Justin Saliba had $30,000.

Sitting on the couch.
Watching TV with his dad.

By the end of the day…

$0.

Not one hand.
Not one bad beat.

Just kept firing… until it was all gone.

“I had over 30K… and I hit zero.”

That moment could’ve been the end.

Instead… it was the start.

In this episode of The Table 1 Podcast, Justin Saliba joins Art Parmann and Justin Young to break down one of the most volatile, honest, and fascinating paths in poker.

From growing up in Ohio playing neighborhood games…
to chasing a professional soccer career…
to moving to Vegas with six months to “make millions”…

…and eventually becoming a $10M+ tournament crusher.

Along the way, we get into:

• Losing his entire bankroll early in his career
• Why he HATED his first Vegas grind
• The coaching deal that saved his poker career
• Being accused of cheating — and how he responded
• Recording his entire session… then winning a bracelet
• Going on a heater that changed everything
• The mindset shift that took him to the highest stakes

This one is raw, honest, and a perfect look at what it actually takes to survive (and win) in high-stakes poker.

Show Notes
(AI generated from the transcript. Please excuse any AI slop.)

0:38 — Intro + motivation to chase events
Flying across the world when the “feeling” is there

6:12 — Growing up in Ohio + poker origin story
Learning poker from his older brother during the Moneymaker boom

10:03 — College life + soccer career path
Chasing pro soccer before poker becomes real

23:27 — Post-college limbo → poker focus
Living at home, trying to figure life out

25:20 — $30K → $0 bankroll collapse
The swing that changed everything

27:26 — Calling Jonathan Little
Internship → coaching → rebuilding from zero

32:28 — Moving to Vegas (with 6-month plan)
“I’ll make millions and come back”

37:47 — The Vegas reality check
Grinding Bellagio cash… and hating it

48:03 — COVID poker boom
Online games explode + first big tournament score

50:40 — Mexico grind with Rampage / high-stakes push
Trying to break into tournament world

57:45 — First major live FT + brutal lesson
Brock Wilson story on the bubble

1:07:14 — Cheating accusations
High-stakes pros questioning him

1:07:46 — Recording everything → winning bracelet
The ultimate “prove it” moment

1:13:15 — Heater + high-stakes breakthrough
Winning trip after trip

1:21:24 — Triton final table + validation
Proving he belongs at the highest level

1:27:15 — Life now + future goals
Balancing motivation, poker, and life

Justin's Links
PokerCoaching.com
X - @justin_saliba

Table 1 Links
Come play at Table 1
Play with the T1 community online