Thoughts on Backing

[badblood44]

I've toyed with the idea of asking for backers for a large-ish tournament entry in the coming months. But I feel uncomfortable doing so.

First, my tournament game is not on par with my cash game, which I feel is pretty strong.

Second, I really hate the thought of losing other people's money, even if they're more than willing to part with it via a backing agreement.

So my question is this: For those of you that have been backed, how did you feel about the whole situation, both before the event and afterwards. TP, I know you were backed for the WSOP event and that things worked out fantastically. Did it affect your play any?

[Talking Poker]

I'm going to move this thread to the main section, so hopefully more people will read it. This section has gotten pretty annoying lately

You ask a very good question, and one that I actually thought about at the time. Quite frankly, I feel like having a backer DID help my play, if anything. It definitely didn't have a negative effect on me, but in the back of my mind, I really wanted to do an extra good job to show my backer a positive return on his investment. That was important to me, and I think (if anything), it helped my play.

Some people don't like being backed, because they don't want to have to share their winnings. A number of people told me it woldhave been very difficult to write out the $23,050 check that I wrote and mailed to my backed. For me, I actually realy enjoyed it. I appreciated the opportunity and was glad to have been a good investment for him. Had I not been backed, I probably would have still played with my own money, but who knows if things would have worked out the same way. Maybe I would have played diferently and not made it nearly as deep, ya know?

All in all, it was a good experience for me, and one I would do again.

Oh, and for the record, my backer found me (through a friend), and not the other way around...

[Zybomb]

It has been my experience that when playing with someone elses's money I subconsciously play a little bit tighter than I usually do. Bluff a little less, play back at people less etc....not a \DRASTIC difference.... but I believe there is one....although I don't mean there to be

[Penguinfan]

I can Speak as someone who has put his money behind people, TP included. The last thing I want is for you to change your game at all simply because if I am backing you it's because I have seen you play and think you are a good investment.

Also I would never want someone to feel bad about finishing out of the money, mostly because two of the three people I have backed it was me looking for them.

Everyone involved should be an adult and understand the potential out comes. You should feel no worse losing a backers money than he should feel about cashing part of your winnings, the deal was made prior to the cards in the air.

I partially backed a guy in a small WCOOP tourney, completely backed a guy in the Stars $200+15 and bought 10% of TP one time (which I hope is not the last time he lets me do that). Nobody cashed in any of the games in case you are wondering. That doesn't mean it was a bad move on my part and doesn't mean I won't do it again.

[Aequitas58]

Awesome thread. It seems like I've been wading through crap all week, but I like the topic and responses so far.

In poker, pool, and chess, I have played the role of backer and player. I have won, I have lost, but each "opportunity" is fun. Some of my greatest pool "memories" involve backer situations.

I always felt more pressure when I'm backed because it's not my money. I'm much more "reckless" with my money than I am with someone else's because I want to show a good return, and I want to be able to use that investor in the future.

That being said, I guess it does (somewhat) affect my play, but only to the extent that it makes me play better. But that's just me. Pressure is natural, I think it just comes down to how you handle the pressure. I think this is what Zybomb was alluding to.

I like that TP didn't care about writing that check. I don't think I would have cared either. In my mind, if not for the backer, I wouldn't be writing the check to begin with. It's a simple business transaction.

Oh, and anyone who says their game doesn't change if they are playing w/ backer-money has either (i) never been backed, or (ii) is full of shit.

IMHO.

[oketz7777]

there is nothing wrong with backers on the contrary its a good thing think about players who want to make money but are bad at the game so others will play for them and give them some of the winnings.