Dark Bet Poker
What is the definition of the term 'dark bet'? In poker, a 'dark bet' refers to a bet that is made either: a) before you look at your hand pre-flop b) before the next street is dealt. A player is said to be taking a betting action in the dark if they take that action before seeing the card (s) that are dealt just prior to the betting round. The most common uses of this phrase are to check in the dark and to bet in the dark. Dark Bet To announce a bet on the next betting round before the card (s) for that round get dealt. The player announcing such a bet 'in the dark' must be first to act on the coming round, and the.
Poker pro Rich Alati recently won a prop bet where he had to live in a dark bathroom for 30 days. Alati won the wager when his friend, Rory Young, bought him out for $62,400 after 20 days.
This is definitely one of the most-interesting poker prop bets of all time. And it only becomes more intriguing after Alati shed some light on how he got through the bet. Here are some details he shared with The Action Network.
Alati Passed the Time with Pushups & Meditation
There’s not a lot to do in a dark bathroom by yourself. Therefore, Alati created various distractions for himself to pass the time.
“I created a routine. I’d wake up and take a bath and a shower, I would eat, then I would do yoga and meditate and eat again,” he said.
“I worked out too. I was pretty creative. I did a lot of planks and sit-ups and pushups. I actually did incline pushups over the bathtub and dips from the ledge of the bathtub.”
Alati Had Unknowingly Prepared for the Bet
Rich Alati wasn’t preparing to live in a dark room for any measurable amount of time. However, he did do some things that helped him prepare for the wager.
“Rory didn’t know this, but things that I was doing in my life were leading up to this moment,” he explained.
“For the past six years, I had gotten into yoga, meditation and prayer. I had gone to Bali to a silent retreat where you don’t speak. And when you don’t speak, it turns you inward. I knew how to act in that room when it went inward.”
The Bet Caused Alati to Suffer Hallucinations
Alati’s family was concerned for him going into the bet. They had ever right to be worried too, because living in the dark is no picnic.
Alati suffered the downsides when he began to hallucinate. He had to battle these hallucinations until the bet ended.
“It started with shapes and colors. Then I saw a train,” he recalled.
“And I just had to convince myself it wasn’t real. But that was probably my hardest moment because there was some fear to it.
“[…] One time, the room was filled with all these white bubbles. I said to myself, “I know this is not real,” but I’m going to go along with it and I had a fun bubble party.
“There were other times, I saw windows on the bathroom, I saw ceiling fans that weren’t there, and at one point the ceiling just opened up and I saw the stars and the sky. It was absolutely beautiful.”
Tags: bathroom prop bet, dark room prop bet, poker pro dark room, Rich Alati poker, Rich Alati prop bet
Table Of Contents
On Monday, a new Season 12 episode of Poker After Dark (PAD) aired on PokerGO. The episode, titled “One Bourbon, One Shot, and No Fear”, was played in a hybrid cash game format, meaning blinds started at $25/$50 and then escalated to $50/$100 and $100/$200. The buy-in was $20,000 with a single rebuy permitted.
Among those in action were Sam Soverel, Jake Daniels, Chris Johnson, Alex Ding, Justin Young, and Jonathan Little, who was making his first appearance on PAD.
“Getting to play on Poker After Dark, a show I watched every time it came on TV as a young poker play, was an amazing experience,” he told PokerNews. “The environment was immaculate and the games were tough!”
Big Hands from PAD
Alex Ding vs. Justin Young
Ding raised the button to $175 holding the and Young three-bet to $600 after looking down at the in the small blind. Ding called and then bet $450 after Young checked the flop.
Young called and then checked when the turn gave him a set. Ding checked behind and the completed the board on the river. Young bet just $400 and Ding, who improved to aces up, raised to $2,000.
Young took his time before popping it to $6,800 and Ding quickly called only to see the $15,800 pot pushed to his opponent.
Chris Johnson vs. Alex Ding
Dark Bet Poker Online
Johnson raised to $150 from the hijack holding the and Ding three-bet to $550 from the button with the . Both blinds folded, Johnson called, and the flop came down .
Johnson checked and Ding bet $450 with his flush draw. Johnson called and spiked a set on the turn, which also gave Ding an up-and-down straight draw. Johnson check-called another bet, this time $1,900, and the bricked the river.
