How Faraz Jaka Went from Bedridden to Bracelet Winner

Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

For the sixth episode, Connor spoke with longtime poker pro and coach Faraz Jaka, who was fresh off a runner-up finish in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship. Jaka talked about running up a six-figure bankroll in college, going broke and moving down stakes, battling back from a debilitating back injury to win his first bracelet in 2023 and running deep in this year's $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.

Jaka also talked about his site Jaka Coaching, discussed what makes a good poker coach and offered advice for players looking to grind the WSOP this summer.

This interview took place at the 2024 WSOP in Las Vegas and was filmed inside Horseshoe Las Vegas.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Faraz Jaka by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Be sure to follow Faraz Jaka and Connor Richards on X.

Time Stamps   TIME TOPIC   1:05 Deep run in $25k Heads-Up Championship   5:35 Winning a bracelet in the 2023 Shootout   7:11 Back injury   13:57 WSOP routine advice   19:15 Growing up in San Jose   20:43 Running up a six-figure roll in college   21:56 The Poker House   25:04 Going from local celebrity to broke   29:03 Career highlights   30:53 Black Friday   34:26 Becoming a poker coach   36:28 What makes a good poker coach?   38:43 Standout Jaka Coaching students   44:25 Balancing life and poker   49:55 Advice for younger self   52:25 Favorite life lesson from poker