We’re about a week away from the 2009 WPT Legends of Poker event at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California. The event has been one of the most popular stops on tour since the World Poker Tour began in 2002. The $10,000 tournament has showcased some of the most respected champions in the game, including John Phan, Dan Harrington, Joe Pelton, Mel Judah, Chris Karagulleyan, and Doyle Brunson.
This time around, the champion will be crowned at the Bike’s brand-new, state-of-the-art Grand Poker Ballroom. Just in time for its month-long tournament series, the Bike has unveiled a new addition to its casino, called the event center. The tournament room will accommodate more than 50 poker tables, meaning that this year’s main event will need only one starting day, instead of a split field of two.
“We’ve already had an amazing poker facility here for a long time, but with this newly expanded and luxurious event center, we now step to the head of the class for not only Southern California, but the country,” said Bicycle Casino Director of Marketing Kelley O’Hara. “This grand event center will be the future home of our Legends of Poker tournament, our WPT televised events and numerous other first-class, large-scale poker tournaments and special events held here throughout the year.”
Previous years have seen the final table awkwardly placed in the center of the poker room due to space restrictions. A massive black canopy covered the area, sealing in a small number of spectators and blocking access to many of the Bike’s lower-limit games. With the new event center, business in the poker room can continue as usual while the final table is played out in a spacious, rail-friendly environment.
In addition, the Bike is also showing off its newest restaurant, the Legends Deli and Grill, which will offer up quick meals for busy poker players or more relaxing sit-down options for those who want to take their time after a stressful session.
The main event kicks off Aug. 22 and runs until the televised final table on Aug. 26. Card Player will be there throughout the week to provide live updates, photos and videos of all the action.
