Poker player turned fast food aficionado Mike Noori turns a stupid prop bet into a charitable endeavour, and Ronald McDonald wins a World Series of Poker gold ring.
One of the most challenging aspects of writing about poker for a living is finding something to write about. But these past few weeks have been insane with more stories than Hans Christian Andersen.
Amaya Gaming decided to change their name to The Stars Group, the World Poker Tour (WPT) unleashed plans to wander into India and Uruguay, and Kevin Hart signed up to compete in the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl.
Alex Dreyfus announced plans to create the Gaming Player Index, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) created a controversial rule change, and PKR shut down leaving players in a cave.
888Poker decided to Take Back The Game, Sam Razavi and Patrick Leonard joined India’s Poker Sports League, and the WSOP killed the November Nine.
What do you think, out of that lot, was the most viewed piece of news?
None of them.
The biggest story has been Mike Noori’s decision to accept Matt Savage’s prop bet and eat $1,000 worth of McDonald’s food in 36 hours.
It’s incredible how the human mind works, it really is.
I doubt both Savage and Noori expected the story to catch the gulf stream and fly around the world, but it did. Part of the allure of the story is the perception that McDonald’s food is as healthy as spending your vacation in Chernobyl, and it’s also a story that transcends the poker community, in part because it is an insane bet.
The feedback has been unanimous – Noori will fail and make himself very ill in the process. Even Matt Savage calls it a stupid prop bet. Fortunately, Noori has turned things around after creating a GoFundMe page where his good friend and fellow poker pro, Phong “Turbo” Nguyen, has promised to match donations up to a ceiling of $20,000 for food and supplies for those suffering in Vietnam.
Noori is using the exposure of the bet to raise money for a good cause, and it’s doing well. In the first four days, the campaign has raised $10,450 meaning $20,900 will be spent on the poor and needy in Vietnam when Nguyen takes his annual pilgrimage at Christmas.
“Out of humble beginnings of a stupid prop bet, some good things come out of it. Thank you, Mike Noori, for taking this on and Mike O’Malley and the group “thread” members for making this worthwhile.” Wrote Matt Savage.
If you want to make a donation, then follow this link.
Ronald McDonald Wins a WSOPC Gold Ring
Just to prove that interest in the Noori prop bet transcended the poker community the main man himself decided to step out from behind the golden arches and take a seat at a poker table.
Ronald McDonald has won a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) gold ring at the Horseshoe Baltimore. McDonald took down Event #12 $365 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo Double-Stack for $14,429 barely a week after taking down a WPTDeepStacks side event in Maryland Live!
According to press reports, Ronald McDonald is a 61-year old asphalt worker from Virginia, but I am not buying that.
It cannot be a coincidence.