Johnson checked, Ding bluffed all in for $5,550, and Johnson snap-called to win the $16,975 pot. With that, Ding was left to rebuy for $20,000.
Jonathan Little vs. Alex Ding
With a $100 straddle on, Little raised to $250 with the in the cutoff and Ding three-bet to $1,000 holding the on the button. Action folded back to Little and he called to see a flop of .
Little check-called a bet of $800 and then checked the turn, which gave Ding a club flush draw. Ding bet $2,800, Little called, and the completed the board on the river. Little checked for the third time and folded when Ding bet $4,000. Ship the $13,425 pot to Ding.
Chris Johnson vs. Jonathan Little
Johnson straddled to $100 with what turned out to be the and Little raised to $300 under the gun with the . Ding called next to act with the , Johnson put in the additional $200, and it was three-way action to the flop.
Johnson checked, Little bet $700 with the nut flush draw, and Ding folded. Johnson opted to call with his gutshot and backdoor club draw, and he hit the former on the turn. Johnson checked and Little, who made top pair to go with his diamond draw, bet $2,000.
Johnson paused for a few beats before moving all in and Little called off the $10,000 he had behind to create a $26,575 pot.
The duo agreed to run the river twice, but neither the on the first nor on the second helped Little.
Sam Soverel vs. Alex Ding
With a double straddle to $400 on, Johnson raised to $1,000 holding the and Ding reraised to $4,200 with the in the small blind. Soverel, who had straddled under the gun to $200, looked down at the and opted to move all in for $15,725.
Action folded back to Ding and he called to create a $32,950 pot. It was a flip and the competitors opted to run it twice. On the first, the flop gave Ding a set and burned an ace for Soverel. The turn gave Soverel a flush draw, and he hit it on the river to secure half the pot.
On the second run, the flop paired Soverel and left Ding in dire straits. Neither the turn nor river helped Ding and he sent the majority of his chips over to Soverel.
Little’s SNG Strategies
Little, a frequent contributor to PokerNews.com, is slated to appear on PAD episodes over the next four weeks. His “Lesson Learned” week of a $5,000 SNG airs on March 8 and 15 and features Little,James Romero, Matt Affleck, Justin Saliba, Faraz Jaka, and Brad Owen.
“When I first started playing poker, I played sit-n-gos,” said Little. “They force you to know how to play well deep-stacked, shallow stacked, at a full table, at a short table, and heads-up. If you are not a well-rounded poker player, you will be at a severe disadvantage in them.”
Dark Best Plays
He continued: “All you really have to do to succeed at poker is find a game you can beat, play it a lot, and keep a proper bankroll. Finding a game you can beat is easier said than done though. While you often cannot control your opponents’ skill levels, you can control yours. If you do everything in your power to understand and implement a fundamentally sound poker strategy better than your opponents, you will have an advantage over them, resulting in the money flowing your way.”
One way Little has not only developed sound poker strategies but also shares it regularly with poker players is via his renowned PokerCoaching.com.
“I made PokerCoaching.com to be the training site I wish I had as a new poker player, and also the site I want today to ensure I remain at the top of the game,” he said. “Unlike most training sites that only offer pre-recorded videos, PokerCoaching.com is incredibly interactive. It has quizzes, private live webinars, private streams where you can interact with our world-class coaches in real time, game theory optimal charts in an easy-to-use app, and in-depth courses that cover every aspect of the game. Try it for free at PokerCoaching.com/free.”
Win $5,000 Seat to Play on PAD
Right now, PokerCoaching is giving poker fans an opportunity to join Little on PAD by giving away a $5,000 buy-in to compete in a Season 13 episode.
Dark Bet Poker Rules
To enter the free giveaway all you need to do is enter your email address. There are also additional ways to unlock extra entries such as referring friends and following PokerCoaching on Twitter. The competition closes on July 31, 2021.
“I am excited to be able to give away one $5,000 buy-in seat to play with me in a sit-n-go on Poker After Dark next season,” Little explained. “Head over to PokerCoaching.com/pokerafterdark to enter the free giveaway. Good luck!”
Remember, Poker After Dark will air every Monday but is only available to PokerGO subscribers. If you’re not currently subscribed, you can get a monthly subscription for $14.99, a three-month plan for $29.99, and an annual subscription for $99.99.
*Images courtesy of PokerGO.
Dark Room Poker Bet
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