Poker in L.A. Ignites With The Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker and the World Poker Tour!

Summer will heat up sizzlin' hot with this year's tournament of tradition, Legends of Poker. Beginning July 30 and running through Sept. 3, The Bicycle Casino will host its largest and most celebrated tournament extravaganza, bringing together some of the finest players in the world of poker. This year's event will feature 38 days of hot tournament poker action, including five guaranteed prize money tournaments, satellites and supersatellites, and more than $2 million in cash and prizes, including an outrageous, eye-popping, cherry red 2003 Hummer.

This landmark tournament draws travelers from around the world, who take up residence for a month of high-stakes gambling. Many plan their vacations around the opportunity to put their skills "on the table" and compete against poker's best. From near and far, they will come to try their luck and match their skills in the quest for big prize money and the chance to be called "a Legend." Each year, The Bicycle Casino's management and entire staff look forward to hosting 4,000-plus avid attendees, all vying for the chance to make a final table and take home the grand prize. Winners can take home as much as $100,000, making this one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit.

In keeping with the fine tradition of this world-class event, The Bicycle Casino has added new tournaments, additional guaranteed prize money, and special events to make this always-anticipated poker event exceptional. There are 34 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, scheduled Sept. 1-3.

Family comes first with the Bike, so with industry camaraderie in mind, Legends will kick off with an open invitation to casino personnel to participate in an "all casinos, all employees" limit hold'em tournament on July 30, providing an opportunity for industry-leading casinos to come together for an evening of fun and competition.

The Bike is all about opportunity and player enjoyment, and this year's satellites illustrate the point. Winners of the 11 a.m. one-table satellites have a chance to garner satellite chips that will help players gain entry into a Legends of Poker or any Bike tournament event of $100 or more. Poker Operations Manager Rick Cloward and Tournament Coordinator Denny Williams have created several opportunities for everyone to "stay in the game." Players can play in the supersatellite ($100 plus $20 with $100 rebuys for the first hour) that is scheduled every day at 2:15 p.m. for a chance to win the $15,000 Satellite Points Championship.

This year, a new structure has been chosen for the 2003 Hummer giveaway. Anyone who is one of the final 16 players in any Legends of Poker event (except for the casino employees event) will receive points. The number of points each player receives will be based on the number of entrants in each event. Any player who accumulates 10 points or more will be invited to play in the Points Playoff Invitational to win the Hummer. All players will start the tournament with 10 times their point total in tournament chips.

It's not all about poker! (OK, it's all about poker, but a little time off is good for the soul.) In addition to the various poker tournaments going on throughout the month, the casino also will host a charity golf invitational/awards banquet for registered players that will provide a day of fun and relaxation, summer barbecue fare, camaraderie, and, of course, a touch of competition. (After all, these are poker players.)

As always, The Bicycle Casino strives to expand and enhance its premier tournament, and this year's event is no different. The 2003 Legends will feature a very special media event, which will provide everyone the chance to honor this year's Legends winners and an opportunity to contribute to a very worthwhile cause, the Magic Johnson Foundation. The Frank Mariani/Jerry Buss Charity Open will offer players the chance to sit down elbow to elbow and compete with celebrities and poker heroes alike in a half hold'em, half stud tournament. A $3,000 buy-in and $75 entry fee gets a player a seat in this "game of the stars." World Poker Tour visionary Steve Lipscomb will be the featured speaker for this special evening, bringing attendees an update on the overwhelming progress of the industry's latest achievement and providing another palpable opportunity for the press to get a real feel for what poker tournaments and poker players are all about.

The pièce de résistance for this year's Legends will once again be the chance for players to make the final table of the no-limit hold'em championship event, which will be televised during the second year of the World Poker Tour TV series. Creator Steve Lipscomb and partner Lyle Berman have accomplished an amazing feat in bringing poker into today's expanding sports and entertainment market. And the Travel Channel has done an excellent service to the poker industry in heavily promoting this innovative series. Haig Kelegian, managing partner of The Bicycle Casino, 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."

Marketing Director Kelley O'Hara thrives on progressive, cutting-edge vehicles that provide new marketing opportunities for properties to get the word out. "At the Bike, we pride ourselves on our pioneering spirit, and we continually strive to always be the trendsetter as opposed to the trend-follower. The World Poker Tour has provided all of us as charter members with an exceptional opportunity to expand not only awareness of our own presence, but also industry awareness in the overall marketplace by giving us new visibility through the power of television and event series continuity."

Casino Operations Officer Hashem Minaiy concurs, stating, "We are very pleased with the success of the first World Poker Tour and continue to support their exceptional efforts to expand the poker industry. As promised, they have created a first-class effort and we're proud to continue our partnership in this high-caliber project."

Summer in L.A. is heating up with The Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker and the World Poker Tour … it's one of the hottest games in town!