button in SafariFive Things to Focus on 40 Days Before the WSOP
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With the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on the horizon, the difference between a deep run and a quick exit often comes down to what you do before you ever set foot in Las Vegas.
Professional poker player and coach Faraz Jaka recently took to social media, outlining his top tips for how to prepare ahead of a long and arduous summer, and detailing how players can get involved in the WSOP Prep Series on poker coaching site Jakacoaching.
We’ve taken Jaka’s five tips and outlined them here, so you can focus over the next 40 days and ensure you arrive at the tables with a mental and technical edge.
1. Get The Right Tools
The first step in Jaka's plan for success at this year's Series is all about having the right tools at your disposal to help you prepare. You need to secure high-quality pre-flop charts that include ICM considerations and establish a reliable group chat with strong players to bounce hands off of.
Furthermore, you must find a fast method to document hands mid-session. If you don't set this infrastructure up now, you will likely find yourself scrambling for answers when you finally reach a deep run.
2. Master Core MTT Scenarios
In addition to tools, Jaka emphasizes mastering core MTT spots through structured study rather than watching random streams. He suggests focusing on the scenarios that occur most frequently or involve the most money, such as:
- 3-bet pots
- Big Blind defense
- And playing out of position after raising
Understanding how to C-bet or double-barrel against the Big Blind and mastering Final Table ICM are essential skills that require focused preparation rather than passive observation.
3. Standardize Your Performance Routine
Jaka recommends writing out specific protocols for the night before you play, your morning schedule, and how you manage your fifteen-minute or dinner breaks. Having an end-of-day wind-down routine and a strategy for managing tilt or fatigue during a long session ensures that your physical and mental stamina remains a competitive advantage throughout the grind.
4. Finalize Your Schedule and Bankroll
Logistics also play a vital role in your mental state, so Jaka advises planning your schedule and bankroll with absolute clarity. He suggests creating spreadsheets that track buy-ins and potential re-entries to establish a total budget.
If the final number makes you feel uncomfortable, you should sell action or reduce your stakes ahead of time. By planning these details now, you ensure that financial stress never clouds your decision-making at the table.
5. Lean into Discomfort with High-Volume Reps
Finally, you must get your reps in by leaning into uncomfortable spots. When you learn new concepts, you will inevitably find yourself in unfamiliar situations. While most players avoid these moments to skip making mistakes, Jaka argues that this is exactly why they fail to improve.
You should spend the next two months playing live, online, or in Sit & Gos to encounter these spots frequently, allowing you to document errors and refine your strategy through feedback from winning players.
Jakacoaching WSOP Prep Series
Faraz Jaka is also running a structured WSOP Prep series through JAKAcoaching running April 14 - May 26, designed to help players prepare for the exact spots that decide results in large-field tournaments.
The program focuses on MTT spots that come up most often and play for the most amount of money: like 3-bet pots, big blind defense, c-betting and double barreling, bluff catching, playing out of position, multiway dynamics, and final table ICM.
It also helps players build routines, sharpen decision-making under pressure, and create a clear plan for their WSOP schedule and bankroll. Through weekly live sessions and guided training, players follow a structured approach leading into the series.
Once WSOP begins, the focus shifts to reviewing real hands from WSOP 2026 events like Monster Stack, Milly Maker, WSOP Main Event, helping players make better adjustments in real time.
Lastly, the community will also be connecting for in-person meetups, such as hikes, coffee/breakfast mornings, drinks, and more!
