We’re thrilled to carry you the subsequent installment of our new “Ask the Professional” sequence, the place elite gamers share their paths, philosophies, and techniques on the poker’s elite.
On this version, we highlight our personal Justin Saliba—a high excessive curler, 2x WSOP bracelet winner, and Head of Content material at PokerCoaching.com. From battling his brother in chess and sports activities to going through down the hardest fields on the earth, Saliba’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, self-discipline, and strategic development.
Born for the Area
Saliba’s aggressive spirit was cast early, formed by sibling rivalry and a ardour for chess and soccer. “From a really younger age, all the pieces was about competitors and making an attempt to enhance,” he remembers. Dealing with off along with his older brother pushed him to outthink and outwork his friends. Chess nurtured his strategic aspect, educating him to immerse deeply in complicated issues and be taught quick. Soccer—particularly as a goalkeeper—educated his nerves and focus underneath stress.
Being a goalkeeper, he says, means “you’re alone, and when your second comes, you must carry out. That mirrors high-stakes poker—lengthy stretches of quiet, then sudden, essential choices.” He additionally provides, “Should you lose your confidence as a goalkeeper, you’re useless. The identical is true in poker. You want that self-belief to outlive powerful moments and are available out forward.”
Hitting Backside, Bouncing Again
Saliba’s first critical introduction to poker fundamentals started in school after a shoulder damage sidelined him from sports activities. Obsessive about bettering, he immersed himself in examine and earned a training internship with Jonathan Little. After constructing a bankroll grinding on-line, he acquired cocky, fired pictures at $2K NL money video games, and misplaced all the pieces in just a few nights. “I used to be devastated. I emailed Jonathan to say I used to be quitting poker. However he known as me, advised me it wasn’t an enormous deal, and supplied me a job to rebuild. That second modified all the pieces.” He remembers the aftermath clearly: “I didn’t depart my mattress for 2 days. It felt like my complete world crashed. However that second gave me the resilience I wanted to push ahead.”
Saliba re-committed with self-discipline, moved to Vegas, and commenced the grind. An opportunity pickup basketball recreation led to a friendship with Aram Zobian, who impressed his shift into high-stakes tournaments. After early struggles, he hit his stride, successful two bracelets and happening a multi-million greenback heater. That momentum launched him onto the worldwide excessive curler scene.
Discovering His Edge
“I knew I used to be behind in expertise, so I needed to outwork everybody,” Saliba says. He turned a chip on his shoulder into gasoline for relentless examine, committing to outprepare each opponent. He additionally realized mindset was key. “At first I used to be simply completely satisfied to be there. However you possibly can’t win if you happen to’re starstruck. Now, I method each occasion prefer it’s battle. I’m there to compete and make one of the best determination each hand.”
His examine method is grounded in core rules: understanding international frequencies, poker ranges, and exploit alternatives. “I begin with what principle says—how typically to guess or test—and construct out to sensible purposes. I need to take individuals into components of the sport tree they’re uncomfortable with.”
He elaborates, “Once I examine solvers, I focus much less on the precise output and extra on the way it feels—what it seems to be like in recreation, and the way I can replicate that underneath stress.”
Tailor-made Preparation
For top-stakes sequence like Triton, Saliba prepares meticulously. He research format-specific ICM poker dynamics, short-stack play, and profiles doubtless opponents. “I observe who’s assured, who’s bettering, who performs which spots oddly. Then I taper off earlier than the occasion, like a sprinter tapering earlier than race day.”
What separates high professionals, he believes, isn’t simply data, however the means to use it in actual time underneath stress. “A lot of individuals know charts. Fewer can recreate them of their thoughts when it counts. That’s the distinction between GTO poker theorists and poker gamers.”
He provides, “Within the second, it’s about staying current. I’m not making an attempt to reinvent the wheel. I simply give attention to making one of the best determination with the knowledge I’ve.”
Residing the Grind
Now a central determine at PokerCoaching.com, Saliba balances taking part in with content material creation. “Poker is nonlinear—you are able to do all the pieces proper and nonetheless lose. However content material creation is linear. You set in work, you get output. That steadiness helps preserve me grounded.”
When requested what enchancment seems to be like for somebody already on the high, Saliba factors to execution and endurance. “It’s not nearly principle anymore. It’s about staying targeted in Hour 12, displaying up contemporary after a foul beat. I immerse myself—eat, sleep, breathe poker throughout huge sequence.” He displays, “I’ve studied for seven years in order that in recreation, I’m simply asking, is that this man bluffing or worth betting? That simplicity is what I try for now.”
Closing Phrase
Justin Saliba’s path from on-line grinder to event poker excessive curler staple underscores a timeless poker reality: the climb is steep, however with self-discipline, humility, and relentless effort, it’s potential. “I nonetheless make errors. I nonetheless be taught day-after-day. That’s the job.”
He leaves us with this: “Even now, I really feel like I’m bettering with each session. That’s the great thing about the sport—it by no means stops evolving, and neither can I.”
Keep tuned for extra inside entry to the minds of the sport’s elite in future editions of “Ask the Professional.”
