With live tournaments and sports on pause, pros are finding creative ways to stay entertained—and profitable.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to halt live poker events and major sporting activities around the world, professional poker players have turned to an old favorite to keep their competitive edge sharp: prop betting.
While proposition bets have always been a part of the poker culture, this unexpected downtime has reignited interest in fun, off-the-wall challenges, and players are stepping up with creative—and sometimes outrageous—wagers.
Push-Up Prop Bet Goes Viral
One of the most talked-about bets involved former poker pro turned DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) guru Pete Christensen, who laid down a $2,000 wager against fellow DFS sharp Jonathan Bales. The challenge? Bales had to complete 2,400 push-ups in 12 hours, live on camera and monitored by three mutually agreed-upon judges.
While the original bet was for $2,000, it quickly caught fire on social media, drawing attention from poker personalities and sports bettors alike. Rumors suggest the total amount wagered ballooned well beyond the original stake, with others placing side bets and even sportsbooks offering action for those who wanted to get involved.
Bales’ effort was streamed online, turning what started as a fitness challenge into an internet spectacle with real money on the line.
A Puzzle and a Pizza
Another creative wager emerged from Melissa Burr, a high-stakes mixed-game specialist who gained recognition with a 7th place finish in the 2014 $50K WSOP Poker Players Championship.
Burr proposed a bet on how long it would take fellow pro Josh Arieh to complete a 2,000-piece puzzle. She wanted someone to set a line so she could take the over or under. Jason Young, a WPTDeepStacks champion, stepped in with a line of 31.5 hours, and Burr took the over for $100.
Arieh beat the clock, costing Burr the bet—but the payoff was still positive. Young used the winnings to order $100 worth of pizza for his local hospital, giving the bet a feel-good twist.
Betting for a Cause—and a Laugh
In a time when the poker world is missing its usual flair, these quirky challenges have brought levity, connection, and charity into the spotlight. What started as casual side action has blossomed into a full-on form of entertainment, bringing the community together—online, of course—during a time of social isolation.
With no sign of the live poker scene resuming soon, don’t be surprised if even wilder prop bets pop up in the weeks to come.
