Hi all,

I'm a poker fan and poker player. I'm also a crowdfunding fan, and I have a barebones crowdfunding site that I could take, well, almost any direction. I'm not looking to do catch-all crowdfunding. I'd rather focus on something I'm passionate about. It occurred to me that, maybe, just maybe, crowdfunding could be of use in the poker world.

I thought I would put this out there and crowdsource some ideas, and if any of them seem really good maybe develop the site to make them happen.

Here are some off-the-top ideas you could achieve with crowdfunding:

-Crowdfund some money for a 'contender' player to jump to a much higher stake, maybe match them up with a pro. The funders could be involved with the process and the aftermath learning/feedback etc.
-Crowdfund a new poker site with new options you'd prefer.
-Crowdfund new poker software
-Crowdfund some tourneys.
-Crowdfund some poker lobbying?

There are many options. The main think I need to know is, before I put in the work/investment, would this serve a need in the poker community and would people use it?

I look forward to your input.

Perhaps crowd funding a poker team would be cool. I have ideas for a team concept for live poker in which the team basically in part shares equity in each other in an organized fashion and thus reduces risk of variance etc.inherent in only investing in yourself.

it's a great, but you should delete the first paragraph and don't allowed "new "pokerstars's killer" pokerroom" offer

This already exists:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...eeking-stakes/
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/16...shares-online/
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/18...g-shares-live/

The most successful Kickstarter video games to date (Torment, Project Eternity) raised about $4 Million. Seems like you'd basically have to be the most successful crowdfunding drive ever just to try and make a dent in the industry.

Pretty crowded marketplace and startup costs are not high - Not sure why anyone would need this. And if they did, why wouldn't they go ahead and use kickstarter?

(Most software is some combination of database, HUD and/or macro/scripting software - It's not developing a AAA console title).

More staking?
Or are you just looking to host some private tournaments? Not really new, not really a lot of demand (most people want to play with fish not other regs).

You realize the kind of money in play in lobbying, particularly when it comes to gambling?

I hate to be a bucket of cold water but it seems like you just have a lot of vague ideas you haven't really thought through and your knowledge of the market may be a little... light. Maybe there will be some good suggestions in this thread but I'm not seeing what you can offer that either doesn't already exist in a much more mature form or which just doesn't have much demand.

You think an online staking forum is more a "much more mature form" than a crowdfunding site which could provide supporting documentation, etc, for the players that you are staking?

The site could take some cues from peer-to-peer lending sites like Prosper dot com. They have debt collectors on hand, every loan has its own prospectus which is filed with the SEC, they collect wage information, credit scores, etc, for everyone who receives a loan.

I appreciate the feedback/concerns. As one commenter suggested, I have not researched specific areas where crowdfunding could replace/benefit areas on the poker community. That would come later. I'm not trying to sell the idea, yet, rather I'm looking for feedback from the largest online poker community there is.

Niche crowdfunding shouldn't really give up and not try just because behemoths already exist. In fact niche crowdfunding does exist, and these sites are built up of vibrant, active participants who understand and care about the issues, just like niche forums. Niche crowdfunding sites are made up of people who are passionate about, knowledgable about, and can really focus on impacting, their subject matter - in this case poker.

Competition is a reality in any business and not something I would shirk from. If I launched said site, I'd expect it to offer a quality product and service that can draw poker enthusiasts, and I'd expect it to survive on that basis.

As to lobbying, lobbyists and even politicans do use crowdfunding. And if everyone who wanted to see online poker legalized (for example) funded the right politician with just $20, it could really help.

I guess my point here is that I think I can fend off these negatives IF - and its a big IF - people wanted to see it happen. That is the real negative: a community not interested in raising money for projects/products/adventures to impact that community. That said, I respect and appreciate your points - these things do pose very real hazards, I'm just saying I don't find them prohibitive.

CMAR is so much nicer than I am, I was simply going to post that if it was to develop a site to run real money games then good luck with that being the largest crowdfunded project ever, and if it was for free play I was going to suggest good luck competing with the tons of apps that already exist (as well as sites like Pokerstars play money).

Perhaps using it to raise funds to write a poker book (one guy did that already I believe), or develop a new poker type of physical product ( I got a desk on Kickstarter for instance), and maybe it could work as a weird form of staking for say the WSOP main event (though good luck managing that type of stake with dozens or hundreds of random people contributing if it even sold), but I do not see it as a fit for much else in the industry for now.

I'm going to have to learn all this terminology.

The staking forum seems to do ok, but there's also sites like Part Time Poker if you want more organization.

You really think OP's site is going to do a better job at vetting than Kickstarter or 2+2 posters? And if he does, what kind liabilities does that open him up to when something inevitably goes wrong?

That's a way, way bigger scope than just a kickstarter site in some dude's basement. And why would you put those resources into something as shaky/sketchy as poker staking when you could hit a far broader market like consumer loans?

It may make sense for a site like Prosper to take this on as a marginal side business, but probably not the other way around.

Here you sound like a marketing guy, not a business guy.

Yeah, pretty crazy nobody thought of this before...

http://theppa.org/

Your problem is you haven't identified either a product or a market. Let alone even the broadest strokes of a business plan. You seem to be expecting this forum to do your homework for you. You could have dropped into any forum, from Bronies to jetski enthusiasts and made basically the same pitch.

