Poker Prop Bets Abound in 2010


Prop bets have always been big in poker, with professional players making all sorts of ridiculous personal bets. Vegetarians have gone carnivore, players have golfed for a whopping $18,000 per hole, moved to Israel, gotten tattoos and more. The most recent prop bet in the world of professional poker is between players Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer.

Lederer has bet $5 million against Ivey winning WSOP bracelets in the 2010 and 2011 tournaments. Ivey has won a total of seven bracelets since the 2000 World Series of Poker, two of which he won last year. He also managed to make it to the Main Event final table in last year’s tournament. However, will he win two bracelets this year and the next? Apparently he’s willing to bet $5 million that he will!

On a crazier note, player Ted Forrest has a $2 million prop bet going with Mike Matusow. Matusow has bet Forrest that he can’t get his weight down to 139 pounds by July 15. He currently weights 188. If he manages to take of the 49 pounds, Forrest will get $2 million. If he doesn’t, he’ll pay Matusow $150,000. On a previous prop bet, Forrest ran a full marathon in Las Vegas summer heat for $7000 and went immediately to the hospital for severe foot injuries when he finished. Hopefully this new prop bet won’t land him in the hospital again! Matusow has also agreed to run through the Vegas Strip totally naked if three women take home bracelets in the WSOP.