Insane Prop Bets Made By Poker Players in 2017

6 years ago
Insane Prop Bets Made By Poker Players in 2017
10:11
27 Dec

Poker players in general will gamble on practically anything, as evidenced by numerous prop bets over the years that included Brian Zembic getting breast implants and Phil Ivey attempting to go vegan for one year.

There was no respite in proposition bets among poker players in 2017, with several such wagers making headlines. Let's take a look back at some of the prop bets that caught the attention of those in the poker community over the past year.


Big Mac Attack Falls Short

Often times, prop bets are food-related, either gorging oneself or trying to abstain from eating. It was the former that Mike Noori attempted to do in May, betting Matt Savage that he could consume $1,000 worth of McDonald's grub in a mere 36 hours.

At 5-1 odds, and including lots of action on the side, Noori's take was said to be well in six-figure territory if he could down enough Big Macs and Quarter Pounders within the allotted time. According to updates that the prop-betting poker pro posted on social media during his gorgefest, he eventually admitted defeat after less than $100 in food was consumed with only a few hours to go.


A Life Saved?

On the other end of the spectrum is Walter Fisher, a poker pro who was apparently told by his physician to change his eating habits and lifestyle or a date with the grim reaper would arrive well before reaching the age of average life expectancy.

Fisher stood 6’1”, weighed 233 lbs., and registered a body mass index (BMI) of 33, which falls under the obese category. A $1 million prop bet -with financial backing from Bill Perkins and Dan Bilzerian - required that Fisher reduce his BMI to under 10 within six months.

A transformation of epic proportions followed when Fisher spent the next half-year exercising regularly and sticking to a proper diet  - with professional help. He lost more than 50 lbs. and saw that BMI shrink to under 9, winning the bet and attracting the attention of the mainstream media along the way.


Staples Centered

One prop bet that began in 2017 and will be won or lost on March 26, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. involves dieting and gorging combined. The Twitch-streaming Staples brothers, Jaime (304 lbs.) and Matt (134 lbs.), have one full year to be within 1 lb. of each other after beginning the wager at the weights listed in parentheses.

Bill Perkins is again involved in this prop bet, laying 50-1 odds at $3,000 that the Staples boys can't pull it off. That's worth $150,000 to the brothers, and perhaps worth more health-wise to Jaime, who was obviously obese before beginning his diet and exercise regimen.

A recent weigh-in finds Jaime some 85 lbs. lighter, looking a heck of a lot healthier. The brothers have three more months to center themselves weight-wise, and whether or not they win the bet, one certainly could argue that it was easily worth the $3K wager for Jaime to get in better shape.



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Charles is a Chicago native and long time poker player who dusted off his journalism degree and began writing about poker following the events of Black Friday in 2011. He has written for a number of leading poker websites, offering his insights and expertise on subjects ranging from online poker leg...Read more

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