Hand #122: Faraz Jaka Eliminated in 3rd Place ($571,374)
Level 28: 100,000-200,000, 15,000 ante
Faraz Jaka moves all in from the button for 2,590,000, and Daniel Alaei calls from the big blind with K
K
. Jaka shows A
6
, and he'll need to improve to stay alive.
The board comes K
10
5
8
4
, and Daniel Alaei wins the pot with a set of kings. Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka is eliminated in third place, earning $571,374.
It's not much of a consolation, but this third-place finish combines with Jaka's second-place finish at the WPT Bellagio Cup in July to give him the lead in the WPT Player of the Year race.
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 6,780,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - Out in 3rd Place ($571,374)
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 12,990,000
There will be a short break for the money presentation before heads-up play begins.
Sorted In:
Faraz Jaka, Daniel Alaei, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
10:26 PM, 12/19/09
Hand #107: Josh Arieh Takes a 7.2 Million Pot Against Faraz Jaka
Level 27: 80,000-160,000, 15,000 ante
Faraz Jaka raises from the cutoff to 400,000, Josh Arieh reraises from the button to 1,100,000, and Jaka thinks for about 45 seconds before he calls. the flop comes K
9
3
, Jaka checks, Arieh bets 1,650,000, and Jaka calls.
The turn card pairs the board with the K
, Jaka bets 550,000, and Arieh calls. There is already 6.9 million in the pot -- the biggest pot of the tournament.
The river card is the 7
, and Jaka min-bets 160,000, which represents just 2.3% of the pot. Arieh raises to 1,500,000, and Jaka thinks for about three minutes before he folds. Josh Arieh takes the biggest pot of the tournament.
Pot Size: 7,220,000
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 1,785,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - 3,765,000
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 12,650,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 1,570,000
Sorted In:
Faraz Jaka, Josh Arieh, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
09:45 PM, 12/19/09
Hand #104: Scotty Nguyen Eliminated in 5th Place ($249,976)
Level 27: 80,000-160,000, 15,000 ante
Josh Arieh raises under the gun to 350,000, and Scotty Nguyen moves all in from the cutoff for 1,365,000. Faraz Jaka moves all in over the top for 5,180,000, and Arieh folds.
Jaka shows K
K
, which dominates Nguyen's 9
9
. Nguyen needs to improve to stay alive.
The board comes A
J
8
2
8
, and Faraz Jaka wins the pot with his pocket kings. His friends in the stands start chanting "Toilet! Toilet! Toilet!" (referencing his online name, "The-Toilet"), and then switch to "Shaka, shaka, shaka, boom! Shaka, shaka, shaka, boom!"
Scotty Nguyen is eliminated in fifth place, earning $249,976.
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 1,315,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - 7,050,000
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 9,175,000
Seat 5. Scotty Nguyen - Out in 5th Place ($249,976)
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 2,230,000
Sorted In:
Scotty Nguyen, Faraz Jaka, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
09:35 PM, 12/19/09
Hand #98: Faraz Jaka Doubles Through Daniel Alaei
Level 27: 80,000-160,000, 15,000 ante
Farz Jaka moves all in under the gun for 2,105,000 (13 big blinds), and Alaei thinks for nearly three minutes before he calls with A
9
. Jaka shows Q
Q
, and he'll need it to hold to stay alive.
The flop comes K
6
4
3
7
, and Faraz Jaka wins the pot with his pocket queens to double up in chips.
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 1,725,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - 4,365,000
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 8,845,000
Seat 5. Scotty Nguyen - 1,935,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 2,900,000
Sorted In:
Faraz Jaka, Daniel Alaei, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
09:18 PM, 12/19/09
Hand #89: Josh Arieh Four-Bets Faraz Jaka Preflop
Level 26: 60,000-120,000, 10,000 ante
Josh Arieh raises under the gun to 315,000, Faraz Jaka reraises from the big blind to 900,000, and Arieh moves all in for 5,475,000. Jaka immediately folds, and Josh Arieh takes the pot.
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 5,230,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - 2,930,000
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 6,485,000
Seat 5. Scotty Nguyen - 1,975,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 3,150,000
Sorted In:
Josh Arieh, Faraz Jaka, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
08:38 PM, 12/19/09
Hand #76: Josh Arieh Calls a River Bluff by Faraz Jaka in a 3.3 Million Pot
Level 26: 60,000-120,000, 10,000 ante
Faraz Jaka raises from the button to 300,000, and Josh Arieh calls from the small blind. The flop comes 10
7
4
, Arieh checks, Jaka bets 575,000, and Arieh calls. The turn card is the K
, and both players check.
