In an update, Bilzerian won his $1.2 million wager with Bill Perkins. He appeared to have a good time winning the bet.
Sometime poker professional and full-time social media icon Dan Bilzerian is at the center of a much-publicized bet. Bilzerian, the gun-toting son of a wealthy Armenian-American corporate raider, claims he can ride a bicycle from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in 48 hours.
The bet is with Bill Perkins, a successful LA businessman who is known as a poker player. The two have wagered $600,000 on the outcome of the bet. If Dan Bilzerian can reach Las Vegas by the end of March 31, he will win $600 thousand from Bill Perkins. If he fails, then Bilzerian owed Bill Perkins the same amount of money.
King of Instagram
Dan Bilzerian seems to live on publicity. He’s been called the King of Instagram for the publicity-seeking depictions of his life, both in words and pictures. Many of the pictures show guns and attractive women, which seem to be his accouterments. His trademark hipster beard and well-cut body makes him fashionable in the Internet age.
He’s shown substance behind the style, though. Bilzerian has won cash in real money poker events, and is known to play for high stakes. A long line of celebrities and poker players seem to enjoy the man’s company — or at least enjoy the ambiance of an online celebrity.
The Dark Side of Dan Bilzerian
Much of the publicity has been negative, including several legal cases. In 2014, he was charged with kicking a woman in the head in a Miami nightclub, during a brawl he might have started. The woman, a model, eventually sued the Instagram star.
Rick Salomon Side Bet
Rick Salomon, the divorced husband of Pamela Anderson and himself a high stakes poker player, wants in on the action. He does not want to stake who wins or loses, though. Salomon assumes Dan Bilzerian will lose; he wants to bet on the worst-case scenarios of Bilzerian losing the bet.
Rick Salomon is wagering whether Dan Bilzerian lives or dies on his cycling adventure. He will pay $250 thousand on the option that Bilzerian survives his ride to Las Vegas. If Bilzerian dies while undertaking this bet, then Salomon receives the Instagram King’s G4 Jet. The bet is considered a push if Bilzerian suffers a heart attack or stroke, is hit by an automobile, or is mauled by a pack of coyotes. For this to be a push, he’ll have to live and be able to talk about the incident.
Details of the Wager
If the Instagram King makes it to Las Vegas, but not within the 48-hour window, then the bet is a push. Also, if Bilzerian gives up on the way to Las Vegas, then the bet is also a push. In other words, the only condition which allows Rick Salomon to collect the private jet is death or permanent mental incapacity.
Obviously, a good deal of the Bilzerian/Salomon bet is done tongue-in-cheek. That being said, that is one dark wager. This sounds like typical guy talk or locker room banter, in which one’s mouth runs away with itself. It is “Man Code” to back up one’s talk, so a wager involving death and a private jet takes shape.
Coach Lance Armstrong
To help him win the bet, Dan Bilzerian has recruited Lance Armstrong to give him advice on making the ride. Lance Armstrong won 7 straight Tour de France events, before they were revoked for his use of PEDs. Whatever one thinks about Lance Armstrong’s performance enhancing drug use, he knows a lot about making long-distance bike rides.
Dan Bilzerian, on the other hand, says he is fairly new to cycling. He admitted he needs all the help he can get. One bit of advice he might have taken: Bilzerian shaved his legs in anticipation of the (roughly) 270-mile journey. While people make different claims on the average speed of a bicycle, an aggregate of the various predictions is in the 9 mile-per-hour to 10 mile-per-hour range. That would mean Bilzerean’s bike ride should take upwards of 30 hours, leaving 18 hours for sleep, meals, and other rest breaks.
Average Bike Speed
Of course, average bike speed is likely to go down, if a person is driving long distances, such as Los Angeles to Las Vegas. And if the rider is out of shape, infirm, or unused to such travel, the times might be much lower. People who ride a great deal might got 15 to 20 miles per hour, though.
Dan Bilzerian appears to be in excellent shape for a 35-year old male, but his health might not be what it appears at first glance. Sometimes, people with impressive muscles “gas” quicker than people with leaner builds, because their heart and lungs have to produce more oxygen for those muscles. Also, Dan Bilzerian is thought to have had one or two heart attacks, due to drug use.
Sam Abernathy Bet
Two weeks ago, professional poker player Sam Abernathy won the same wager. Sam Abernathy, who has had 46 money finishes since 2014, according to the Hendon Mob Database, is also 24 years old.
