There are those that take sports betting very seriously, putting in hours of research and a ton of time and effort. Then there are those that are willing to put down money on how far a golf ball can be driven. No, prop bets aren’t what could be called professional, but there is no denying that they are a great deal of fun.
Here are some of the craziest prop bets in sports betting history, all organised by the insane professional Poker community.
Titanic Thompson’s Golfing Swindle
If the name Titanic Thompson doesn’t sound familiar, it should. He was the host at the very first World Series Of Poker (WSOP,) and is a bit of a dabbler in the sport itself. But it wasn’t in regards to cards that he made his outrageous prop bet.
His proposition was simple; he could drive a golf ball further than any professional sportsman at the time. Many stepped up to take the bet, but probably should have sensed that some shenanigans were afoot. The sneaky man waited until winter, gathered up takers, and drove the ball over a frozen lake. It bounced well further than 500 yards, making him the undisputed winner.
The Brazen Ping Pong Challenge
Amarillo Slim is nothing short of a Poker legend, having taken home numerous WSOP bracelets in his career. His proposition was to go head to head with a former tennis champion, Bobby Riggs, but at ping pong rather than tennis. This should have been the first red flag. Slim’s only caveat was that he would get to choose the paddles; a second red flag. Riggs unwisely took the bet, perhaps only partially aware that he was walking into a trap.
As some may already know, given that this story is a classic, Slim pitched up to the match with a pair of frying pans as his paddles of choice. It seems he had been practicing with them well in advance, making him more than capable of easily winning, just like you can do at Black Lotus Casino.
The $300,000 Marathon Run
Ashton Griffin almost cost himself $300,000 with sheer over confidence. In 2011 he took a prop bet that he could finish a 70 mile marathon in 24 hours, which is as crazy as it gets. Not because such a run is impossible, but because the 22 year old is a Poker player, and not an athlete.
The caveat is that he was fit at the time, putting in a fair amount of effort into his body. In his mind he was destined to win. An easy way to get $300,000 richer. The downside is that Griffin was so confident that he went out partying the night before. Which is the sort of stupidity that only a 22 year old could be guilty of.
Griffin managed the 70 mile marathon with just 45 minutes to spare. At one point his parents even begged him to stop, fearing that he would from exhaustion. He didn’t stop, and won, but was barely able to move for days afterwards.
