When the poker boom hit during the Chris Moneymaker era, thousands of new players hit the brick and mortar scene. World Poker Tour events around the country saw record crowds, prize pools, and television coverage. However as the ponds were fished out, a fair amount of dead money dried out too. Tournaments saw fewer and fewer participants and it became more difficult for players traveling the tournament circuit to turn profits. Some players however found backers to put them into various cash games or tournaments. When a deal goes bad, no one wins.


A typical staking arrangement is generally when one person puts up cash for the other player. For larger buy-in tournaments there may be more than one backer. However each person typically gets back a larger percentage of the return based on how much they contributed to the buy-in. The percentage should be determined prior to the start of the tournament. If the player who gets backed, called the “horse”, wins then everyone gets their predetermined share. If the horse loses then typically the backers are out their money and the horse does not have to pay them back.


For the players at brick and mortar events this is a relatively straight forward transaction. Often the backer will sweat their horse from the rail. After cashing out the backer is paid and they go their separate ways. In the gambling world a person’s word is like currency. The more honest they are in their dealings the more likely they are to find people to do business with them.


Persons who play online poker however do not have this same luxury. Staking is still available for online poker players. Getting your portion of a win is not guaranteed. In the murky world of online gambling it is hard to know who you are dealing with. While it is against poker room site rules some players have multiple accounts and may take your money and transfer it to another account you do not know about. Most situations that would involve a stake of some sort are the higher limit buy-ins such as Full Tilt Poker’s FTOPs tournaments that feature thousand dollar buy-ins.


Making deals with reputable players is the best way to ensure that your horse will pay you what you are owed. Do not be afraid to do your research. Check various internet forums or talk to other players who know either the online handle or the player in real life. Another alternative is getting to know good players in poker rooms. Having met someone in person you will be able to exchange contact information and have a better feel for them. Either way you need to trust the horse and hopefully they come through with a big win. If you have met your horse in person do not be afraid to put your arrangement in writing. If there is any conflict both parties will have a document they can fall back on for reference. Removing uncertainty and adding concrete ground rules will help make any transactions as smooth as possible.