tournaments
Staking
Also: backing, selling action, markup, make-up
An arrangement where an investor pays part or all of a player's buy-ins in exchange for a share of the profit. 'Selling action' at markup, and long-term 'backing' with make-up, are the two common forms.
Example. She sold 40% of her WSOP Main Event action at 1.1 markup to friends and forum backers.
When a player sells 50% of a $10,000 event at 1.2 markup, the buyer pays $6,000 for half the winnings. Long-term backing deals cover a series of events, with losses carried forward as 'make-up' that the player must clear before profit is split. Staking spreads variance and lets skilled players enter events beyond their bankroll; disputes over markup and make-up are a perennial topic in the poker world.