Greg Plueger and Rick Nebiolo - The Bicycle Casino's New High-Limit Hosts

New yet familiar faces are bringing life into the Plaza and Royal sections of The Bicycle Casino. In the Plaza, a tall, professional-looking man greets customers with zest and a huge smile. Make no mistake, Greg Plueger, The Bicycle Casino's newest Plaza host, is a man on a mission. A distinguished gentleman who has been playing cards for more than 21 years, Plueger is known in the industry for his integrity, and his mission statement is clear: "I want to offer my customers great game selection, in quantity and, more importantly, quality. We'll do this by providing productive promotions and treating our good players like royalty." This philosophy is on display now with a promotion unlike any other in the Plaza Section. Through Nov. 8, after two hours of play in the Plaza Section - Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. - a player receives $25 per day, every day, from Plueger personally.

A self-professed "stay-at-home Mr. Mom," Plueger played poker part time to help support his family, but never put in so many hours that he missed milestones in his children's lives. He maintains a controlled demeanor at the table, sincerely believing that no matter how much time one spends in a game, or how many bad beats one takes, there is no good excuse for misbehaving or treating a dealer poorly. An adversary of rudeness at the table, Plueger strives to show class in every situation. "After all, losing should be considered as much a part of the game as winning. How you conduct yourself in a losing situation tells a lot about the way you play the game of life," he stated.

"Greg is the type of person you would invite to dinner within a few short moments of knowing him," said Rick Nebiolo, co-host and coordinator of the Royal Section. Nebiolo, born and bred in Newport, Rhode Island, and a sailor at heart, docked at the Bike after stopping for visits at the ports of Hollywood Park as a floorperson for six years and Hawaiian Gardens as a prop last year. Nebiolo's face and name are familiar to many, as he holds the honor of being one of The Bicycle Casino's biggest tournament winners. He won first place and $106,000 in a 1989 Diamond Jim Brady limit hold'em event that drew one of the toughest tournament fields seen at the time.

So, why did they join the Bike? Plueger's answer came forth quickly and easily. "It's the ambience and the comfort level. There is no other casino that offers a better atmosphere for gaming than The Bicycle Casino. It's bright and open - it's new and fresh." Nebiolio agreed, adding, "And let's not forget how much less it costs to play here. All of these positives, coupled with the growth potential here, were very appealing. They made for an enticing and 'futile to resist' offer."

What would seem a daunting challenge to most presents merely a puzzle to be solved by these two. Both agree that Southern California has far too many potential players to warrant a mad scramble to "steal away" players from one casino or another. "This industry underperforms dramatically, as a whole," declared Plueger, who believes that people have a natural urge to gamble.

Both men are on the same page when it comes to the direction of gaming at the Bike. They want to make the experience better. "The Bike offers some of the best service in town, it's clean, and we are striving to offer better collection procedures designed with the player's interest at heart," commented Nebiolo.

"It's simple. We both believe that poker is a terrific product," Plueger explained. "Years ago when we were asked what we did, the idea of being a 'professional poker player' brought frowns to the faces of loved ones. We are dedicated to the goal of making people proud of our industry, to the point that we can bring our moms and dads to the table!"

With Plueger and Nebiolo, it's a whole new "game" in the Plaza and Royal sections of The Bicycle Casino.