The river card is the 10
, Arieh checks, Jaka bets 700,000, and Arieh thinks for 30 seconds before he calls with A
9
(ace high). Jaka mucks, and Josh Arieh wins a huge pot with only ace high.
Pot Size: 3,320,000
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 5,105,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - 4,020,000
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 5,715,000
Seat 5. Scotty Nguyen - 2,380,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 2,550,000
Sorted In:
Josh Arieh, Faraz Jaka, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
08:11 PM, 12/19/09
Hand #11: Faraz Jaka Wins a 2.9 Million Pot Against Daniel Alaei
Level 24: 40,000-80,000, 5,000 ante
Daniel Alaei raises from middle position to 210,000, and Faraz Jaka calls from the cutoff. Both players check to the turn on a board of A
K
Q
J
, Alaei checks, Jaka bets 275,000, and Alaei calls. There is already 1.12 million in the pot.
The river card is the 5
, Alaei checks, Jaka bets 900,000, and Alaei thinks for a minute before he calls. Faraz Jaka shows 10
10
to win the pot with an ace-high straight, and Alaei mucks.
Pot Size: 2,920,000
Seat 1. Daniel Alaei - 3,430,000
Seat 2. Faraz Jaka - 5,775,000
Seat 3. Josh Arieh - 1,495,000
Seat 4. Steve O'Dwyer - 1,740,000
Seat 5. Scotty Nguyen - 4,600,000
Seat 6. Shawn Buchanan - 2,730,000
Sorted In:
Faraz Jaka, Daniel Alaei, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
04:51 PM, 12/19/09
WPT Bio: Faraz Jaka
Level 23: 30,000-60,000, 5,000 ante
Seat 2
Faraz Jaka
5,385,000 (1st in chips, 67 big blinds)
Faraz Jaka is known online as "The-Toilet," but his play is hardly worth that moniker, as he has earned more than $1 million in profits in online tournaments over the past few years. Actually, his nickname came about because he used to play any two suited cards when he was younger, which gave him a lot of flushes. (Get it? "Flushes"?)
Only 24 years old, this is already Jaka's second WPT final table, as he finished second to Alex Gomes at the WPT Bellagio Cup V this past July. Jaka also had a solid WSOP this year, with four cashes and a third-place finish in $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em.
As the first player to make two WPT final tables this season, Jaka will take the lead in the WPT Player of the Year race with a fifth-place or higher finish. Based on prior seasons, a first- or second-place finish might even be enough to win the award when the season ends in April. (Depending on the other players, of course.)
Jaka is from San Jose, California, and holds a degree in economics and business management from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Along with his career as a professional poker player, Jaka lists "private investor" as his occupation.
Biggest Live Tournament Cash: $774,780 (2nd, 2009 WPT Bellagio Cup V)
Career Earnings in Live Tournaments: $1,370,189
Sorted In:
Faraz Jaka, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
12:04 PM, 12/19/09
Blue Diamond Almonds Bold Player of the Day - Faraz Jaka
Level 23: 30,000-60,000, 5,000 ante
Sorted In:
Amanda Leatherman, Featured Blog, Faraz Jaka, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
06:17 PM, 12/18/09
Biggest Pot Yet: Faraz Jaka Doubles Through Curt Kohlberg
Level 23: 30,000-60,000, 5,000 ante
Hand #1 - Steve O'Dwyer raises from middle position to 150,000, winning the blinds and antes.
Hand #2 - Faraz Jaka raises under the gun to 160,000, and Curt Kohlberg calls from middle position. The flop comes 8
7
2
, Jaka checks, Kohlberg bets 200,000, Jaka raises to 600,000, and Kohlberg moves all in. Jaka calls with 8
7
(two pair), and he's ahead of Kohlberg's K
K
(overpair).
The turn is the A
, the river is the 10
, and Faraz Jaka wins the pot with his two pair, eights and sevens, to double up in chips.
Faraz Jaka - 5,400,000
Curt Kohlberg - 1,650,000
As you can see, Faraz Jaka takes the chip lead away from Curt Kohlberg after this pot.
Sorted In:
Faraz Jaka, Curt Kohlberg, Featured Blog, Tournaments, Bellagio, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Season 8 on FSN, Season VIII
04:28 PM, 12/18/09