Antonio Esfandiari has been unveiled as the ambassador for the staking platform StakeKings and has promised to put packages on the site so his fans can buy pieces of his action.
There used to be a time when staking, backing and deal making was all sweaty handshakes and nervous waits.
Times are changing.
Antonio Esfandiari is the latest ambassador for the staking platform StakeKings. Not only will Esfandiari promote the site when he plays and across social media networks that connect to hundreds of thousands of people, but he will also post his personal packages on the site.
Only Daniel Negreanu and Erik Seidel have won more live tournament dollar than the $27m that has fallen in and out of the pockets of the Magician over the years, so why on earth is he looking to sell pieces of his action on a staking site?
“It’s for the fans,” Esfandiari stated in a press release, “If I know the fans are backing me, it’s extra incentive for me to grind my way to a win for them.”
StakeKings have raised the bar, and it’s good for the business, adding an extra dimension to a part of the game that was often carried out behind closed doors. In the past year players using the StakeKings platform have won over $4m, earning backers over half a million dollars through either fixed bids or auction.
StakeKings CEO Eric Edwards hit the nail on the head when he said Antonio would ‘make a good sweat,’ and that his packages will be ‘in high demand.’
StakeKings was formerly known as the Global Poker Link. A social media platform for poker players that created a staking team allowing punters to buy pieces of professional players and then sweat their action on Twitch. The former European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event Champion, Rupert Elder, was a member of the Global Poker Link staking team and won $124,000 while streaming his action in the Million Dollar Event on Black Chip Poker (a record at the time). As the staking became the main focus of the Global Poker Link it made sense to change the name.
During my recent conversation with the Global Poker League (GPL) founder, Alex Dreyfus, he talked about his plans to provide a staking platform for punters following his franchises. When that comes to fruition, it will take staking to a whole new level with 100% of the matches, broadcast on the Internet or TV in one form or another, allowing punters to pay and watch their horses play 100% of the time.
