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The Art of the Prop Bet
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Can you eat six crackers in one minute? That's a prop bet! \ Photo by Melchoir // CC BY-SA 3.0
There's lots of different types of betting. On this site, the focus is primarily on matched betting. Matched betting is a system that uses free bonuses to make real money by making back bets and lay bets. Most types of betting focus on the outcome of the games. Prop betting is different. It is a kind of side-bet that is not at all related to the game's result.
What Is A Prop Bet?
A prop bet is also known as a 'novelty' or 'side bet'. It is a bet that is based on events that do not directly impact the overall results of the game. A prop bet can be a serious bet on sports, or it can be a completely crackers proposition between friends. Let's take a look at the different types of the prop bet.
Prop bets based on sports. In this case, the event you're betting on could be related to the game, or it could be only vaguely related. So, you could bet on which team scores the first point, or the timing of certain events, or you could bet on which cards come out on the flop in a game of poker.
Prop bets as a kind of 'dare for money'. In this case, a bet is placed between people (usually friends), with the dared person offered a sum of money if they can succeed in the task. This could be as simple as doing 50 push-ups or eating six dried crackers.
Real Life Examples Of Prop Bets
The prop bet is not just a concept. Bookies and online bookies offer lots of prop bets, especially when it comes to popular events like the Super Bowl. Bookies may offer bets on the coin toss, length of the national anthem, or on events within the gameplay. You may even find bets for world events such as whether a certain celebrity will appear on a TV program.
Prop betting on sports actually led to problems, with cheating possible using 'spot-fixing'. Instead of fixing the outcome of the whole event, it's possible to fix a single moment and take a prop bet on it. This only requires the cooperation of one player. One example is Matt Le Tissier, who famously booted the football out of play right at the start of time in an attempt to 'spot fix' on throw-ins.
When it comes to prop bets between friends, these can really occur in any place and at any time, but there have been a number of high profile examples. Jay Kwik's was bet $250,000 by his friend Andrew Robl that he couldn't spend 30 nights living in the bathroom of his Bellagio Hotel room. Kwik wasn't allowed to leave his prison cell, or have physical contact with others, and was only allowed 400 minutes of time speaking on the phone. Robl bought out for $40,000 after 20 days.
Okay, so it was a pretty nice bathroom.
Reasons To Make (Or Take) Prop Bets
Want to be able to lift this within a month of training? A prop bet can help with that! | Photo by Victor Freitas // CC0 1.0
Before you learn how and when it's best to make and take prop bets, it's important to understand the different reasons why they're useful:
Relieve boredom and urge to gamble - You have been playing poker for several hours without a hand. You have the urge to gamble with nothing, throwing away your opportunity to go deep in the tournament. A prop bet can be like scratching an itch. You throw in a side bet off table, and preserve your poker stack.
For a laugh - Prop bets at small stakes (relative to your own purse) can be a good laugh. It's a bit of fun to bet that your friend can't eat a whole chili pepper. The other person may also be up for a laugh or may have their eye on the prize.
To make money - This is probably not the best reason for a prop bet. There are better options elsewhere for profit. But it's definitely a factor, especially if the dime gets significant.
For motivation - An unusual but very useful element to a well-structured prop bet, is to give someone motivation to do something they have always wanted to do and offer them an edgy timeframe to do it in. For example, you could bet that your friend can't lose the weight that they want, or that they won't be able to complete a physical challenge that they always wanted to do.
All in all, prop bets are a great way to spice up the atmosphere on your night out and make the whole gameplay more exciting!
What Is A Prop Bet?
A prop bet is also known as a 'novelty' or 'side bet'. It is a bet that is based on events that do not directly impact the overall results of the game. A prop bet can be a serious bet on sports, or it can be a completely crackers proposition between friends. Let's take a look at the different types of the prop bet.
Prop bets based on sports. In this case, the event you're betting on could be related to the game, or it could be only vaguely related. So, you could bet on which team scores the first point, or the timing of certain events, or you could bet on which cards come out on the flop in a game of poker.
Prop bets as a kind of 'dare for money'. In this case, a bet is placed between people (usually friends), with the dared person offered a sum of money if they can succeed in the task. This could be as simple as doing 50 push-ups or eating six dried crackers.
Real Life Examples Of Prop Bets
The prop bet is not just a concept. Bookies and online bookies offer lots of prop bets, especially when it comes to popular events like the Super Bowl. Bookies may offer bets on the coin toss, length of the national anthem, or on events within the gameplay. You may even find bets for world events such as whether a certain celebrity will appear on a TV program.
Prop betting on sports actually led to problems, with cheating possible using 'spot-fixing'. Instead of fixing the outcome of the whole event, it's possible to fix a single moment and take a prop bet on it. This only requires the cooperation of one player. One example is Matt Le Tissier, who famously booted the football out of play right at the start of time in an attempt to 'spot fix' on throw-ins.
When it comes to prop bets between friends, these can really occur in any place and at any time, but there have been a number of high profile examples. Jay Kwik's was bet $250,000 by his friend Andrew Robl that he couldn't spend 30 nights living in the bathroom of his Bellagio Hotel room. Kwik wasn't allowed to leave his prison cell, or have physical contact with others, and was only allowed 400 minutes of time speaking on the phone. Robl bought out for $40,000 after 20 days.
Okay, so it was a pretty nice bathroom.
Want to be able to lift this within a month of training? A prop bet can help with that! | Photo by Victor Freitas // CC0 1.0
Before you learn how and when it's best to make and take prop bets, it's important to understand the different reasons why they're useful:
Relieve boredom and urge to gamble - You have been playing poker for several hours without a hand. You have the urge to gamble with nothing, throwing away your opportunity to go deep in the tournament. A prop bet can be like scratching an itch. You throw in a side bet off table, and preserve your poker stack.
For a laugh - Prop bets at small stakes (relative to your own purse) can be a good laugh. It's a bit of fun to bet that your friend can't eat a whole chili pepper. The other person may also be up for a laugh or may have their eye on the prize.
To make money - This is probably not the best reason for a prop bet. There are better options elsewhere for profit. But it's definitely a factor, especially if the dime gets significant.
For motivation - An unusual but very useful element to a well-structured prop bet, is to give someone motivation to do something they have always wanted to do and offer them an edgy timeframe to do it in. For example, you could bet that your friend can't lose the weight that they want, or that they won't be able to complete a physical challenge that they always wanted to do.
All in all, prop bets are a great way to spice up the atmosphere on your night out and make the whole gameplay more exciting!
Source - Byo24News
