The FTR Midstakes BALLA challenge

After I finish a lame million-page thesis I have to hand in 6 days from now I'm going to grind like I've never grinded before (lol I'll prob play 1k hands then go on vacation...).

I'm curious if any other FTR midstakers are interested in putting up something like 200 or 300$ and betting on who can be the first midstaker to make 30k as of May 1st.

I've been donking at nl200 for way too long since my actual poker roll is something like 30k and after I finish a mindless B onus-whoring project on April 30th I'll prob move up to nl400 for good.

I figure it'd be fun to put my money were my mouth is and lay down something like 250$ on my ability to make 30k before anybody else. I'll be at a disadvantage to ppl playing nl600-1k obv but I RUN GOOT!

As of now, I have ppl like Alexos, Halvsame and JL in mind. Other ppl who might be intererested are Sandstorm, IowaSkinsFan (although I'm not sure if he's playing nl400 anytime soon) and Koolmoe.

Also, I have a feeling nutsinho will be balling at midstakes as soon as school is done for him. Sauce might also be interested but do we really want an nl1k balla running at like 2ptbb/100 and pwning us? ;)

The format would be everyone shipping something between 200 and 300 USD to a reputable FTR member (someone like andy-akb, Lukie or gabe... maybe me if you guys trust me!) and as soon as someone makes 30k (PT screenshots... R akeback DOESN'T count) then we SHIP THEM THE MONIES!

PM me if you're interested.

Obv a big part of this will be a "who can run better than the other guys" contest, but hey... who cares? Maybe we'll all play more poker because of this and that = MORE MONIEZ!

Obv this challenge will have it's own exclusive thread with screenshots, funny HH and trashtalking galore...

Hmm I'd be soooo down for this!!

Unfortunatly we'll so get owned by Halv and Sauce:) I moved back down to 200nl cuz of school recently, and still have a few exams left...

When does this start:P? April 19 or so? Make 30k before May 1st wtf??

Sure, I'm in. The first to make 30k AFTER May 1st right? Should give me enough time to figure out if I should move down or if I should stay at 1k.

I'm just glad (for our sake, not his :( )that Sauce can't play non-US sites, or this thing would be over before it got started. What about cocco_bill, irisheyes? (lol, seems like I'm just looking for ways to get owned.)

Edit: not long ago me and alexos actually talked about a prop bet, and I backed out because I didn't want the pressure. I guess I'm in a different mood today, 'cause this sounds like a great idea.

Bear in mind PT screens can be easily doctored by adding winning players to your aliases, not that any of you would dream of cheating i'm sure!

I don't need to doctor screenshots, I'm gonna pay twenty homeless guys to nut camp 10NL 24/7!

Depending on how I finish out this month, there is a good chance that I will be down for this. Flying out to DC in a few hours so when I get back Ill check out how this has progressed. Ill hold the money if I dont participate [lolo thanks for thinking I wouldnt be interested], but if gabe or lukie would be able to hold the money, more people may be support that. Whatever everybody works out is fine.

Anyways, this should definitely be a good challenge and really get those involved motivated to put in the hands and improve their games.

How bout who can make the most money by the end of the summer?

WOAH, flying out to D.C. in a few hours? Dude I'm right here...

I'll be gone for July and August and don't plan on playing a single hand for those two months.

It'll be extra motivation for me to own all of you fish be4 then.

ISF : it doesn't really matter when the challenge "ends", it'll be about making X $. I can see why you might want to stretch it out over the summer (build your roll then pwn EVERYONE ;) ) but I think the most exciting format will be a race-type challenge with a single results/beats/rants/brag thread.

Depending on the # of ppl interested we could even pay out top 2 or 3.

Just to reiterate my idea for the specifics :

Open to any FTR well-known midstaker (if everyone doesn't know someone they need a well-respected poster to vouch for them).

The challenge will only take into consideration profits as of midnight May 1st.

Cocco_Bill, Lukie, Gabe (lol obvaments) and any other super-balla highstaker can't play for obv reasons (yay 1ptBB at nl2k FTW!).

No stakes higher than nl1k. Even that might be worth discussing (capping the limit at nl600?).

Andy akb will be allowed to play at his own risk.

