Noori Set For McDonald’s Challenge

Professional poker player Mike Noori has made a career of defying the odds. But what he has planned for this weekend will push him to the limits. Noori won’t be at his customary seat at the poker table. Instead, he’ll be seated (or standing) at an Arizona McDonald’s. He’ll also be attempted to eat $1,000 worth of food in 36 hours. So far, more than $200,000 is on the line. And he admits not much of it is his.

Word Poker Tour Executive Tour Director Matt Savage put the deal together and there are rules Noori has to follow. Such as no more than $200 can be spent of salads or a minimum of $50 in burgers. No drinks will count towards the total.

Estimates have Noori’s caloric intake in the neighborhood of 68,000. And that’s if he sticks to lower-calorie items, such as southwest chicken salad. But there is a stipulation only $200 can be spent towards salads. But there is good news for Noori, as he’s allowed to vomit without being disqualified. Although it can’t be repeatedly and it can’t be forced.

He plans to eat $500 worth of apple slices, which he believes will be key to winning the bet. The unnamed McDonald’s in Arizona was chosen so he could not pick a place with artificially high prices, such as an airport McDonald’s. Or travel to Alaska or Hawaii where food costs quite a bit more. If the money was high enough,

Noori is getting 5-to-1 odds on his wager. While nobody knows the amount, it has been great publicity for the World Poker Tour and Noori is no slouch, having won more than $400,000 on the tour. Still, the odds seem stacked a bit against the 27 year old poker player, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 210 pounds.

The bet will begin at noon on May 19 and run until midnight of May 21.

Mike Noori/