Poker Pro Living in Dark Restroom for $100k Bet

Poker player Rich Alati is currently living in a blacked-out restroom in Las Vegas. He hopes to be $100,000 richer when he finally comes out.

Alati made a $100k prop bet with poker pro Rory Young, which requires him to stay in the restroom for one month without sunlight or contact from the outside world. Young described the conditions that Alati is living in.

"The conditions are complete darkness, so no electronics, no light-emitting devices, no drugs of any kind," said Young.

"He is allowed any type of food that he wants. He has a bed in there, he has a shower, and a bathtub. He has pretty lavish toiletries like Epsom salts, and sugar scrubs."

Restroom Prop Bet Includes Strange Conditions

As if living in a dark bathroom for 30 days isn't difficult enough, Alati also has other conditions that he must abide by. The first is that his food will be delivered on an inconsistent schedule so that he can't keep track of the time or days.

He's also not allowed to have a smartphone or anything else that allows him to communicate with the outside world. But his family will get to view him through a closed-system access livestream.

The livestream aspect is important because Alati's father, Richard Sr., can call off the bet if his son begins losing his mind. Richard talked to his son beforehand in an effort to convince Rich not to take the wager.

“I gave him a chance to talk me through it and hear him out,” Richard explained. “He’s in a profession where they do things that other people wouldn’t do.”

The plan didn't work. Now he can only sit back and watch in hopes that his son makes it through the bet with his sanity.

"I'm definitely concerned," said Richard. "But I chose to focus on the positive, wishing for a successful completion of the wager.

Origins of the Dark Restroom Prop Bet

Young said that this bet came about at the poker table. He asked Alati how long he thought that he could last in a blacked-out room with no human contact.

The latter told him 30 days. The two sides agreed to the wager shortly thereafter, with Alati standing to win $100,000 if he can complete the task.

This prop bet has picked up plenty of mainstream publicity within the past week. It seems to be the most-discussed prop wager between two poker players since Bill Perkins and Dan Bilzerian made a $1.2 million bicycling bet in 2016.

Progress of the Bet

Unconfirmed reports suggest that this bet began on November 21. Young has yet to agree with the rumors. Assuming the start date was Nov 21, though, then Alati needs to stay in the bathroom until Dec 21.

Until then, Richard Sr. and the rest of Alati's close family will be watching him through the aforementioned livestream. This feed runs 24/7 and gives family members a chance to see what state he's in.

“There is very particular equipment placed in the room,” Richard explained. “I can see in a grainy way what’s happening.”

“I’m definitely concerned. But I chose to focus on the positive, wishing for a successful completion of the wager.”

Who Is Rich Alati?

Rich Alati has been playing in live poker tournaments since 2010. He divides his time between tourneys in Vegas and Los Angeles. Alati has $333,661 in lifetime tourney winnings.

His biggest score came when he finished 15th in the 2015 WSOP $1,500 NL Hold'em Monster Stack event. He earned $72,139 for his efforts. Alati followed this up with a third-place finish in a 2015 WPT Five Diamond $1,090 side event ($24,861).

Alati hasn't recorded any significant cashes over the past three years. Therefore, it's safe to assume that the $100,000 he stands to win from the prop wager would provide a huge boost to his bankroll.

As for Rory Young, he's been playing in live tournaments since 2013. He mostly plays in Australia, although he also comes to Vegas for the WSOP every year.

Young's biggest cash is $108,826, which came via winning an NL hold'em event at the 2016 Sydney Championships. He has $521,145 in lifetime poker winnings.