Irisheyes... dunno why I forgot about you. Guess I just thought you were 2 busy at nl1k but I just remembered you have your nl600 grind project going. Could be a good fit!

And like I said before, depending on # of participants, a cash transfer of 200, 250 or 300$ before May 1st will be the requirement to participating. This will obv be the most complicated part since not everybody has money on the same sites.

We have time though, so I'm sure we'll figure it out.

Post any suggestions and formal "I'm interested" posts in this thread.

Hmm, capping it out at 600nl might/will make it more "fair", but no biggie...

So unless I plan a trip somewhere last minute after im done with school, I'm interested.

Can we start is on May 10th? I'll have finals starting May 1st... lol.

And also ISF and I's BR's will be split!

I'm trying out 2/4 atm but not sure if Im gonna stay there yet.

lets just do by the end of August, whoever has made the most money wins.
$500 prop bet. I say a lot of money to keep us all motivated to play a shitload.

Since if someone was going to lie they could mess with there screen shots of PT neways idk if we should require anything.

This is going to be awesome!!!
we can take screen shots of PT to show our progress and shit.

O.K.

After talking to some ppl and thinking a little more I think we should probably limit the challenge to nl600 and under.

So far, I've either spoken to or received messages from Andy, Benny (benny999), Halvsame, Alexos. Massimo and ISF seem possibly interested depending on the terms and date of the challenge Still waiting to see if Irisheyes, koolmoe and nutsinhoe are interested.

Another point of info to start working out will be how to ship the monies to one place.

Personally, paypal, Stars and Fulltilt are all possible spots where I could ship $ to ppl or receive $ from ppl. FWIW I think benny, Alexos and Andy can all vouch for me when it comes to handling $ but it might be best to have someone who isn't participating to hold the money.

If you intend on participating, post again in the thread regarding possible methods for transferring the "buy in" (stars? paypal? fulltilt? other...).

i could hold the money

re ISF :

I agree that a timeline for making $ makes sense but I think the pupose of this will kind of be a highly-publicized race, hence the interest of having a "winning" goal (provided we don't all go busto!). Maybe 30k is too high, we can discuss...

Also we could set up some site or thread either on FTR or elsewhere with a linky with graphs and shit to display everyone's progress.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself but I think this could be a lot of fun ; potentially we could give everyone their own "Challenge blog" that we would link through the master-thread.

Also we could have some fun side-betting with odds and stuff. Before the challenge begins, each contestant could write up a profile explaining their type of game, why they think they'll own everyone, etc.

Obv the point of all this will be to give some of the more prominent FTRers (who are posting a lot, not just lurking) exposure and pressure to push themselves to the higher limits (***looks at self and feels embarassed***).

I think we should have one thread where everyone updates so it can be just one awesome uber thread.
I don't think you're getting ahead of yourself this could be uber fun.
Idk, i dont like the goal idea, i think its most money by end date wins. It'd be so awesome if it ends up two guys with like a 100k+ battling it out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gabe

i could hold the money

---

smells like a scam to me

I'm in.
Although I can't say I will feel too good taking everyone's money. :twisted:
Haha...yeah right, more like me donating my $200 to the winner.

I don't know if I like ISF's idea of going until the end of August. That's just too far off. Maybe if I didn't enrol for another semester of school this summer, I would like it more.

Am I stating the obvious when I say that if someone makes 100k+ by august they will be moving up out of the midstakes and thus out of the challenge? That probably goes for 30k for some/most of us too.

I agree that it's a good idea to restrict it to 600NL for fairness. Thus I will probably not be participating in the challenge myself after all. Though I don't know yet if I'll make it into the 1kNL game with the shot I'm currently taking, I don't want the challenge hanging over me as an incentive to stay at 600NL for the duration.

If I do decide to stay at 600NL and lower for other reasons, then Stars or FTP transfers would both be viable options. I don't have PayPal though.

it'd be cool if gabe held the money.

If Halvsame doesn't play I will have a sadface.

At least I'll have a chance at winning.

Halvsame PLEASE RUN BAD DROP DOWN AND LET US ALL OWN YOU!