Thing is, it's pretty clear you don't have much of anything to offer us. Numerous crowdfunding sites that have already established themselves already exist. If there was a need, why wouldn't anyone use them instead? Indeed the poker community more or less has all the functionality suggested so far. Until you come up with an actual salable idea, I'm sorry but I just don't see this going anywhere.

It would not necessarily have to be the largest crowdfunded campaign of all time - and if it was, what's wrong with that? Millions of people are interested in online poker & would probably be more willing to lend money to that cause than to loan money for a video game or a movie.

BTW, the largest crowdfunded campaign raised over $12M (although that was still short of their goal).

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge

I was responding to the concept, which I think is fine. As for OP's resources and skills to successfully execute the concept, I don't have enough information to make a judgement either way.

It would likely have less accountability than Prosper, but much more than a forum. It's not that hard to collect some basic information and run some background checks like the ones employers use.

As for poker being sketchy/shaky, that's sort of the point. There is pent-up demand for a site that could eliminate some of the sketchiness.

And actually, poker players could probably use Prosper right now to get a stake, they would just need to pass the approval process. People get loans on there for vacations and other marginal reasons, so it would probably go through if they called it a "business loan".

CMAR, thanks for the psychoanalysis. you seem to think i'm getting spewy with 7-2 here.

opening this discussion up is a part of the homework. i'm looking for ideas on what we could use a crowdfunding site for. if you really think people can't innovate on what's out there, and won't need money to do it - you are mistaken.

but the point of this thread was not to see if there were ideas/projects poker enthusiasts would want to crowdfund. most replies here are criticisms, constructive and otherwise, not cfunding ideas. if the biggest online poker community has no ideas or shows no interest, i will not take the site in the poker direction.

Excuse me, the point of this thread WAS to see if there were ideas/projects poker enthusiasts would want to crowdfund.

Send PMs to that DeepFryer guy and pool your resources and knowledge and go for it. Find a need and fill it etc.

All the best.

I would love to see a Texas Hold'em Android app kind of like the old WPT game for Gameboy and have actually thought about starting a Kickstarter campaign to pay for one to get developed.

There are a lot of apps out there but they require you to be connected to the 'net and play against other people. There are some apps out there where you don't have to be connected to the 'net and you play against computer generated players, but they're [the apps] not very good.

It is foolish to expect from a moderator reading news sites. I'm sorry. I added the details in my post.

I registered on gamcrowd [OP's site?] after reading an article on calvinayre and I waiting for the end of January for my the poker figurine project.

If you as a moderator need a details about the poker figurine, then the next text for you.
The poker figurine is a chip stack crushed like a can. If you like to borrow the name, you can call it "The Physical Impossibility of Anger in the Mind of Someone Living/Playing"

The last part of my first post I left without explanation.

And perhaps for some paintings (about ungerage gambling, problem with gluttony, double standards), entertainment short-film (funny version "how to win at casino") and sarcastic datamining site.

is it a bad idea send money to the direct wallet of the project starter and wait fee after?

anybody want to revive a gambling insurance service?

or gamcrowd keeps a fee amount of the first donations and all other donations send to the direct wallet of the project starter. Bitcoin is good for this.

Well if OP doesn't even know what exactly he wants to do and has an idea of what huge costs are involved, how can you trust him with the money?

I changed my mind. Chris North is a respected man, apparently. A former Founder and CEO of the Fox Poker Club. "Fox Poker Club was bought out by Genting Casinos in a multi-million pound deal". It was 1 year ago. I would trust him.

A many bitcoin casinos have invest function. Just-dice has attracted investment of 60k btc (equivalent $60m 25 day ago)

You will be able to raise money to run your project on gamcrowd and use bitcoin casinos business model later. It's amazing!

_________
why moders merged my posts? The last 2 posts was a reply on 39suited's post. But these posts was stupid anyway.

Feb, 6. no news from gamcrowd

GamCrowd is now open for registrations:

I have thought about this before as well, when I used to play WPN, where the security I felt was off. And what is somewhat more annoying is that WPN really has everything in place to be the market leader, but they don't care for whatever reason. So if you are reading this WPN;

-Increase security
-Improve Customer Service

and I think you could easily become the market leader in poker. Anyhow this most likely wont happen, so regarding my question.

Is it possible to create a Crowdfunded Pokersite where it basicly works as a union. Everyone who registers owns some type of share of the company? In the light of everything going on, the security outside pokerstars seems to almost be gone at this point, at least to the point where you ever can't be at least somewhat paranoid.

I don't have the answer to create such a site, but obv it would have to benefit recreationals as well. So I guess having some sort of PVI where people get a much better bonus system,. I don't know what maintance for such a site would cost, but I would think if you went for a non rakeback type of deal with only "bonuses" to loosing players, it could work with rake just being low in general.

It would increase regbattling again, HU play, and tablestarting. Effective rake across all stakes could be the same, welcoming players from all stakes to pay the minimum of fees, while gaining 100% transparancy to the site.

I understand that this is probably a farfetched Idea, but if someone is thinking along the same lines, I am willing to discuss this and work on it to make it happen.