Poker fans usually fall under one of the following categories: those who love the game and want to experience the excitement firsthand and those who prefer to watch from a distance. Many poker enthusiasts follow the best players and the most popular tournaments to get their daily poker fix without taking much risk.
But even if you choose not to place your own chips in the line of fire, that doesn't mean you can't have a thrilling adventure as a spectator. In fact, you can feel like you're a part of all the live and online poker games you watch with one simple thing: prop bets. What are prop bets? And how can they make your poker experience all the more exciting even without requiring you to learn poker rules?
Poker Prop Bets – All You Need to Know
A prop bet, AKA proposition bet, is a type of side wager on random parts of a game (poker or otherwise) that have nothing to do with the final outcome. In sports, people might bet on a certain player being the one to score a goal or how long a boxing match might last.
But when it comes to poker, there are two main prop bets you might encounter:
1. Bets pertaining to which cards will hit the flop.
2. Unusual bets the players themselves might agree to be a part of.
The first category is the simpler and more predictable one. When engaging in this kind of prop bets, poker fans usually try to guess what might be the color or suit of the community cards.
The second category is a riskier and less predictable option, as poker pros are known to be quite inventive when it comes to challenging their fellow players. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting prop bets in poker history!
Craziest Prop Bets in Recent History
Over the years, poker pros concocted some crazy prop bets, and we are here to enjoy the drama! Here are some of the most memorable prop bets made at the poker tables:
- Bill Perkins challenged the legendary Antonio Esfandiari to move around only by making lunges for 48 hours during the PCA Main Event in 2016. Perkins made a $50,000 offer, and Esfandiari was more than willing to accept – until the lunges took their tool and made him so sore, he couldn't muster the strength to go to the bathroom. So, what did he do? The poker pro chose to relieve himself into a bottle under the table, which got him disqualified. But at least he won the prop bet!
- While we haven't seen him do it in recent years, Phil Ivey used to make crazy prop bets every time he played at the WSOP. Apparently, he tended to have several bracelet-related bets every year to keep himself motivated, pulling other poker pros into the craziness. One time, Tom Dwan offered Ivery $1,000,000 if he could go without eating meat for a full year. The latter gladly took him up on his offer but ended up losing the bet after just nine days and buying out of the bet for $150,000.
- Vanessa Selbst offered Jason Mercier an offer of 180 to 1 against him winning three bracelets during that year's WSOP. While the offer was made during a drunk night out, Mercier didn't allow Selbst to bow out of the agreement, and while he had to put up $10,000, Vanessa had the potential of losing $1,800,000. When Mercier won his two first bracelets Selbst thought she was doomed, but luckily, that is where Jason's luck ran out, and the payout remained relatively small.
Are You Ready to Place Your Bets?
If you aren't ready to sit down at the poker tables and put your poker skills to the test, don't worry – you have other ways to enjoy betting on the game you love! Who are you going to bet on this year?