The Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker Tournament a World Poker Tour Event

Beginning July 31 and running through Sept. 1, The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California, will host its largest and most celebrated poker tournament of the year, Legends of Poker. With an estimated prize pool of more than $2 million, including two $150,000-guaranteed events, plus five new events, this year's tournament will attract players from around the world, who plan vacations around it and take up residence in the L.A. area for a month of tournament poker action.

The Bicycle Casino hosted more than 4,000 players last year, and expects up to 5,000 entrants for this year's series of events. Tournament winners could take home as much as $100,000, making it one of the most prestigious major tournaments on the circuit. There are 32 events on this year's schedule, with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $5,000. The final event is the cornerstone of the tournament, the no-limit hold'em championship on Friday, Aug. 30.

This year, Legends will kick off with an event specifically designed to bring media and industry-leading casinos together for an evening of fun and competition. This Legends tag-team event, with teams composed of three to five players, will provide casinos and the media the opportunity to vie for prize money and to donate $5,000 to their favorite charity. Ultimately, it will be an excellent opportunity for the press to experience what poker tournaments and poker players are all about.

Poker Operations Manager Rick Cloward and Tournament Coordinator Denny Williams have scheduled 11 a.m. one-table satellites throughout the tournament, as well as supersatellites ($100 buy-in plus $20 entry fee with $100 multiple rebuys for the first hour) every night at 8:15 p.m. that will offer players the chance to win the $15,000 Satellite Points Championship. This award will be presented on Sept. 1, concurrent with the awards of the $75,000 Car and Cash Points Championship. In addition, for every $5,080 in the supersatellite prize pool, the Bike will give away a seat in the $5,000 buy-in plus $80 entry fee no-limit hold'em championship event on Aug. 30.

The Legends of Poker won't be just poker. In addition to the various poker tournaments going on throughout the month, the casino will host a golf invitational/awards banquet for registered players that will provide a day of golf, summer barbecue fare, camaraderie, and, of course, a touch of competition.

One of the most exciting aspects of this year's Legends of Poker tournament will be the Bike's participation on the World Poker Tour. The Bicycle Casino was invited to host one of these prestigious poker tournaments, which are expected to become a celebrated tour de force. Joining the Bike as elite charter members of the World Poker Tour are the Aviation Club de France, Bellagio, Casinos Europa in Costa Rica, Commerce Casino, Foxwoods, the Horseshoe and Gold Strike in Tunica, Mississippi, Lucky Chances Casino, PartyPoker.com, the Reno Hilton, and UltimateBet.com. The final event of this year's Legends of Poker tournament, the no-limit hold'em championship, will be a World Poker Tour event that will be taped for television.

Steve Lipscomb, creator and architect of the World Poker Tour, envisions a new future for poker in today's expanding sports and entertainment market. The mission of the World Poker Tour is to take poker into the mainstream of sports entertainment by combining world-class tournaments with well-established and celebrated poker experts and celebrities, and creating a series of televised events that will inspire and stimulate the avid poker enthusiast while piquing the interests of potential new players to the game.

Lipscomb, with the backing of Lyle Berman (the newest member of the Poker Hall of Fame), is utilizing the newest advances in photography and filming technology to enable viewers to see the holecards of some of the most skillful and successful poker players in the world. Haig Kelegian, managing partner of The Bicycle Casino and president of the Golden State Gaming Association, stated, "This is the kind of progressive trailblazing that our industry needs to make card playing part of the everyday entertainment choice of Americans, who until recently considered it only a vacation activity." Casino Operations Officer Hashem Minaiy concurred: "We are very excited to be part of a project that promises to be a first-class endeavor from start to finish!"

Marketing Director Kelley O'Hara thrives on progressive, cutting-edge vehicles that provide new marketing opportunities for properties to get the word out. She said, "At the Bike, we always want to be the pioneers, the trendsetters as opposed to the trend followers. The World Poker Tour offers the opportunity to expand awareness of our industry in the marketplace by giving us new visibility through the power of television and event series continuity."

Be part of the legend that will be unfolding at The Bicycle Casino July 31-Sept. 1, the Legends of Poker.