IBD Humbly Requests Backing Sunday

[ImBetterDude]

Hey ITH'ers.

So I'm well aware that all my requests for stakes have been unsuccessful, but I guess my will isn't broken because yet again I'm petitioning for financial backing. This time I want to play in Sunday's $750,000 Guarantee. It's a $200+$16 event, and I'm looking for a significant amount of stakes, as I could only cover about 20% max. Details about % of winnings to backers and to me would have to be worked out after I determine the amount of interest (...hopefully there IS some!), but I would be rather flexible.

Over the last month or two I've moved from primarily a SNG player (maybe 80%) to primarily a MTT player (80%), and the transition has been smooth. I've made a hand full of final tables, and have been a race away from 2 or 3 first place finishes. I've been playing primarily $5 MTT's, with a few $2 and $3 rebuys, as well as an $8 tournament or two, as well as some others. I'm blessed with a very patient disposition at the poker table, as well as a keen eye for steal opportunities, which has been a very successful combination in the events I have played. While these buy ins are pittence in compared to the whopping $215 for the 750K, I'm confident that my skill could potentially carry me far in this event. I am very partial to slow structured tournaments, which this one certainly is, and I feel I can play with just about anyone. Just last month Taz sponsored me in the $50,000 Guarantee on FTP and I cashed with relative ease, and just frankly went card dead when I was ITM.

My FTP accout is "ImBetterDude", just like my handle here on ITH, so feel free to look me up on whichever website you choose. FYI, OfficialPokerRankings.com puts me in the top 96 percentile, showing that I've played 850 MTT's lifetime, cashing in 27% of them. My ROI lifetime is 48%, with an average buy in of $6. Those numbers only increase over the last two months, as my ROI is 62% and ITM % is 25%. Upon reaching the later stages, I believe I'm an even stronger player as the final table or two is very STT like. Sharkscope has me at a 19% ROI over 3,000ish games in STT SNG's.

What I'm saying is this. I'm not certain that I'll go deep and get myself and backers some money this Sunday, but I am certain that I am capable of doing so. What I would like is an opportunity. What has been a severe hinderence in my internet poker career is that whenever my bankroll swells, I'm forced to cash out. In February I got my first job out of college and was able to build my BR without withdrawing money, but sure enough the place closed down on June 6th, and again I needed to dip into my funds online. Since closure, I've been playing MTT's and STT"s like 5 hours a day, and I've had to cash out my profits to pay my share of rent, bills, etc. It's a severe pain in my ass. I know the day will come that I'll be working a job that allows me to keep my poker money in my FTP account, but that day hasn't come yet and I'm getting overly anxious.

Please, take a percentage of me for Sunday's event and let me prove to yhu all and myself that I can hang with the big boys. Thanks.

Joe

[ImBetterDude]

50 reads and 0 replies was about what I expected. What is it about me that's so unattractive for staking? I've been an active member with a solid poker background for almost exactly a year and still people are hesitant about backing me.

[nsidestrate]

I can't speak for others, but I'm already way overinvested in backing arrangements myself.

[krazytxan]

[PigPen]

[MXRider]

[Raisindye]

[ImBetterDude]

Rain, your point is taken but I was really just curious. I've posted staking requests a handfull of times and have gotten basically 0 responses in total. I wanted to know why, so I asked.

As far as staking percentages, I'm so green in this field that I don't know what would be appropriate. I know the only time that I WAS in fact staked, I was staked 100% and agreed to a 75% return for the backer. If I were to sell percentages of myself in an event such as this ($150-$200 seat) I would like to keep a little action for myself. Maybe 10%-15%. What would be fair? Say I pay $20 for a $210 seat, would asking 40% for myself be greedy? I just don't know.

Is there a website I visit to access this information about general staking rules and percentages? Again, I'm just very ignorant about this.

[taz115]

Since I have staked you in the past I feel that you may consider my opinions in a non-biased way. 2 years ago there were lots of active ITHers with big bankrolls. We were easily able to send an ITHer to the WSOP Main Event and raising stakes if you were a qualified player was easy. Nowadays there are only a handful of active ITHers in the stakers market that I am aware of, especially when it comes to big buy-in MTTs. So there is far less opportunity.

Also, with the WSOP ME currently being played many of the ITHers with the ability and want to back players have considerable sums tied up. I know I do as well as several others.

My last point may address why you don’t feel like you get the same enthusiastic response as some ITHers do in a similar request. Many ITHers have long proven track records that they are winners in such events. You do not at this time. It can be tough to get experience but most players earn their way up the ranks in poker and get themselves experience on their own dime over time. I didn’t start playing the big MTTs by being backed, I built up my BR and moved up. Now that I have had some success it is usually not too tough for me to raise stakes if I want. There is a big difference in the fields in $5 MTTs and in $215 MTTs. Also because the structures are so different there are a considerable number of changes you have to make.

It is also a competitive market, there are many ITHers who would love to play those events and lots of them have more experience and have been around ITH longer. I can imagine it can be frustrating but there are many, many ITHers I’d like to back if I had the $$ but since there is only so many $ to throw around in staking deals the best available players are going to get my money.

My BR is currently a little light at the moment and I haven’t backed anyone for several weeks, so none of that is a personal knock against you. But as the number of ITHers who are backing players goes down and the number of people willing to take stakers goes up it is going to continue to be harder and harder for low limit players to get backed into bigger events.

[nsidestrate]

[taz115]

I agree with everything nside is saying... it is difficult to make money staking players 100%, but it can be done... In my opinion only by getting a good deal and by backing solid proven players.

I'm up backing players overall but it is largely a result of 2 big scores from a very good ITHer where I was backing them in a 1:1 deal, where they put some of the buyin and I buy the rest (or some of the rest dollar for dollar).

Whenever I ask for stakes I always ask for 1:1 stakes where I buy thr majority of my own action. At the moment I don't feel like I'm playing well enough to ask for stakes in big MTTs, even at 1:1.

[ImBetterDude]

I want to offer a heart felt thanks to all who took the time to thoughtfully respond. I now have gained a much better understanding of staking in general, and why I haven't received stakes from ITH'ers. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to build my bankroll and play in higher level games over time, and if not, perhaps I'll gain stakes in larger field/buy in events after the WSOP...though maybe not $215 events.

Either way, my game has doubtlessly improved since stumbling upon this website, and I have you all to thank for that. I'll keep playing and posting here as time passes, and hopefully I'll continue developing my relationships with all the respectable poker players of ITH.

Again, thanks for the encouraging remarks, as well as the frank opinions.

Joe

[toffeeboy]

I'd suggest playing some satellites to the big tourneys IBD. That way you'll get some good experience and stand a chance of qualifying for a big event for a fraction of the cost.