Poker Forum

Since ChipMeUp.com was brought into the PokerNews family, I've been slowly learning the site and the best way to determine who I wanted to invest my money in by buying shares. This is a great site and a good way not only to make money investing in other players, but also a good way to reduce your variance and get staked into tournies at or slightly above your current level.

What do I look for in a horse?

The first thing that I do is pull up the event. How is the event listed? What is the value of each share? I personally don't like to buy 1% of a player, regardless of the level. I don't see a way for 1% to realize much of a return so I'll buy multiple shares if necessary. I personally like to buy 10% or more of the players that I buy stakes in.

Second, I pull up source information from either sharkscope or officialpokerrankings.com. I need to know what type of player this is. I look at their history to see what levels they've played, what level they've had success at, what is their ROI, and if they are running hot or cold (120 day history). It's simple to only look at their ROI and make a judgment but I like to look at recent results. If I were to stick simply with the pros that list on CMU, I may miss out on a great value from an unknown player that's playing well.

Third, I look at their history on CMU. How long have they been around? What's their ROI on CMU listed events? Are they known on CMU? I simply don't want to transfer money and lose out when the player disappears. I've noticed a few players that could talk the talk but then disappeared with either events unplayed or winnings unpaid. I also don't tend to back beggars. If they're pinging the shoutbox repeatedly about their events, they will have to look for someone else to back them.

Then I look at how many events are currently listed to play at the same time. I personally don't want a horse that's running 8 events at the same time. If they have an earlier big event and are going deep in it, which tournament is going to get most of their thoughts and attention? Personally, if running deep, I think that postponing other events would be a good idea.

What should a player that is looking to be staked do?

First, read the FAQ section of the CMU forum. It is very informative and may help you in selling stakes.

If you are unproven, look to sell shares in tournaments that you will play whether anybody buys a share or not. Any unsold share is just additional profit for you when you take it deep. Play at levels where you have a history of success. It's amazing how many micro-stakes players try to sell shares in big events and wonder why they can't sell shares. If you've never played anything larger than a $26 buy-in tournament, start with that size of event or lower. Remember, you are asking for people to invest in you. As investors, people want to feel like there's a good chance of a good return. This is not charity. Start small, prove your abilities, and work your way up. If you make me or other investors money, we're going to continue to stake you.

Lastly (and this has nothing to do with anything above), if you don't have money on CMU so you can list an event, DO NOT PM or ping the shout-box begging for off-site staking. CMU is a business. The fees that they charge are very nominal but CMU needs and deserves to make these fees. Save the begging for another forum or site that isn't in this type of business.

To me, these are common sense guidelines to follow but by following them, it will also increase your chances of selling shares. Good luck at the tables and let's all make some money.

Hello there,

Ty for the read. I appreciate knowing if everyone looks for the same things I do, or not. I'm fairly new at CMU and have listed only 2 events so far. My experience to date has been quite good.

I've seen quite a few beggins indeed, which I think is....well, sad.

I hope to see you guys soon.

Daisy

very helpful

I think better to spread your site on other gaming forums and reviews too. A lot of really important searches this days we need to consider.