Prop Betting: Everything’s Better With Money On The Line
READ MORE: Event Betting, Howard Lederer, Huck Seed, Poker, Prop Betting, Titanic Thompson
The mantra here at Oddjack World Headquarters is, “Life is better when you’ve got a few bucks on it.” We certainly can’t stress that enough. Whether it’s an Over/Under line set on when the pizza’s getting here, or an out-of-the-blue challenge to name ten Bill Murray movies in chronological order, there isn’t much going on around here that doesn’t end with a couple crumpled dollar bills changing hands at the end.
We’re small potatoes though. Vegas gamblers, specifically poker players, like to shake up the doldrums of their daily wagering by finding some outside action wherever they can get it. These sorts of bets are called “proposition wagers,” and this article by Michael Kaplan from the Cigar Aficionado archives details some of the craziest bets you’ve ever heard. Kaplan quotes Howard Lederer on the topic:
“You’re trying to figure things out when you make the bets,” says Lederer, agreeing that the most impressive props tend to fall into three categories: self-improvement, feats of athletic prowess and goofy things that nobody would normally want to do (one gambler, for instance, spent 48 straight hours in the Vegas go-go bar Crazy Horse, Too). “The fact that nobody has yet figured out whether or not these things can be done is what makes the bets interesting. And it’s the satisfaction of winning a bet that makes you want to do it.”
Huck Seed seems to be the heir to Titanic Thompson’s throne as the latter-day King of the Prop bets. From performing a standing backflip to a challenge to play 72 holes of golf on a scorchingly hot day, Huck gets his action and generally beats the odds.
Our favorite prop from the article, however, was a challenge to John Hennigan to live in Des Moines, Iowa for six weeks. We couldn’t last very long either, there’s only so much Olive Garden one man can take.
All Bets Are On [Cigar Aficionado]
Previously: Our Patron Saint, The Greatest Gambler of All-Time [Oddjack]
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One day, everything will be a wager, from a hand of poker to the likelihood you'll be struck down by a bioterror attack before the next brain backup. One day. For now, there's Oddjack. It's a sneak peek at the future of gambling.
