Pakistani descent. He attended Piedmont Hills High School, and during this time, Jaka ran track, breaking 2:00 in the half mile and 4:30 in the mile. He also played for the basketball team, wrote poetry and became an avid hip-hop fan. Jaka often says it was during this time that he developed the competitive spirit and mental fortitude that would help him in his poker career.
Jaka found early success in high-stake online cash games, soon building his bankroll to more than $170,000. But as he began playing beyond his means, he was challenging the odds, and probability caught up with him.
After some soul searching, Jaka bounced back, switching up his approach and opting to play low buy-in tournaments and sit-and-gos rather than cash games. Today, Jaka credits his decision to focus on studying tournament strategy as essential to his success.
(WPT) which includes two final tables, the first was at the WPT Bellagio Cup V finishing runner-up to Alexandre Gomes
and earning $774,780, other final table professionals included: Justin Smith
(3rd), Alec Torelli (4th) and Erik Seidel
(6th). Jaka then made another final table in the same season at the WPT Doyle Brunson
Five Diamond World Poker Classic he finishing in third for $571,374, behind the winner Daniel Alaei
and runner-up Josh Arieh
also at the final table were Shawn Buchanan
(4th) and Scotty Nguyen
(5th). He also made a deep run in the $25,000 WPT Championship event where he finished in 14th place earning $51,736.
has nine cashes, including one final table where he finished in third place behind the winner Matt Hawrilenko
and runner-up Josh Brikis at the 2008 World Series of Poker
in the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed event and received $400,525. Later at the 2010 World Series of Poker
he made it to the quarter-final round of 256 entries in the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship earning $92,580.
in Los Angeles
. At the North American Poker Tour
(NAPT) in 2010 in the $25,000 Invitational High Roller Bounty Shootout, Jaka came in fifth winning $95,000 which includes the bounties that were won.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,300,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player and businessman who was World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) Player of the Year for Season VIII
World Poker Tour season 8 results
- WPT Venice:* Casino: Casino Di Venezia, Venice, Italy* Buy-in: $5,302 + $530* 5-Day Event: May 6, 2009 to May 10, 2009* Number of Entries: 397* Total Prize Pool: $2,035,237* Number of Payouts: 45...
(2009–2010). He has reached two WPT final tables, two WSOP final tables and his lifetime tournament winnings exceed $4 million. Jaka is also co-founder of Axis CasterBoarding, a California-based caster board
Caster board
A Casterboard, also known as a Waveboard, is a two-wheeled, human-powered land vehicle that is closely related to the skateboard and the snakeboard. Two narrow platforms known as "decks" are joined by a "torsion bar", which consists of a metal beam, usually coated by rubber, that houses a strong...
company.
Early life
Jaka is from San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and is of Pakistani descent. He attended Piedmont Hills High School, and during this time, Jaka ran track, breaking 2:00 in the half mile and 4:30 in the mile. He also played for the basketball team, wrote poetry and became an avid hip-hop fan. Jaka often says it was during this time that he developed the competitive spirit and mental fortitude that would help him in his poker career.
Early career
Jaka began his poker career playing online and in small live games during his freshman year at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Early on, with little knowledge of the game, Jaka had a habit of playing any two suited hole cards with the intent to draw to a flush. His frequent use of this play quickly earned him the nickname "The Toilet". Jaka embraced the tag, adopting it as his online alias, and the moniker has stuck ever since.Jaka found early success in high-stake online cash games, soon building his bankroll to more than $170,000. But as he began playing beyond his means, he was challenging the odds, and probability caught up with him.
After some soul searching, Jaka bounced back, switching up his approach and opting to play low buy-in tournaments and sit-and-gos rather than cash games. Today, Jaka credits his decision to focus on studying tournament strategy as essential to his success.
World Poker Tour
Jaka has five cashes at the World Poker TourWorld Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) which includes two final tables, the first was at the WPT Bellagio Cup V finishing runner-up to Alexandre Gomes
Alexandre Gomes
Alexandre Gomes is a Brazilian professional poker player born on July 24, 1982 in Curitiba. He is a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, a World Poker Tour champion and a Team PokerStars Pro.- World Series of Poker :...
and earning $774,780, other final table professionals included: Justin Smith
Justin Smith (poker player)
Justin "Boosted J" Smith is an American professional poker player living in Los Angeles, CA. At 21 years old, Smith has been a participant in stateside poker tournaments for less than a year due to age requirements, winning nearly $900,000 in that time span.Smith began playing poker at the age of...
(3rd), Alec Torelli (4th) and Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.In 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
(6th). Jaka then made another final table in the same season at the WPT Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
Five Diamond World Poker Classic he finishing in third for $571,374, behind the winner Daniel Alaei
Daniel Alaei
Siblings=Devon VafaiDaniel Christopher Alaei is a professional poker player from Santa Fe Springs, California. He is of Assyrian Iranian descent....
and runner-up Josh Arieh
Josh Arieh
Joshua Arieh is an American professional poker player. Arieh has been competing in poker competitions since 1999...
also at the final table were Shawn Buchanan
Shawn Buchanan
Shawn Buchanan is a Canadian poker player from Vancouver, British Columbia who won the World Poker Tour Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in 2007, earning $768,775....
(4th) and Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
(5th). He also made a deep run in the $25,000 WPT Championship event where he finished in 14th place earning $51,736.
World Series of Poker
At the World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
has nine cashes, including one final table where he finished in third place behind the winner Matt Hawrilenko
Matt Hawrilenko
Matthew "Matt" Hawrilenko is a professional poker player from Boston, Massachusetts who won the 2009 World Series of Poker $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Short-Handed event earning $1,003,218 and is a Full Tilt Poker Pro.Hawrilenko is a 2004 graduate of Princeton University that worked for Susquehanna...
and runner-up Josh Brikis at the 2008 World Series of Poker
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...
in the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed event and received $400,525. Later at the 2010 World Series of Poker
2010 World Series of Poker
The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5...
he made it to the quarter-final round of 256 entries in the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship earning $92,580.
Other poker events
Jaka won the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2008 L.A. Poker Classic, earning $104,900 the event was held at the Commerce CasinoCommerce Casino
Commerce Casino is a cardroom located in the Los Angeles suburb of Commerce. With over 240 tables on site, Commerce Casino is the largest cardroom in the world...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. At the North American Poker Tour
North American Poker Tour
The North American Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments held in North America. The NAPT includes an associated television series broadcasting the final table of some of the tournaments....
(NAPT) in 2010 in the $25,000 Invitational High Roller Bounty Shootout, Jaka came in fifth winning $95,000 which includes the bounties that were won.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,300,000.