The World Poker Tour (WPT) is celebrating Season 20 all year long, but the Legends of Poker stop at Parkwest Bicycle Casino is a special spot on the calendar. This year also marks an emotional return to “The Bike” for the first time since COVID hit in 2022.
As one of the original casinos in the first season of the WPT, The Bike was an early believer in the WPT vision.
“If you go back two decades ago, there were a group of casinos that took a big risk on something called the World Poker Tour,” WPT Chief Executive Officer Adam Pliska said during a celebration during the first break on Day 1c. “Here we are, 20 years later at this amazing facility. Some of our greatest champions have come from this event, and you can see them on the wall.”
Some of those names on the wall include poker legends like Doyle Brunson, who won the event in 2004. His banner hangs prominently in the early part of the hallway just before players turn to make their way into the tournament area.
Mel Judah’s banner hangs nearby and it commemorates his win in 2003 at the second WPT Legends of Poker ever held. Left of Judah is Chris Karagulleyan, whose victory came in the WPT’s maiden season. Karagulleyan won $258,000 in 2002 and the top prize skyrocketed to just under $1.2 million when Brunson won it two years later.
20 Years of Winners at WPT Legends of Poker
| Year | Entry Fee | Winner | Entrants | Prize Pool | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | $5,000 | Chris Karagulleyan | 134 | $583,380 | $258,000 |
| 2003 | $5,000 | Mel Judah | 309 | $1,545,000 | $579,375 |
| 2004 | $5,000 | Doyle Brunson | 667 | $3,335,000 | $1,198,260 |
| 2005 | $5,000 | Alex Kahaner | 839 | $4,195,000 | $1,151,900 |
| 2006 | $10,000 | Joe Pelton | 466 | $4,520,200 | $1,602,670 |
| 2007 | $10,000 | Dan Harrington | 485 | $4,607,500 | $1,599,865 |
| 2008 | $10,000 | John Phan | 373 | $3,520,738 | $1,116,428 |
| 2009 | $10,000 | Prahlad Friedman | 279 | $2,625,000 | $1,009,000 |
| 2010 | $5,000 | Andy Frankenberger | 462 | $2,151,072 | $750,000 |
| 2011 | $3,700 | Will Failla | 757 | $2,570,015 | $758,085 |
| 2012 | $3,700 | Josh Hale | 622 | $2,111,690 | $500,000 |
| 2013 | $3,700 | Jordan Cristos | 716 | $2,430,820 | $613,355 |
| 2014 | $3,700 | Harry Arutyunyan | 593 | $2,172,994 | $576,369 |
| 2015 | $3,700 | Mike Chariati | 786 | $2,630,349 | $675,942 |
| 2016 | $4,000 | Pat Lyons | 687 | $2,465,643 | $615,346 |
| 2017 | $4,000 | Art Papazyan | 763 | $2,738,407 | $668,692 |
| 2019 | $5,000 | Aaron Van Blarcum | 520 | $2,392,000 | $474,390 |
| 2022 | $5,250 | 642 | $3,113,700 | $573,350 |
Back to Normal
The WPT’s 20th birthday was celebrated with cake, and Parkwest Bicycle Casino’s Mo Fathipour bought dinner for the room. The reunion was a long time coming for the players and staff that have been coming to Legends of Poker for two decades.
“It’s great to see all of these faces that I have not seen in a while at The Bike,” WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage said while welcoming players to the third and final flight. “An event like this does not happen without the legendary staff here. The management team here is second to none.”
After the 2022 edition of WPT Legends of Poker wraps up, the tour will head straight to Florida for WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa on September 2.
Be sure to keep it with PokerNews for coverage of the rest of WPT Legends of Poker, and join us in Tampa this weekend from the Seminole Hard Rock for more World Poker Tour action.
Remaining WPT Season 20 Schedule
| Dates | Event | Entry Fee | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2-7 | WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa | $3,500 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa |
| September 23-27 | WPT Australia | $5,400 AUD | The Star Gold Coast |
| October 19-23 | WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic | $10,400 | Bellagio Resort and Casino |
| November 25-30 | WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open | $3,500 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood |
| December 12-18 | WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas | $10,400 | Wynn Las Vegas |
Feature photo courtesy of Joe Giron/WPT
