Midweek Musings: The Prop Bet

I've always been very intrigued by sports betting, but I never really got into it myself until my first time in Vegas.

I remember it oh so well. I flew out to Sin City with a group of friends for the TCU/UNLV football game on Halloween weekend, 2008. I was immediately enamored with the city, as many are, and got my fair share of gambling in. Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Craps. All of it = awesome.

However, none of it was quite like going to the sportsbook. We went to the one at Harrah's first, because that's where we were staying (don't judge, we were college students on a budget at the time).

I was like a kid in a candy shop.

It was like the greatest sports bar of all time, plus you could bet on outcomes. For me, those first few times betting on games immediately elevated every sporting match to life or death status. I had to watch, I had to scream, it was a rush.

I've calmed down quite a bit since that first trip, but I still find myself looking at lines almost daily. If nothing more than just so I know.

And I do have some rules (that yes, I do break from time to time).

Rule #1: Never bet on a team you're a fan of. I've mostly stuck to this rule, other than the money I put on the Frogs to win the National Championship this year.

Okay that's pretty much the only rule I have, other than "You never walk away from a table when you're on a heater," and I just stole that from The Hangover.

Despite calming down quite a bit, I've developed an inherent want for taking crazy bets. Things so off the wall that you wonder, "How the hell does Vegas even have a clue about this?"

Yes, I'm talking about the prop bet.

A prop bet, or proposition bet, is a bet made on the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of an event during a game that has no bearing on the outcome of said game. One of the most popular events for a crazy prop bet? You guessed it, the Super Bowl.

Here are some prop bets for this year's Super Bowl:

How long will it take Alicia Keys to sing the National Anthem: o/u 2 minutes 12 seconds

Who will win the coin toss?

What will the result of the coin toss be? (heads or tails)

Will Jay-Z perform at halftime with Beyonce?

How many times will the Harbaugh parents be shown on TV? o/u 2

It's crazy that these exist, and I love it. I may even take one or two, just to make things interesting. I must admit, it won't be the first time I've taken a prop bet.

There are plenty in baseball, i.e. how many strikes will a pitcher throw in a game. Other gambling games as well, especially poker and Blackjack. When it comes to those, you know them better as side bets.

So, does anyone else have an affinity for the prop bet like me? I can't be the only one, right?

Of those prop bets, which one would you take? What side? Why?

And just an FYI, I'll be discussing these, along with the rest of the Super Bowl, in a live stream podcast tonight around 7:00 p.m. Central time. I'll provide the link closer to the time.

Thanks for indulging me guys and gals.