The Challenge II, Role Call and Bets

Combatants:
MHG
Dr. Chako
Blaargh!
BWoP
Kat
Aposec72
High on Poker
Shawn
Heffmike

(drop a comment if you are interested and I'll update this list)

The holidays and two week break have done a number on my poker challenge organizational skills, and I apologize for dropping the ball on this here challenge. That said, we can rush to start on Jan. 1, 2010 still, or we can push the start date back a week to drum up anticipation and business. Cast your vote in the comments--I originally was leaning towards waiting, but a shotgun wedding-style start to the second bankroll challenge sounds kind of sexy.

My rough plans for the challenge are to end on March 1, 2010. Two months seems like enough time to get plenty of poker in, but not too long that people get bored with the challenge.

Bets:

1) Most gained as a % of bankroll from beginning to end of challenge
MHG: $2
Blaargh!: $10
Dr. Chako: $10
Kat: $5
Aposec72: $5
High on Poker: $10
Shawn: $5
Heffmike: $10

2) Largest score
MHG: $2
Blaargh!: $5
BWoP: $5
Dr. Chako: $5
Kat: $5
Aposec72: $2
High on Poker: $5
Shawn: $5
Heffmike: $10

3) Slayer of Donkeys (smallest fraction: finish place / # of entrants)
MHG: $3
Blaargh!: $5
BWoP: $5
Dr. Chako: $5
Kat: $5
Aposec72: $5
High on Poker: $10
Heffmike: $10

4) Funniest post (non-monetary)
MHG: A poem ode to the victor
Blaargh!: dirty limerick
Dr. Chako: poetry
Kat: haiku/poem

5) Betting the horses (picking the victor of bets 1-3, non-monetary)
MHG: A painting of the victor
Blaargh!: painting
Dr. Chako: Some form of original art. I may write and record a song.
Kat: crafty/pokery goodness

6) Bad Beat of the Challenge (worst bad beat of the challenge, non-monetary)
MHG: A box of Kleenex
Blaargh!: The world's smallest violin
Dr. Chako: The world's 2nd smallest violin. Apparently the smallest was already taken.

7) Most hands played during the challenge
Blaargh!: $5
MHG: $2
Aposec72: $3

8) Best overall winrate over 10k hands
Blaargh!: $5
MHG: $2

(leave other betting ideas in the comments and I'll add them)

Betting is going to be a little different this year for two reasons. First, I'd like to give more people the opportunity to bet at levels they are comfortable with (mostly myself). Second, I'd like to give some importance to places other than first. I propose that as you leave a comment stating which bets you want in for, you also write down a dollar amount next to each bet that you are comfortable with to make the bet interesting for you. I've done so for myself on the first three bets, and then for the non-monetary bets I wrote down what I'm offering to the victor if I lose.

Here's an example of how I intend the betting to work:

3) Slayer of Donkeys
MHG: $3
Aposec72: $10
Blaargh!: $17.50
Dr. Chako: $20
Kat: $5
BWOPCK: $20

If we were to finish in order from top to bottom, I would get $3 from everyone. Aposec would get $7 from everyone except Kat, and he would take her last $2 (what a douche), Blaargh! would get $7.50 from Dr. Chako and BWOPCK, and Dr. Chako would take CK's last $2.50 and go buy an anti-energy drink. A simpler outcome would be if CK or Dr. Chako takes first, they just take everyone's money--pretty much like an all-in with six different people, if the person who had the biggest stack going in wins, she knocks everyone else out.

It sounds complicated, but I'll do the math and show who owes who what, after all the bets are settled once the challenge has completed.

Game on!