Staker	Amount Staked	Returned
Topajos	$65	$16,646
WolvoLad	$50	$12,805
argyllman	$50	$12,805
Likey	$20	$5,122
Prestonian	$20	$5,122
Janaageisgod	$10	$2,561

Stake Thread
All staking has now been moved from
EMS to stakeashark.com

StakeAShark.com is an online poker community that connects poker players (runners) with stakers (backers). Stakers post the amount they are willing to stake together with the type of event they would like the players to play and players apply for the stakes. The whole system is automated which means the experience is very quick and easy.

At only 18 years of age Bas became the first EMS / SAS player to final table in a major online event. To many this came as no surprise as he has shown immense promise during the short time he has been playing online. He took 3rd prize and $84K of which $50K was paid out to EMS members who staked him to play the WCOOP 1 event. This is sure to be the first of many big wins for the Devon poker ace who has already won more than 100K from online mtts.

Bas's thoughts on WCOOP #1 -

17 hours later, 4600 players later, I finished 3rd for $85,000 from a $215 buyin.
it's still weird to think about it..., it feels like a fairytale. I remember on the day feeling very focused and very nervous as I had been running bad for a few weeks, and had lost a lot of confidence. I very quickly felt more confident as it was short handed and my table was extremely weak,

I was trying to play very aggressive and really got stuck in to my table.I doubled up with a few nice pots, and then I just kept on going. Then I had a nasty table, very aggressive, I picked up JJ and raised it up, 1 caller. Board came A J x, with 2 of a suit, I bet and got called, turn was a 3 I think, I checked, he bet, I shoved, he called with A3 and flush draw, my hand held and I was big stacked.

I got even bigger stacked when I had 66 on a 8 8 6 board, the caller pre flop
had been making so many moves on me, I bet, he raised, I re raised, he shoved representing the 8, I was never folding, he showed KQ!
A few hands later I finished him off with AQ vs KQ, and suddenly I was the chip leader!

With 639 players left, I had 75000 chips, and was in 1st, with 534 paid.I proceeded to just take down lots and lots of pots and going well, then i had AJ vs JJ on a x x J A board, and lost almost half my stack. I built it all back up again slowly, and got into the money more than safely.I had been going about 5 hours by then, and about 4 hours later, I was still on the same stack! I just could not get anywhere, completely card dead, no chance to steal.

I became short stacked from about 100 left, but I kept the patience even though I was beginning to feel ill. I was short stacked all the way until the last 12, where I was about 10th of 12. I then got a double up with AK vs A2 and won a nice pot with AQ, and then took someone out with AQ vs 53, meaning I was up to 3rd and in sight of the final table!

I had been playing over 15 hours by then and at the break I was feeling really sick, I went outside and tried to keep focused, I came back feeling better, But I was struggling to stay awake.

We finally reached the final table (last 6) with $10,000 guarenteed, and I was in 3rd I think with about 2.4 million chips. I decided to sit patient and go up the money, it didn't take long for 1 to go out, meaning we were up to $19,000. I then tried to up the aggression and re raised a button steal with K5, which I'm so glad got through. We were down to 4 not long after, guarenteed $37,000.

Then with 4 left I was in 3rd I think, as the person who came into the final table as Chip Leader proceeded to donk off over 5 million chips, and ended up going out in 4th. I was guarenteed $65,000 then, we decided to deal. I was the shortest stack and was more than happy to deal, ended up with an extra $20,000 and being guarenteed $85,000,and playing for $46,000 and bracelet for 1st.

I went out not long after with top pair vs set, I was so knackered I wasn't really bothered at the time, I was completely overwhelmed, it was such a long night.
It definitely was 1 of the best days of my life, I just wish I could have got more results after in the rest of the series.

What also made it even better was even though I had to give $50,000 to stakers, it felt like I had done a great thing not just for myself. I was so proud and still am to the day of what I achieved. The key thing is to always to believe in yourself, and to believe in others like my stakers did, even when you are down, never give up.