Slave to the Game

Online poker staking has recently become very popular. People like you and me are given the opportunity to make an online business with little or no initial capital. You don't need to have much money to become a successful investor. It is possible to work your way up for less than a dollar.

But to do that you will need to gain some knowledge about online staking. This page will guide you through your first online backing deal and hopefully get you a nice return on your investment. (If you want to play backed scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Large databases and player rankings will help you chose the best players. As your return gets higher you should re-invest your profit untill you have enough to buy shares in a pro player. These shares are usually sold at $20-$50 each. Any profits are split between the backer and the player (50/50 is a fairly standard arrangement).

• Just follow these easy steps below and you are on your way of making your first profit as a sponsor
  1. First, create an account at www.pokerstars.com and www.fulltiltpoker.com if you do not already have accounts there. All your profits will be sent to you on these two accounts.
• 2. Then you have to sign up to a staking forum. PartTimePoker is the best place for backers and players to meet and make deals.
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Buy a piece of a PartTimePoker Pro

Parttimepoker have several pro's and players who's been winning big money for their investors. Pro players usually offer shares of their action in large tournaments such as WSOP, WCOOP, FTOPS etc. So be sure to frequently look for ads from these players prior to big events.
But there is never a shortage of great players to back. The list of top players with excellent stats is surprisingly long and you will always find decent players to invest in.

1. Open the advertising page

Go to the BAP page (Buy A Piece) on Parttimepoker. Click on a thread link and read the ads and terms set by the player. The initial share price is showing the price of each share (current share value will be updated later to show daily profit or losses from the games.).

2. Chose which player you want to back

Read through some BAP threads and pick a player to invest in.
(You'll find more tips on picking profitable players down the page).
Post how many shares you want to buy.

3. Transfer the funds:

Open Pokerstars and transfer the money for the shares to the player. For Full Tilt transfers, click on the cashier button and chose Transfer. When the funds are received by the player, your shares will be assigned and your forum ID will be listed in the BAP details.

Any profit will be sent to your account. All you have to do is sit back and wait for it to happen. If you want to follow closer up on your investment simply use the search player feature and watch your player in real time.

Every player has to post in a rail thread. This is where they post the tourney ID, interesting hands, results and messages to their backers. The rail link will be PM'd to you and can also be found in the BAP ad. And you can always check up on a player yourself by doing a player and tournament ID search in online databases and tracking sites.

As an investor you need to look at the players stats. Most players have their stats posted in their BAP ads or signature. If not, you can ask for it or look it up yourself.
You will find specific player stats in online databases.

The next thing you want to know is if the player is respecting a backers money as if it was his own. One way is to look at his previous rails to see if his investors have made any posts expressing their concern. Also, check out the players profile page. If the player has received an infraction for breaking the rules, you should follow the link to find out why, and use your own common sense.

The variance in poker is part of the game. Even the best pokerplayers are going through dry spells. This is why most players are offering makeup.
If a player bust a stake, or return a stake with less than the full starting bankroll, he will typically owe makeup to his backers. This makeup will be paid back if you re-invest in this player and he makes a profit.

To minimize your risk it is a good idea to spread your investments on several players. Make your biggest investments in known names, players with many player points and playes who have money invested in the site themselves. If they have more money invested than they are seeking backing for, your money should be safe. Profit from a players investments will be distributed to their backers to cover losses if they spend backers money in ways not intended or agreed on.

Some players are adding bonus tourneys and rakeback, or eating losses from bad play. Again, check the rails on previous stakes to find out who is generously giving and who is not. Getting a higher backers cut could also be a nice deal. This is commonly offered by unknown players and players who wants to get staked in higher risk games.

When you are ready to do a more thorough background check on the players, use one of the free databases for this. Online Poker Rankings provides tournament statistic and Sharkscope is collecting SNG stats. Search the player ID for any specific games the player wants to be sponsored in before you decide if you want to buy or not. A profitable SNG player may not be quite as successful in a large field MTT and vice versa.

Parttimepoker have a stake for everyone. Anyone can apply for stakes in Make A Deal. Just be sure to read and follow the rules of the site before applying. Don't apply for stakes with requirements you don't meet, and never ask or beg to be staked, not even in a PM.

To get a stake you need to have accounts on both PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. If you don't have acconts on these two sites, register now. You have to enter your Pokerstars and your Full Tilt player ID when you join Parttimepoker. This is mandatory. You will get the majority of your stakes on these two pokerroom.

Start out by applying for low limit stakes to build trust and prove yourself. It is easy to move up from there. The chances of being staked increases with your growing staker and player points. You will get staker points from backing other players and you will get player points from making profit for your backers. One day you might get lucky and get staked and coached by a pro.