SHARKSTAKING
Investing in the player: Sharkstaking
Apparently there are people out there prepared to give you their money to play poker with. Unsurprisingly, Matt Broughton investigates. Keenly.
W
ikipedia has an interesting entry regarding the term ‘investment’. It says: “Investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain that upon
thorough analysis has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return within an expected period of time. In contrast, putting money into something with an expectation of gain without thorough analysis, without security of principal, and without security of return, is speculation or gambling.”
Speculation or gambling you say? Sounds fun! But seriously, any investor worth their salt
would plump for sound investment over speculation or gambling any day. So how do we define an investment in gambling? Is that still genuinely sound or actually a double-negative (gambling on gambling?) that cancels out the universe and creates a black hole? In case you’re wondering what I’m on about, investment in gambling is exactly what goes on in the world of the poker staker.
Staking For those not familiar with poker staking, it’s very
simply an investor believing in a poker player to the degree that they supply funds for that player to play at a level considered within their skill but beyond their bankroll. This might be someone playing at £1/£2 that is good enough to hit the £5/£10 tables but is either too risk-averse or simply doesn’t have deep enough pockets to make the move up to that level. “Sometimes it’s just impossible for players to move up on their own money,” explains
Sharkstaking.com’s Marketing Director, Ali Masterman. “So if we think someone is a solid winner and has the right attributes to beat $200nl when they only play $50nl,
68 MAY 2012
and confidence to play optimally,” says Masterman. “Ultimately we’re able to suck up the bad spells of variance, allowing players to concentrate on making the right plays and make money in the long run. It’s a lonely game at times so having mentors and a group of similarly minded players to share hand histories or badbeats with is invaluable.” As the investor Sharkstaking takes a portion of
each stake’s profit (a variable amount up to around 50%) as well as a cut of their rake (the commission poker sites take from every cash game pot or tournament fee). While this may seem like a small amount, the rake soon adds up and can sometimes be the difference between a winning and marginally losing player.
we’ll do our best to make that happen.” For the player,
Sharkstaking.com’s Marketing Director, Ali Masterman
beyond suddenly finding themselves funded at the tables, they are also welcomed into a world of support and training. For
Sharkstaking.com this means instant access to a host of professional players/mentors on hand to provide anything from instant support and hand analysis, right up to individual coaching sessions. There’s also a backroom staff keeping track of performance and bankroll management, helping the players avoid the pitfalls of the modern game. “Our aim is to give players the training, bankroll
“Sometimes it’s just impossible for players to move up on their own money”
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