SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Would you lock yourself in a dark bathroom for a month for $100,000?

Nov 30, 2018, 2:51 PM

Prop bets in Las Vegas...

(AP)

(AP)

Do you think you could go completely vegetarian for a year for $1 million dollars? What about running 70 miles in 24 hours for $285,000? Or could you play four rounds of golf on a 120 degree day for $340,000?

If you’re wondering what the heck is going on here, I’ve just introduced you the bizarre and also bizarrely entertaining world of prop bets. The aforementioned prop bets are some of the most famous in the poker world, and there’s a new one that was just booked. More on that later — first, let me bring you up to speed on what the heck we’re talking about here.

For those of you that aren’t big gamblers, there’s a class of people that just can’t get enough action. Most of the time they are called high rollers, or sometimes they are referred to as “whales.” These are people that wager huge sums of money on everything from sporting events to table games like blackjack.

A famous example of this would be boxer Floyd Mayweather betting $13 million dollars on the Broncos to win the Super Bowl against the Seahawks a few years ago. How’d that one work out for you?

If you need another example, check out one of my favorite Phillip Seymour Hoffman performances in a great movie called “Owning Mahowny.”

When you get a bunch of high rollers together, they start to place bets on just about anything. That’s where the prop bet was invented. It can be a wager on anything that two people can define and agree on. Most of the time, it’s done after everyone has had a few drinks, and there’s a typically a good deal of peer pressure in the room.

Now that the background is out of the way, here’s the latest big prop bet. Do you think you could do it?

Poker pros Rory Young and Rich Alati made a bet that Rich could not stay locked in complete darkness inside a bathroom for 30 days. The wager awarded $100,000 to the winner.

The rules are:

  • No communication with the outside world
  • No electronics or light-emitting devices of any kind
  • Food will be delivered at random intervals but Rich is allowed any food he wants
  • There will be five night-vision cameras installed for monitoring and safety

Rich could have backed out of the bet for $5,000 prior to going in, but chose not to. He is currently locked inside a bathroom somewhere in Nevada with $100,000 on the line.

There is no way I could complete this particular prop bet.

I’ll monitor the situation and see who wins this latest crazy prop bet.

Associated Press

Jordan targeted by Iranian drones

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Jordan’s military said Tuesday it had intercepted five drones launched by Iran targeting the kingdom. The military made the announcement through the state-run Petra news agency. It said the interception did not cause casualties or any damage on the ground. Jordan hosts U.S. forces and aircraft in the country, […]

1 hour ago

Lebanese army soldiers stand at a checkpoint in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16,...

Associated Press

Lebanon’s president will meet with Trump in Washington to push for Israeli troop withdrawal

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s president will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Joseph Aoun’s landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon […]

4 hours ago

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), SK Hynix...

Associated Press

Asian shares mostly gain and South Korea and Japan recover some losses from AI stock sell-offs

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares mostly gained on Tuesday, with markets in South Korea and Japan trading higher after recent declines due to heavy selling of stocks linked to artificial intelligence. U.S. futures edged higher, while oil prices slipped. South Korea’s Kospi, which is heavily reliant on AI and chipmaking-related shares, jumped 4.7% to […]

4 hours ago

FILE - Powerball lottery tickets are sold at a convenience store, Dec. 22, 2025, in Portland, Ore. ...

Associated Press

Powerball ticket sales begin Tuesday in the United Kingdom

Powerball ticket sales in the United Kingdom will begin Tuesday, giving players across the Atlantic a chance at winning the same massive jackpot that U.S. players already play for — with the same minuscule odds. The expansion, first announced in April through an agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association in the U.S. and Allwyn UK, […]

5 hours ago

Rep. Andy Biggs, right, R-Ariz., who is running in the primary for Arizona governor, hugs a support...

Associated Press

Arizona Republicans pick nominees Tuesday for governor and other top offices

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Republicans are choosing nominees Tuesday to challenge Democrats who hold top offices as the GOP searches for a path back to power in a battleground state it used to dominate. U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, who represent neighboring districts in metro Phoenix, offer a clash of styles in the […]

5 hours ago

President Donald Trump, right, salutes Air Force 89th Air Wing Deputy Commander Melissa Dombrock, l...

Associated Press

US and Iran dig in over the Strait of Hormuz, showing the limits of intensifying airstrikes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Iran are back to bombing every day in a bid to control the Strait of Hormuz. And neither is backing down, showing the limitations of President Donald Trump’s reliance on escalating airstrikes to bend Tehran to his will. While the Trump administration says it is open to diplomacy, Iran […]

5 hours ago

Would you lock yourself in a dark bathroom for a month for $100,000?