faaak

So I won a $1500 World Series of Poker seat in my homegame. Or did I?

I was sitting with the host of the game after a nice cashgame (+$300 woot), and I mentioned that I was thinking of selling pieces of myself to reduce variance. Basically, putting $1500 (or $1000 as the case may be, because 35% of any winnings go to the league and 65% to me, but still) onto a single tournament is too much risk for the size of my bankroll. So I'll sell off a certain % for cash, and if I score in the tournament, the people who bought those % get a corresponding % of the prize. I figure I wanted to have somewhere between 35-50% of myself in this tournament.

Well the host flipped out. He said it was the league's ticket not mine and I couldn't sell pieces of it. I said the league owned 35%, but i could sell pieces of my 65% if I wanted. It was a scene. The next day our squabble broke out on the internet, as each of us wanted to check with other poker players about what is customary here, but we ended up just arguing in public. I think both of us were feeling pretty hurt.

That night he invited me out to another poker game that I wasn't planning on going to, but in light of his olive branch (come play poker with me), I took him up and joined. We played amiably for a couple hours (+$40 imo), then once the game broke went outside and had a chat. The online people overwhelmingly agreed with me, and he talked to some players he respects who also agreed with me. He expressed his fear that if I didn't have a lot of money riding on the one tournament I wouldn't play my best and that would screw over the league and their share. I reassure him it wouldn't change my play. He told me in that case he was comfortable with me selling action, and explained again how him and a couple others thought they were staking people for WSOP. I refrained from explaining again that the can't stake someone who doesn't agree to it, and even if they did, I could still sell pieces of MY part of the action. He apologized for questioning my motives and integrity. This was the most important thing in the conversation, but I was too heated at the time to recognize it.

I woke up the next morning (this morning) an emotional mess. We exchanged awkward emails again, but finally came around to what I think is a mutual understanding. I apologized for my misunderstanding and for causing a scene, he apologized for manipulating me and said that I can sell action. All seems OK now.

Its really hard making my way through this poker/gambling world when I hate money so much and yet the entire thing revolves around money. I hope he remains my friend, because I think its important to me that I'm able to maintain at least one true friendship in this fucked up world of degenerates, angleshooters, hustlers, and players.