Mike “Mikey Knuckles” Hall, a lifelong poker player from Williamsburg, Iowa, and certified BBQ judge with the Kansas City Barbeque Society, is offering to take over a prop bet that high stakes poker player Phil Ivy recently lost to poker phenom Tom Dwan.
Ivy bet Dwan $2,000,000 (which was negotiated down to $1,000,000) he would not eat “anything that moves” (vegetarian meals only) for one full year. Three weeks into the bet, Ivy lost over a plate of chicken. Ivy paid Dwan $150,000 to back out of the bet.
Mikey Knuckles wants to finish where Ivy left off with an added twist. Here is the new challenge:
The Bet: Same as Phil Ivy – Mikey Knuckles will not eat “anything that moves” – strictly vegetarian meals only for one full year. The twist? In addition, he will lose 100 pounds.
The Stakes: If Dwan loses, he must hand over $2 Million: $1 Million to Knuckles and $1 Million to the Williamsburg Public Library Fund. If Knuckles loses, he will give up Poker, BBQ, and work at the local McDonald’s (or any fast food restaurant) for one full year. Knuckles has decided to “splash the pot” by adding to the bet his prized motorcycle he had built in 2005: An all black custom “chopper” rigid, Redneck springer, S&S 113 c.i., Baker 5-speed, with a fat 280mm rear-end.
Mikey says this is just a starting point, “There’s plenty of room for negotiation. Heck, I’d be happy if the bet ends up at $150,000 (Phil Ivy’s payoff amount). Dwan has nothing to lose but Ivey’s cash.”
Knuckles, at about 330 pounds, averages 20 BBQ contests a year. He’s been known to eat all of the meat samples presented to him which can be as much as 3 pounds. Indeed this bet will be no easy feat for Knuckles to accomplish especially considering his large size and extraordinary appetite.
In the 1980′s, Knuckles was in top physical shape as a Marine Drill Instructor. Two decades later, he is now 45 years-old, married and father of two. Knuckles is a local poker champion and owner of hatbrat.com – a site selling poker hats and shirts stamped with Knuckles’ own catch phrases. He hopes the incentive to win money (for him and his local library) will be enough to get him back on track physically.
Will a national poker hot shot like Tom Dwan be up to the challenge? Time will tell. Dwan did mention on his blog that he was seeking readers’ recommendations for favorite charities. Mikey Knuckles hopes to win the bet by taking over where Ivey fell short because it would be a great opportunity to give back to the community.
About: Mike “Knuckles” Hall is owner of Airway Tower Services in Williamsburg, IA. He is a lifelong poker player, member of The Iowa County Poker Club and owns hatbrat.com. For more information, call Mikey at 319-430-0072 or email hatbrat@gmail.com.
