Crush The Game.com

Seeking Staking For Live Cash In Las Vegas

I’m recording an album for The Dead Languages until September 2011. Then I’ll be applying for a job in retail or being staked for live cash games in Las Vegas.

My goal is to play 2-5 or 5-10 No Limit Hold ‘Em, 30 hours a week in Las Vegas casinos.

So this is an outline of who I am and what my plan is – I’m putting this here to direct potential stakers in the next couple months. Thanks for checking it out.

A Former Grinder At Full Tilt, Up To 200NL

Mike Ziethlow

• 149203 on Full Tilt
• Professional winning online poker player for 2 years
• Over 1 Million hands played between full ring and 6max
• A poker coach on CrushTheGame.com
• Designer of poker software tools for PT3 and NoteCaddy
• Learned, studied the game with Stoxpoker, Cardrunners memberships / self-study
• Thanked by Dusty Schmidt in his book, “Treat Your Poker Like a Business”
• Can meet all of the qualifications of a good stake as described here

“An Excellent Value For Money Investment”

As far as stakes go, I’m a +EV decision. Paulgibbo (who backed me at 2-5 NL cash at the Rio during the 2011 WSOP) had this to say, “I staked and railed Mike in cash for a couple of hours… I learned a ton… an excellent vfm investment for certain…”

The minimum percentage I can accept (and make a slightly better hourly wage than retail offers) is as follows:

• 70% of profit at 2-5 NL
• 50% of profit at 5-10 NL

“Profit” is anything over the staked amount for the duration of the stake. As a rule, I work on month-long, 3-month-long, or 6-month-long durations, but can make private arrangements as necessary.

Staker assumes 100% of the risk. I like to play with 6 buy-ins on-hand (ala Tommy Angelo’s advice of not playing on short money). My “stop-loss” amount is five buy-ins. If I run bad for five buy-ins, I pack it up, call it a day, and perhaps take some time off to get my mind right.

How many buy-ins the staker is willing to put up as the bankroll is up to him or her, and will determine the risk of ruin % the staker is willing to allow themselves to be subject to. More buy-ins = less risk of ruin.

Many agree that 30 buy-ins is fine for live cash games ($15,000 for 2-5 and $30,000 for 5-10), though a higher number of buy-ins, such as 40 or 50, will substantially reduce the risk of ruin. I played with no less than 50 buy-ins at any given time when I played live in Vegas… before Full Tilt made off with the majority of my bankroll. (Online, I played with no less than 100 buy-ins for any given limit.)

I’m willing to use GPS tracking on a smartphone to “punch in” and “punch out” of work, provided arrangements can be made for splitting up the small cost of such a service. I’m of course willing to tweet or text detailed information about my progress as I played as I’ve done in the past.

In short, I’m willing to take whatever steps a staker would like in order to be a hard-working, trustworthy earner for them.

A Solid Reputation Built On “Excellent,” “Flawless” Service

As the owner of an online poker software business, I’ve built a solid, trustworthy reputation. For example:

“blood is a very good player who understands what information is required to make the best possible decisions at the table, and this is the basis for the effectiveness of his products”

Also, my students and clients can attest to how I have helped their poker game. From the same thread:

“my win rate as improved immensely”

and

“i have seen a significant upward trend in my winrates.”

I’ve also become somewhat of a public figure in Las Vegas with 2 recent articles written about me.

On how Black Friday has hurt players. From the Las Vegas Review Journal.

And on how I decided to make music my life until my bankroll situation clears up. From Las Vegas Weekly.

Because of my “high-profile” in the poker business, you can rest assured that I am on the level, trustworthy, and solid. And if you’d like I can privately pass along the contact info of students, customers, and other poker peers who are willing to give a reference.

Why I Want To Be Staked

I never thought I’d want to be staked. Of course, I also thought my money was safe on Full Tilt. When my bankroll was seized, I tried out being staked in some cash games and Event 56 in the 2011 WSOP. I played with such clarity and focus, I was honestly very surprised.

Playing while staked relieved a mental pressure I had when I played with my own bankroll on the table. Often, while playing on my own dime, I had fancies of just taking my money off the table and using it for rent or food… booking small wins and failing to put in the hours that I knew were +EV.

I’m not much of a gambler, really. I am “risk averse.” But this is a great mentality for a solid poker player, if the risk is manageable. Being staked puts the risk at a manageable level for me. I am then able to play my best poker, clear of mind and ruthless in execution.

I can be reached at support@crushthegame.com or in the forums.

Tags: Bankroll, hold 'em, no limit, online poker, Poker, risk of ruin, Staking