Like most things during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdowns, poker has suffered tremendously over the past year. Nowhere is this more evident than in the California poker rooms, which have been shut down for over a year now. That has begun to change, however, and with it, a venerable institution – The Bicycle Casino’s Live at the Bike – will make its triumph on Tuesday (April 20).
$50/$100 No Limit Hold’em Will Be the Game…
The reborn Live at the Bike will not just tentatively test the waters with their first stream in over a year. They will be jumping full-on into the water with a $50/$100 No Limit Hold’em cash game that will begin at 4PM (Pacific Time). The minimum buy-in for such a game? Only a measly $10,000 to sit down at the famed Bike card table in Bell Gardens, CA.
This is not going to be a one-shot deal for the stream or for the Bike. The game will run again on Friday, with the same stakes. Players who want to take part in the festivities regarding the reopening can request entry into the game through a reservation by going directly to the Live at the Bike website, which also has the livestream for those who might not be quite well enough bankrolled for such a game.
The Original Returns…With Plenty of Competition
Live at the Bike returns at a time when there is plenty of competition in the “streaming poker” genre. PokerGO has run some of the LATB shows in the past, but they seem to have been more interested in putting on their own products. There have also been a couple of other productions that have stepped up – with good and “not so good” outcomes.
Everyone is quite aware of Stones Live and the tumultuous saga that it went through over the past year-plus. If you have been off the planet for a bit, the show was the brainchild of Stones Gambling Hall in Northern California. The game was a lower stakes version ($1/$3 No Limit Hold’em) than LATB that, for a bit, garnered a great deal of attention from the poker community.
Part of the reason for that was the “wizardry” of a player by the name of Mike Postle. For several months, Postle stunned the audience and the broadcasters with miraculous plays and insightful laydowns that seemingly mortal men (or women) could not make on his way to earning an alleged $300,000. It also appeared that he had some help in that effort; although it was never proven, it was alleged that Postle received information regarding his opponents’ hole cards that assisted in his decision making. It brought about an end to Postle’s playing career (for such a brilliant player, he has never shown up at another live game anywhere) and to Stones Live.
On the positive side of the equation, Round Rock, TX’s The Lodge Poker Club and Card House has come up with a streaming program that is building a strong following. Poker Night at The Lodge has only been active for a few months, but they have shown some higher stake play than what was going on at Stones (but not quite to the level of LATB). They have also shown some entertaining players who are not afraid to get their chips into action on the felt.
The granddaddy of them all is back in action, however. Tune into Live at the Bike on Tuesdays and Fridays starting at 4PM (Pacific) to see high stakes poker by some of the best you have – and might not have – heard about!
