World Poker Tour Draws a Full House at The Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker

What a difference a year makes. One year ago, when the World Poker Tour arrived at The Bicycle Casino to film the Legends of Poker tournament, a quiet buzz hummed throughout the casino as players pondered what was behind the big black curtains erected on the main floor of the casino. On the night of that final table, a few hundred audience members experienced the drama of what was to become the new television series, the World Poker Tour.

A few months after that, millions witnessed the drama that took place inside the curtain when they watched the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel. People kept coming back for more poker drama, told their friends, and soon word spread. That exposure has now brought a new audience, including celebrities and news media, to the WPT and its member casinos.

This year, when the World Poker Tour arrived at The Bicycle Casino, the buzz was distinctly louder, the crowds were significantly larger, and the parking lot was crowded with news vans. In addition to the media influx, celebrities who are fans of the WPT came out to play in the tournament and watch the final table.

Academy Award winner Ben Affleck, star of Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, and Pearl Harbor, joined 308 other players in a quest for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool. Wearing a brown silk shirt and smoked sunglasses, and appearing polished, Affleck patiently stood in line to register as his two burly bodyguards carefully eyed the crowd.

At the table, Affleck held a pair of aces with the river card yet to come, and he eyed Bob Stupak, who held a pair of fours. Stupak allegedly taunted Affleck not to call, but Affleck moved in his chips, confident that his hand was stronger than Stupak's hand. The river card was dealt. Affleck might have scripted the ending differently, but a 4 came, giving Stupak a set. Does this confirm that Bob Stupak is psychic?

Once out of the tournament, Affleck joined a table in the high-stakes area of The Bicycle Casino and played in a pot-limit hold'em game with WPT host Vince Van Patten. With casino security and his two bodyguards keeping fans at a distance, Affleck indulged his passion and played into the night. At one point, while enthusiastically telling a story about a passage he read in Jim McManus' book Positively Fifth Street, his cell phone interrupted the action. Apparently, only J-Lo can distract him from his game.

Joshua Malina, an actor on The West Wing, and a few of his friends came to watch the final-table action. He and a few of his fellow actors play poker to pass the time on the set. Upon noting that his show airs on Wednesday nights in the same time slot as the WPT, he responded, "I don't watch my show. I watch the WPT."

Lou Diamond Phillips once again joined the WPT as a special celebrity guest. After playing in last year's WPT Invitational and hosting the television special WPT: Poker Primer, Phillips was invited by the WPT to come back as a celebrity guest to host the poker tutorial segment of The Bicycle Casino show. Phillips also played in the tournament, making it further than Affleck, but not far enough to give up his acting career. An avid poker player, Phillips hopes to one day make it to the final table.

Beyond the reaches of the poker world and Hollywood, players from all walks of life joined the pros at The Bicycle Casino. One gentleman traveled from Alabama to pursue his newfound passion – poker – which he discovered by watching the WPT on the Travel Channel, and developed by playing online. A construction worker for seven months out of the year, he now plans to follow the WPT across the country during his off-season. He doesn't care if he wins, it's the thrill of playing against the pros and pursuing a passion that interests him – in addition to the chance of being on TV.

If people didn't come to play, they came to watch. The audience lined up ahead of time with the hope of getting a first-come, first-served seat in the WPT arena. Many had never been to The Bicycle Casino, and had traveled more than 50 miles to watch the TV taping and learn more about poker. Those not lucky enough to be seated inside the WPT arena were ushered into the ballroom, where The Bicycle Casino hosted a lively poker party. Guests watched the action live on big-screen TVs, took part in free poker lessons, and enjoyed an assortment of beverages while hoping for a seat to open up in the arena. Some got their wish and witnessed the excitement inside the arena, while others were content to socialize in the ballroom and hone their poker skills.

The action continued the next day when The Bicycle Casino played host to a World Poker Tour television special, WPT Ladies Night. In the same WPT arena, final-table players Jennifer Harman Traniello, Kathy Liebert, Maureen Feduniak, Annie Duke, Cycalona Gowen, and Evelyn Ng competed for a $25,300 buy-in to the WPT championship event at Bellagio. Look for more ladies at the tables after the Travel Channel airs this special episode at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Dec. 10, 2003 (check your local listings to confirm airdates).

Whether you come to play or just watch, the WPT and its casino members welcome you to upcoming events: Borgata, UltimateBet, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Bellagio, Horseshoe/Goldstrike casinos, Commerce Casino, PartyPoker, Bay 101, and the Reno Hilton. For a complete listing and the 2003-2004 WPT tournament schedule, go to www.worldpokertour.com. For audience seating information, contact each casino's poker room.