Want a piece? 15 players you can back now at the WPT, EPT and WSOP

The time has come: cards are in the air at EPT Prague and the WPT festival at the Wynn, and WSOP Paradise begins tomorrow.

If you’re lucky enough to be present in Prague, Las Vegas or the Bahamas it’s time to get your game face on. For those of us watching on from afar, however, our only option is to adopt a classic ‘FOMO’ pout and sulk.

Or is it? Thanks to staking platforms such as PokerStake and StakeKings, you can back your favorite players with cold, hard cash, and reap the rewards if and when they win.

With that in mind, we’ve picked a few players worth watching who have action available in upcoming events. If you want to grab a piece, head to the sites above to put your money where your mouth is - that is, if they haven’t sold out yet.

Please note that PokerOrg has no affiliation with any of the players or sites mentioned – we just know it’s fun to have some skin in the game.

Details are correct at time of publication.

WSOP Paradise

Big prizes could mean big returns for backing the right horse in the sunkissed Bahamas, and what’s more there are a number of star names offering good deals with low mark-up.

Jose Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Barbero is in the Bahamas, and the ACR pro is having a great year. Nacho cashed seven times at the summer edition of the WSOP, and three times at the PokerGO Tour PLO Series in October. He also cashed in November’s Triton stop in Monte Carlo, and is selling action in two Triton events at WSOP Paradise:

• $525,000 Triton Million, December 7, at 1.02 mark-up
• $106,000 Triton Main Event, December 10, at 1.03 mark-up

Stakes in Nacho Barbero are available for close to no mark-up.

NEIL STODDART

Kristen Foxen scored a career-high $600K for her deep run in the summer’s WSOP Main Event, and ran deep at WPT Seminole in two events just this week for over $100K in winnings in December 2024 already.

Stephen Song is fresh from winning the NAPT High Roller a month ago, having claimed the big win at EPT Barcelona before that, and just like Foxen will be playing the Triton Main Event, with both players offering the chance to buy a piece at the same price:

• $106,000 Triton Main Event, December 10, at 1.03 mark-up

With five WSOP bracelets, Benny Glaser is no stranger to closing out a win at the World Series. This famously versatile player from the UK is offering the chance to invest in several high buy-in events, where his mixed game prowess should come in handy:

• $52,000 Pot-limit Omaha Championship, December 11, at 1.04 mark-up
• $10,400 Pot-limit Omaha, December 14, at 1.1 mark-up
• $26,000 Super Main Event, December 12, at 1.18 mark-up

Benny Glaser has a strong mixed-game pedigree.

Another player who will be regging the Super Main is former WSOP World Champion Jamie Gold. His $12M score from the 2006 WSOP Main Event is a bigger payday than most players have experienced, but he hasn’t been sat on his thumbs since then. Gold cashed twice at last summer’s World Series, three times the year before, and should give great entertainment value to those who buy a piece:

• $26,000 Super Main Event, December 12, at 1.2 mark-up
• $5,300 Deepstack NLH, December 10, at 1.3 mark-up

The Deepstack tourney will also be played by Jessica Teusl - fresh from the Triton Million which she enters alongside Fedor Holz. Teusl is also offering investors a sweat in the Deepstack, at a lower price than Gold:

• $5,300 Deepstack NLH, December 10, at 1.1 mark-up

David Coleman is one of the hottest players in the world right now, and is in a three-way battle for Player of the Year honors. He's another who will be battling it out for the Triton Main Event, and his great recent form should give investors a confidence boost:

• $106,000 Triton Main Event, December 10, at 1.05 mark-up

The field in the Triton Million will famously comprise both pros and skilled recreational players - who can afford the $525,000 buy-in, that is. We'd back Shaun Deeb in any field, but this one could be particularly up his street:

• $525,000 Triton Million, December 7, at 1.05 mark-up

EPT Prague

There may be fewer opportunities to invest when it comes to the tournament series taking place in the heart of Europe, but with the famous EPT Live crew on hand, you’re likely to be able to follow much of the action via live streams.

Vivian Saliba, the 888poker ambassador, looks to be playing a fairly chunky schedule of events in the Czech capital. Saliba enjoyed a very successful WSOP Europe just a couple of months ago, including a bracelet win in a PLO event, so may be good value when it comes to Omaha:

• €5,300 EPT Prague Main Event, December 9, at 1.12 mark-up
• €1,100 Pot-limit Omaha, December 10, at 1.22 mark-up
• €3,000 Mystery Bounty, December 11, at 1.1 mark-up

Vivian Saliba will be playing multiple events in Prague.

Eloy Cabacas

Another option to back in PLO is Sasha Liu, a player who has racked up Omaha wins from Las Vegas to Taipei. Liu will be playing the higher buy-in PLO event in Prague:

• €5,200 Pot-limit Omaha, December 9, at 1.1 mark-up

WPT World Championships

Last year the Wynn provided one of the most exciting tournaments of the year as Dan Sepiol beat a talented final table to top the World Championship for a $5.2M payday. If you’re looking to back a player in the headline $10,400 Main Event this year, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

David Lappin proved himself to be one smart cookie by being the first to solve the PokerOrg Runner-Runner contest, bagging himself a ticket to the NAPT. Lappin will be back in Vegas for the World Championship:

• $10,400 World Championship, December 14, at a mark-up of 1.2

Victoria Livschitz is another strong talent with action available, and her cost-price offer in the $1,600 Mystery Bounty looks like an offer that's too good to miss. In fact, Livschitz has a raft of events available with no mark-up:

• $1,600 Mystery Bounty, December 7, at a mark-up of 1
• $3,000 No-limit Hold'em 6-Max, December 20, at a mark-up of 1
• $1,100 No-limit Hold'em, December 22, at a mark-up of 1

Maria Konnikova bagged her first WSOP bracelet online a few months ago, and will also be playing the big one at the Wynn, in addition to - at least - one side event:

• $10,400 World Championship, December 14, at a mark-up of 1.17
• $3,000 No-limit Hold’em, December 18, at a mark-up of 1.1

Maria Konnikova is a recent WSOP bracelet winner.

Cherish Andrews is another player selling action for multiple events during the WPT Festival, once again including the World Championship event. Andrews just made the final table in an 8-Max event at WPT Seminole, and is offering stakes in a similar event towards the end of the festival:

• $10,400 World Championship, December 14, at a mark-up of 1.25
• $10,500 No-limit Hold’em 8-Max, December 22, at a mark-up of 1.1

Last, but not least, there’s the player who won over a million dollars on a slot earlier this year, Allen Kessler. There’s running hot, and then there’s a $1M slot win hot. What’s more, you can buy a piece of Kessler’s World Championship entry at cost:

• $10,400 World Championship, December 14, at a mark-up of 1
• $2,200 HORSE Championship, December 19, at a mark-up of 1.15

Which hotshots did we miss? Who have you backed? Let us know in the comments below.

^{Images courtesy of Eloy Cabacas/Rachel Kay Winter/Matthew Berglund/Neil Stoddart}