Triet Nguyen Wins CPPT Bike Big Poker Oktober $500,000 Guaranteed Kickoff Event

The Card Player Poker Tour has returned to the Bicycle Hotel & Casino for the 2018 running of Big Poker Oktober, a 17-event series taking place from Oct. 1-21. The whole affair got underway with a huge $500,000 guaranteed $245 buy-in no-limit hold’em Quantum tournament. The kickoff event drew a massive field of 2,274 total entries, including 116 $1,800 day 2 direct entries. As a result, the $500,000 guarantee was easily surpassed, with the final prize pool growing to $644,177.

In the end Triet Nguyen emerged victorious with the title and the top prize of $78,222. Nguyen struck a deal during three-handed play that saw Ronald West earn $77,060 as the runner-up, and David Fernandez take home $62,260 for third place.

The final table featured a number of notable players, including Vinnie Vinh (4th – $30,620) and five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Allen Cunningham (6th – $19,210).

You can follow along with updates from the other preliminary events on the Bicycle Casino Tournament Blog.

Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:

The 17-event CPPT Bicycle Casino Big Poker Oktober series got off to a fantastic start with this tournament, and there is plenty more exciting poker action to come. The centerpiece of the whole affair is the $1,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em $500,000 guaranteed CPPT no-limit hold’em main event running Oct. 17-21.

The tournament will feature three starting flights, each beginning at 11:30 on Oct. 17-19. Players can also take advantage of the Quantum Tournament format and buy directly into day 2 for $4,300. Day 2 features single re-entry for the first two levels, with players who buy-in that day receiving an average stack of 120,000 with blinds at 1,000-2,000 with an ante of 300. The Bike is offering a full slate of satellites to the event, allowing poker players to qualify for as little as $200.

In 2017 this event drew a field of 550 total entries, creating a $673,180 prize pool. In the end, 23-year-old Andrew Wisdom came out on top, securing the title and the $165,025 first-place prize.

The Bicycle Hotel & Casino unveiled a $50 million hotel expansion to the property late in 2015, improving on what was already one of the best places in the world to play poker. The 117,907-square-foot addition boasts 99 rooms, including 29 suites, as well as a multitude of amenities including the all-new Bike Brewery, full spa and an elevated outdoor pool deck with private cabanas.

Bike Tournament Director Mo Fathipour, who pioneered the Quantum Tournament format, is excited with the positive effect the expansion has had on poker tournaments.

“The hotel is very nice. Every time you come to the Bike you’ll notice things changing and getting better and better,” he told Card Player. When asked about the Quantum format for this event he said, “Players love it because the prize pool goes up and the tournament draws some professional players. The concept is getting popular. We had it in Canada, we had it in Las Vegas, and we had it in San Diego. It’s going almost everywhere.”

In addition to the CPPT main event, there will be another eight events with guaranteed prize pools, including two more tournaments with promised pots of at least $500,000. The current schedule has more than $1.7 million in total guarantees.

For a full look at the October stop check out the tour’s homepage or the listings below:

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