Generation Next -- Faraz Jaka

Suited cards can easily mesmerize a novice player the way a dangling, shiny toy can entrance a newborn baby. While learning poker during his college years at the local fraternity house, Faraz Jaka never met a suited hand he could part with. Time after time, he would reveal trashy flushes at showdown, thus earning the nickname “The Toilet.” That name stuck when he decided to try his luck in online cash games.

Jaka quickly built his bankroll up to $30,000 by staying true to his moniker with a loose, aggressive, and wild approach at the tables. He felt unbeatable, and was high on the cash that was burning a hole in his pockets. That itch led to higher stakes, $25-$50 no-limit hold’em. He plopped down, went on a heater, and saw his roll skyrocket to $170,000. But what goes up — with no knowledge of bankroll management or variance — must come down. It was an experience that would forever change him.

“I lost it all,” said Jaka. “It was bound to happen, playing those stakes. At the same time, it was a good life lesson. It made me a lot stronger. A lot of people may have given up at that point, but I reviewed what I’d done wrong and learned from my mistakes.”

Soon thereafter, Jaka fell in love with multitable tournaments. He started over with $10 sit-and-gos to build up his roll for an occasional splash in multitable tournament satellites. He eventually qualified for and won a PartyPoker $1,000 Super Monday event for $38,000, and never looked back.

To date, Jaka, 23, has cashed for close to a million dollars online. He won back-to-back Sunday majors in 2007, the UltimateBet $200K and the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up, for a total of $113,000. In 2008, he captured an L.A. Poker Classic $1,000 prelim event for $104,900. So far, 2009 looks bright, with three wins in the coveted PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker $109 rebuy events, for a total of $116,276. His next stops will be at a few European Poker Tour events, as well as the World Series of Poker.

Jaka still may have an affinity for any two cards, especially when they’re suited, but the difference now is that he knows all the right reasons to play them and when to play them.

Craig Tapscott: Rumor has it that you will do whatever it takes to find an edge against other players. Would you ever take a lead pipe to someone’s knees before a final table?

Faraz Jaka: No (laughing). But, during breaks at live events, I will stand outside and listen to people talk, and figure out how they are playing. Those guys might end up at my table. As a feel player, I’ve had to rely on those other edges. And as I’ve learned the math fundamentals that I initially lacked, all combined, it’s now enabled me to take my game to the next level.

CT: What holds back good players from becoming great players?

FJ: An understanding of table awareness and game flow. Many players need to understand that it’s not all about your cards, because timing becomes so important. And some players get too caught up in the math. There are also a lot of metagame aspects to which people don’t give enough respect. For example, certain plays might have a -EV [negative expected value] at the time, but by making them, it creates a certain image that produces a more +EV opportunity in the future.

CT: What is one key to moving up in stakes in multitable tournaments?

FJ: One of the biggest hurdles for people is disconnecting themselves from the money. They play way too tight on the bubble. You have to ask yourself if you’re going to play differently when it gets into the bigger money. If you are, you shouldn’t be in that tournament.

CT: I hear from many other high-stakes regulars that you’re an excellent hand reader. How can players improve that aspect of their game?

FJ: I don’t think people talk enough to other players at the table. A big part of hand reading is that you need to understand how someone thinks. Finding out how risk-averse people are could enable you to narrow their hand range. Also, watch their baseline behavior when they’re not in a hand. See how that changes. Listen to people talk about hands at the table; they’re revealing strategy the entire time, and this will predict how they are going to play.

CT: So, what have you done to warrant all of this recent success?

FJ: I’ve found a balance, in my social life and relationships. Life is not all about poker. I also eat healthy and exercise. By getting all of those things under control, it makes it less likely that I’ll get frustrated at the tables. I’ve learned to control my emotions. That’s one of my strongest assets now.