What is Makeup in Poker?

In the world of poker staking, makeup is the amount of money a player has to win in order to recoup their backers original investment. For example, let’s say a backer invests $10,000 in a player with a 50/50 profit sharing deal, and they player plays in nine $1,000 tournaments and doesn’t cash in any of them. The player is now $9,000 in makeup.

If the player plays a 10th $1,000 tournament and cashes for $50,000, the player would be obligated to pay $10,000 in makeup, and then split the remaining $40,000 with the backer, per the terms of the 50/50 deal.