Getastake.com Noob Blog

I started a question thread at www.getastake.com (GAS) when I first started using the site. I asked every question I could think of. Mike was kind enough to answer all of my questions. Some of these may seem silly, but I wanted to include every question a NOOB might have.

There is a lot of information to process for newbies. I was unfamiliar with staking, much less specific rules for this site, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

I put my application for staking up, and was approved. This process is in place to ensure that you are trustworthy. You can be a lousy poker player and still be accepted. What matters is whether or not you have a "clean" past.

I applied for my first stake. It was an offer from Admin to run 4 x .25 Sit and Gos (SNGs). Admin staked me and I received a private message (PM) from StakeManager asking me to verify that Admin shipped me $1.00 via Poker Stars.

I clicked the button stating that I had and a Rail thread was started for me. A rail thread is where you post your results. Different stakes will have different requirements. Some stakes require first hand, swing hands (where your stack is affected by 20% or more) and bust hands. Others might just require bust hands.

I played my 4 SNGs and made a profit. I finished the stake with a bankroll of 2.42. The rail thread keeps track of your bankroll, so everything is automatic. I closed the rail, using the button at the very bottom of my rail thread.

I received another email from StakeManager. It told me to send Admin 1.71 (His original 1.00 plus 50% of the profits, 0.71). It also told me to send 0.04 to GAS for their 5% cut. I made 0.67 without putting up a dime of my own money.

Obviously, this was on a micro scale, but the math is simple moving up. Had it been a $10 stake, I would have made $6.70.

A couple of questions that may come up: What is makeup and what is stakeback?

Makeup: You don't return all of a backer's initial investment, due to losses. If you run another stake for them, that money is taken out of your final bankroll before profits are figured.

Stakeback: The backer's funds are returned before determining what the profits are. The percentages are then run from the remaining money. This is a standard practice.

Sometimes a stake will be offered with no makeup. In that case, the horse assumes no risk.

I'm going to stop this here for now, it will need editing.

Bad Zorag, no donuts!

Ok, I've put off a lot of stuff I meant to do here. I need to put links up, but here are some:

www.anteupmagazine.com
www.pokersoup.tv
www.getastake.com
www.escapepod.org
www.pseudopod.org
www.podcastle.org

I bombed out of the King of the Mountain Challenge. I was playing when I shouldn't have been. I have another 210 FPPs that I will use to start this again, later.

I've got a post to work on for GAS, so that should be up tonight.

KotM update

0 for 1 so far today. I'll edit this post instead of putting up multiple posts.

Edit: 0 for 3, but my system locking up was the biggest cause for the 3rd one.

King of the Mountain

Over at www.getastake.com, I am running a series of stakes that will culminate in the horse playing a $107 90 player triple or nothing sit and go at Poker Stars. So far, 1 person has completely busted, and the others are still running.

Here's the plan:

Stake Details:
Step 1:

Start with 5 x 2.20 Satellites to the 1/4 million. As you win them, unregister from the 1/4 million for the $T. Run these until you reach $25.00

Step 2:

At $25, start playing $5.40 double or nothings. Do this until the bankroll reaches $60. If bankroll drops below $16.40, go back to Step 1.


Step 3:

At $60, start playing $11 double or nothings. If the bankroll falls below $40, go back to Step 2.


Step 4:

When bankroll reaches $118, congratulations, you can now play a $107 triple or nothing.

If you lose this tournament, you will still have $11 left. You may cash out or start climbing the mountain again. If you lose the triple or nothing, there is no shame. You went the distance, you just didn't claim the prize.


Upon reaching Step 4, you may opt out of the challenge and Ring the Bell. You will be a quitter. Your name shall be carved upon the list of washouts. We shall make fun of you. The shame may be too much for you to show your face in the forums again. But you can quit at this point.



At any time, you may play a Step lower than your current one. If you want, you can play the 2.20 satellites all the way up to $118 before playing the triple or nothing.


I am going to take this challenge myself, and will blog my results. I have started by taking some of my FPPs and playing a 210 FPP to the 1/4 million. I have unregistered, and have $11 in Tourney Dollars to start my climb.


If you go to www.getastake.com and sign up, be sure to type Zorag in for your referral.

Been busy

OK. I've neglected my blog. Bad Zorag, no donut!

I've been trying to lose a bit of weight. I'm comfortable being 250 or less, but had crept up to 260. I'm 6'5, and if I get down under 220 I don't look healthy. If I get down to 200, I look like I need to be in the hospital. That's been frustrating, as I've basically been eating less in a day than I would at a big meal.

Trucking has been aggravating lately, but all in all, it's good.

Poker has been giving me a headache. Over at www.getastake.com (GAS) I have been doing ok with staking, but totally screwed my game up by playing no limit hold'em (NLHE) tournaments. I'm good at limit Omaha hi/lo. That is until I screw up my game.

Chad, OwnTheDream, and I are starting a new podcast, Beef Beer and Poker: Everything from Steaks to Stakes. It's basically going to be about the stuff you would talk about at a home poker game. We already registered the domain, so too bad!

Gotta go, heading home.

Z

Legislating online poker

Can someone please provide me with a link to the full text of Barney Frank's recent bill to legislate online gambling? I can find reviews of it, but not the actual bill itself.

Z

8 years old

Megan's birthday was yesterday. She wanted to go to Taco Bell for Nachos Bell Grande for her birthday dinner. She has wanted those since I ordered them a few months ago.

Today is her party, and she's having a traffic party.

Not much else to update right now. I need to go back and get through my to do list.

Z