Charles Barkley Promotes Parlays, but He Only Bets Them in Las Vegas

Whether you like it or not, betting has become a fairly standard part of the sports landscape. If you're watching a game, it can seem impossible to avoid ads for a variety of different betting apps. And they're not just limited to commercials, either; you'll get in-broadcast promotions, like Charles Barkley and the TNT team discussing the "Same Game Parlay" and other odds.

But did you know that Sir Charles isn't the biggest fan of those multi-team bets?

During a recent appearance on the "SI Media Podcast" with Jimmy Traina, the former forward broke down some of his betting habits. And, if we take him at his word, he'll really only take a parlay when he's physically in Las Vegas.

What's behind that choice? How does he prefer to wager? Let's allow the man himself to explain.

Barkley finds keeping track of parlays complicated

Over the years, Charles Barkley's gambling habits have become public knowledge. Given his massive wagers and on-air habits—as noted above, he'll issue guarantees regarding the "Same Game Parlay" during TNT broadcasts—you might assume that Chuck is connecting the dot with his own massive, multi-event wagers.

In reality, though, that's not the case.

"Yeah, you know, the parlay and the teaser thing, they are so dangerous," Barkley told Jimmy Traina. "They are so dangerous."

After explaining his preferred betting experience—we'll get to that shortly—the NBA legend circled back to the topic parlays and offered a humorous reason why he doesn't usually pick that option.

"When I'm at home, I get up on Saturday, and, like I say, I'm not playing the parlay," he continued. "I only play parlays and teasers when I'm in Vegas cause you, know, you got too much s*** to worry about. Yeah, unless you got that ticket in your hand, like, I don't want to be looking at 10 games."

It might sound laughable to hear Barkley say that he's basing his betting habits on convenience, but there's something incredibly relatable about not wanting to turn your leisure time into a chore.

So, how does Barkley bet?

At this point, we know that Sir Charles likes to gamble, and we know that he doesn't usually rely on teasers and parlays. If you're curious how he prefers to spend his weekend during the NFL season, though, Traina has you covered.

"What I really love to do, Jimmy, I got a group of guys. We go to Vegas like once every two or three weeks, and spend the whole day," Barkley explained. "There's nothing better than spending a day, Saturday and Sunday, in a sportsbook. And the beauty of it, you get up at nine o'clock in the morning, and it's time to go on Saturday. ... So, Saturday, you know, that's all the college stuff, so living out west, nine o'clock in the morning, it's go-time. It's go-time starting at noon. And then the second games don't kick off til 3:30, and then you got the night games. So, you're in the sports book like 8 o'clock, well, we get up for breakfast around 7:30 and start studying the lines and everything. Go down around 8, 8:30 and place a bet."

But what about NFL Sunday? Don't worry, Chuck has a plan there, too.

"Sunday, you get up and watch all the shows," he added. "You gotta watch all the shows. And you're like, 'Man, this is so awesome.'" It's safe to assume the betting follows.

And, on the subject of that betting, what does Chuck choose if parlays and teasers are largely off the table?

"It just depends," he explained when Traina asked what his betting looks like during a football weekend. "Like I'm gonna bet five to seven games, more than likely. But, man, I love it, though. It's exciting. I can't even remember the last time I actually watched a football game I didn't bet on."

And there you have it, straight from the man himself.