Enter the buy-in, piece percentage, and markup multiplier to calculate the poker staking piece cost.

Poker Staking Markup Calculator

Price a piece, reverse engineer markup from the amount paid, or estimate fair markup from expected ROI.

Piece Cost
Implied Markup
Fair Markup / ROI

Example: 10% of a 1,000 event at 1.15 markup costs 115.

Use this when you know the buy-in, piece size, and price paid, but not the markup.

Markup → Breakeven ROI
ROI → Fair Markup

A markup of 1.15 implies a 15% breakeven ROI for the buyer.

An expected ROI of 15% implies a fair markup of 1.15.

Related Calculators

Poker Markup Formula

In poker staking, markup is the premium added when a player sells action above face value. A markup of 1.00 means no premium, 1.10 means the buyer pays 10% above face value, and 1.25 means the buyer pays 25% above face value. This calculator is useful for single-event sales, partial pieces, and larger tournament packages.

C = B \cdot S \cdot M

C is the total amount paid by the backer, B is the buy-in or package amount, S is the share sold as a decimal, and M is the markup multiplier.

F = B \cdot S

F is the face value of the share before markup is applied.

P = B \cdot S \cdot (M - 1)

P is the dollar premium paid above face value.

R = W \cdot S

If the player cashes for W, the backer’s gross return is usually their percentage of that result, based on the share they purchased.

\Pi = R - C

Π is the backer’s profit or loss after subtracting the purchase cost.

How to Calculate Poker Markup

  1. Convert the share percentage to decimal form. For example, 5% becomes 0.05 and 10% becomes 0.10.
  2. Find the face value of the piece by multiplying the buy-in by the share.
  3. Apply the markup multiplier to get the actual amount the backer pays.
  4. If needed, subtract face value from total cost to isolate the premium.

Example 1: Single Tournament Share

A player is selling 10% of a $1,000 tournament at 1.15 markup.

F = 1000 \cdot 0.10 = 100
C = 1000 \cdot 0.10 \cdot 1.15 = 115
P = 1000 \cdot 0.10 \cdot (1.15 - 1) = 15

The buyer pays $115. Of that amount, $100 is face value and $15 is markup premium.

Example 2: Tournament Package

A player sells 25% of a $3,500 package at 1.08 markup.

C = 3500 \cdot 0.25 \cdot 1.08 = 945

The backer pays $945. The face value of the share is $875, so the premium is $70.

Quick Markup Reference

Markup Premium Above Face Value Cost of 10% of a $1,000 Buy-In
1.00 0% $100
1.05 5% $105
1.10 10% $110
1.20 20% $120
1.50 50% $150

Estimating Fair Markup from ROI

A common shortcut is to compare markup with the player’s expected long-run ROI. If ROI is written as a decimal, a rough estimate is:

M_{fair} \approx 1 + ROI

If ROI is written as a percentage, use:

M_{fair} \approx 1 + ROI/100

For example, a true 20% ROI suggests a markup near 1.20. In practice, buyers should still adjust for sample size, field strength, variance, rake, format, and whether the sale is for one event or an entire series.

Useful Reverse Calculations

If you know how much a backer paid and want to solve for the share size, use:

S = C/(B \cdot M)

If you know the buy-in, share, and total price paid and want the implied markup, use:

M = C/(B \cdot S)

What Affects the Right Markup?

  • Player edge: stronger long-run results can justify a higher premium.
  • Sample size: short-term success can overstate true ability.
  • Field quality: softer fields generally support more markup than tougher ones.
  • Tournament structure: high-variance formats make pricing less certain.
  • Fees and rake: higher costs reduce true expected value.
  • Deal format: a single-event sale is different from a package or long-term backing arrangement.

Common Mistakes

  • Entering 15 instead of 1.15 for a 15% markup.
  • Using a percentage share as a whole number instead of a decimal.
  • Applying markup to the wrong base amount in a multi-event package.
  • Confusing markup with return; markup changes the purchase price, not the ownership percentage.
  • Ignoring deal-specific rules on refunds, swaps, or payout handling.

Poker Markup FAQ

What does 1.15 markup mean?

It means the backer pays 15% above face value. A $200 face-value piece would cost $230.

Does markup change how much of the action the buyer owns?

No. Markup changes the price paid, not the percentage owned. If you buy 10%, you still own 10% of the agreed result.

Can this be used for packages instead of one tournament?

Yes. Replace the single-event buy-in with the total package amount, then apply the same share and markup formulas.

Is 1.00 markup the same as face value?

Yes. At 1.00 markup, the buyer pays exactly the proportional buy-in with no premium added.

Why is markup written as 1.10 instead of 10%?

Because markup is usually treated as a multiplier. The extra premium is built into the multiplier, so 1.10 means face value multiplied by 1.10.