Skrew dat, ship the 8.25 ptBB/100@1kNL :shipit:














.... sample size 3500 hands :P

meh, if we all start at midstakes then if someone gets to 1k NL good for him.
Idk, i have the entire summer off and im sure a lot of people are in this boat, and who cares if the date is far off? This can be so awesome im so excited.
Idk ill just go with whatever everyone decides, lets get a poll going soon.

wtf Halvsame u r a BALLA

Stake me for this challenge?

22 posts and I didn't get a mention...

JK, I may be interested, it depends on the terms. I would most likely just be a donator to the winner, but it still sounds like fun.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jager

22 posts and I didn't get a mention...

JK, I may be interested, it depends on the terms. I would most likely just be a donator to the winner, but it still sounds like fun.

---

sry man didn't mean to leave you out

pretty much everyone will be donating!

1 thing I've been thinking of :

allowing U.S. ppl to include R akeback as part of their winnings in order to compensate for the tougher games.

Maybe that'd just be opening Pandora's box and all sorts of exceptions, weird rules... But as a non-U.S. player I feel like it'd be fair.

hahaha im definitely in

only problem is I dont get out of school until may 27th or something and with finals and stuff I wont be playing too much.

However, you can all ship the monies over here as I made 31k at 2/4 and 3/6 on stars without rakeback in march.... muahaha
tho honestly im a degen prop bettor and if nothing it else will be fun motivation so Im in ship me the details and ill see what I can do.

this summer tho, when i turn to poker full time all prop bets r ONNNNNNNN!!!!!!!

unless i spew off my roll to gabe

peace

Having this challenge to until the end of summer is wayyyyy too long. I mean, some of us have lives outside of pokerworld, right, RIGHT?..2 months (may 1st-Jun31st) def seems like enough. Also, I think setting the challenge as "First to get to X amount" will make it much more exciting, imagine someone gets to 29k then starts having a downswing, and the guy with 20k catches up and wins, LIKE WOAH!

I'm already excited lol

My finals are over may 8th, and i assume sauce begins finals week sometime soon and hes a degen and never goes to class so we should start then.

im such a degen- today i decided the only way to cure my downswing was to run 30/24 all night

it worked???

I was looking at a few tables on Stars and saw you sitting with a shorty HU.

U check-called a river overbet w A high and it was good.

SHIP

btw I'm thinking we'll start this May 1st regardless of ppl's schedules. For my part, I'll have at least 2 weeks during May and June where it'll be very tough to play.

Of course, if it ends up being like 5 of us and 3 of you can't play because of finals then we'll adjust. Also, my feeling for the bet stands at something like 250$. Something like a buy in for nl1k would be a fitting pot.

yea that was an ill fucking hand

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Genitruc

it worked???

I was looking at a few tables on Stars and saw you sitting with a shorty HU.

U check-called a river overbet w A high and it was good.

SHIP

---

God you may be the biggest poker nerd north of the border. For christ's sake u are sick in the head plz stop railing ppl 24 hrs a day it puts me on tilt. Ok end rant

lol plz sauce post that hand.

POKERSTARS GAME #9412849637: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($3/$6) - 2007/04/14 - 03:50:14 (ET)
Table 'Adhara V' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: crafty08 ($251.50 in chips)
Seat 5: Sauce123 ($926.80 in chips)
crafty08: posts small blind $3
Sauce123: posts big blind $6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Sauce123 [Ad 5d]
crafty08: calls $3
Sauce123: raises $21 to $27
crafty08: calls $21
*** FLOP *** [7d Jd 3h]
Sauce123: checks
crafty08: checks
*** TURN *** [7d Jd 3h] [8h]
Sauce123: bets $33
crafty08: calls $33
*** RIVER *** [7d Jd 3h 8h] [Jc]
Sauce123: checks
crafty08: bets $191.50 and is all-in
Sauce123: calls $191.50
*** SHOW DOWN ***
crafty08: shows [9d 5s] (a pair of Jacks)
Sauce123: shows [Ad 5d] (a pair of Jacks - Ace kicker)
Sauce123 collected $502 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $503 | Rake $1
Board [7d Jd 3h 8h Jc]
Seat 4: crafty08 (button) (small blind) showed [9d 5s] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 5: Sauce123 (big blind) showed [Ad 5d] and won ($502) with a pair of Jacks

nh

so i'm confused, is this about who makes the most money or who plays the most hands?

