Integrity as A Currency

I've met all kinds of people in my life. On a poker table (especially cash games), most masks come off and the spectrum of characters that we encounter will shock a normal person. 

I can't say I have never done anything I am not proud of, but in recent years, I have been working on being a better person, being honest, being kind, being helpful, being fair. 

Staking is a big part of our industry and how one handles staking and potential disputes can greatly affect their reputation. (even from the buyer's side) In the past couple of years I have always manage to sell out my shares very quickly, even when I was going through rough patches. But I have just recently offered to sell my cash game action in Macau for January 2026. At the writing of this article, I have 1% left unsold within the same day of posting my staking file. 

For those who are unfamiliar, there is a huge difference when it comes to staking for tourneys vs cash games. With the exception of TLTs in Taiwan, there isn't any clear proof for cash game buy ins, winnings or losses. Some stakers go to the extent of sending a neutral person as an observer to keep track, or in recent years, live streams do provide some provable records. However where I am going, the staker has to completely trust in my version of the reports. 

I agree that everyone has a price, and there always is the temptation of reporting fake results. There have been many cases of fraud even in tournament staking. There is one player I stake fully without demanding any proof, and even in our business dealings together I choose to 100% trust him. I believe I am a good judge of character and I go with my read. At the same time, I am proud that so many trust me enough to buy my stake. 

Integrity, honesty, trustworthiness are all rare commodities in our industry. I feel great that some people still credit me with it. That's why I have decided to open up more shares for my upcoming trip for other people to participate. Send me a pm (IG - Happyriverpoker) or email (gmail) if you are interested.