If it's hands why don't we just do it from May 9th to the end of the month

Moneyyyyyy $30k May1st until $30k reached

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alexos

Moneyyyyyy $30k May1st until $30k reached BY GENITRUC

---

Who can't transfer on stars?

JL?

Right now it looks like this would be the best way to go about it.

Everyone transfers 250$ to gabe on stars, then gabe ships the moniez to the winner after they reach 30k profits.

k now lets set a date

Also- I would be soooo down for mid/high stakes balla HU or 4max or 6max league like once a week at 200nl or something

sauce, you want to play HU one day at some lower stakes? like 6 tables of 1-2 or something? we could make it an FTR spectacle

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Genitruc

Who can't transfer on stars?

JL?

Right now it looks like this would be the best way to go about it.

Everyone transfers 250$ to gabe on stars, then gabe ships the moniez to the winner after they reach 30k profits.

---

I need to transfer some money to stars...which is not easy without Neteller.
I'm using Moneybookers right now, but I don't believe PS supports that.

I think I have $115 on stars right now :roll:

K I'll set up a registration thread for the challenge starting May 1st (unless a majority of players are unable to start 1st week of May) after I confirm with gabe that he'll hold the money.

gabe- yea definitely but id rather do 4 or i my head might hurt

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Genitruc

Who can't transfer on stars?

JL?

Right now it looks like this would be the best way to go about it.

Everyone transfers 250$ to gabe on stars, then gabe ships the moniez to the winner after they reach 30k profits.

---

I need to transfer some money to stars...which is not easy without Neteller.
I'm using Moneybookers right now, but I don't believe PS supports that.

I think I have $115 on stars right now :roll:

---

Find a guy that plays on Party and PS...give him money on Party, he gives u money on PS..and I think that guy can be Geni, Rav (play on both??)

I'm workin on it yo

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gabe

sauce, you want to play HU one day at some lower stakes? like 6 tables of 1-2 or something? we could make it an FTR spectacle

---

YES DO THIS ASAP.

great idea, i'll probably be down to donate too (hee haw).

i'd want the race idea instead of hands played or total $, and capping at 3/6.
a lil something like rakeback included for US players sounds fair, party/pokeroom/etc are def easier, but at the same time i agree it should be as simple as possible, and wouldn't want that to be a deciding factor. so i'd prob do it either way as far as that goes.

and i want to see the sauce v gabe hu too!!
anyone else want to play/practice at like 50nl or lower?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sauce123

gabe- yea definitely but id rather do 4 or i my head might hurt

---

ok thats fine, hows sunday ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by benny999

great idea, i'll probably be down to donate too (hee haw).

i'd want the race idea instead of hands played or total $, and capping at 3/6.
a lil something like rakeback included for US players sounds fair, party/pokeroom/etc are def easier, but at the same time i agree it should be as simple as possible, and wouldn't want that to be a deciding factor. so i'd prob do it either way as far as that goes.

and i want to see the sauce v gabe hu too!!
anyone else want to play/practice at like 50nl or lower?

---

We should organize a lowstakes game (like nl25 or nl50) on Stars for fun sometime with the ppl playing in the challenge.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alexos

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Genitruc

Who can't transfer on stars?

JL?

Right now it looks like this would be the best way to go about it.

Everyone transfers 250$ to gabe on stars, then gabe ships the moniez to the winner after they reach 30k profits.

---

I need to transfer some money to stars...which is not easy without Neteller.
I'm using Moneybookers right now, but I don't believe PS supports that.

I think I have $115 on stars right now :roll:

---

Find a guy that plays on Party and PS...give him money on Party, he gives u money on PS..and I think that guy can be Geni, Rav (play on both??)

---

If you still need help with this, lemme know. I gots money on both.

gabe- yea sure, pick a time cause im visiting my parents this weekend and so have no partying distractions and can be a fulltime poker degen.

high noon on sunday!? Maybe some FTRers can sit out while u play to prevent problems with others sitting in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

high noon on sunday!? Maybe some FTRers can sit out while u play to prevent problems with others sitting in.

---

yesss

If I'm awake I'll definitely be side-betting on the action

awesome, that would be great if the table would fill up with FTR people.

i think i can handle 6 HU tables, no more though and i might have to close one. lets say around 3 ?