I think it has been about a year since I played poker at The Bicycle casino in Bell Gardens. This is off the 710 Freeway about 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles depending on traffic.
I forgot just how nice The Bike is. The Bicycle Casino got its name from low ball where the winning hand would be "the wheel" hence the name The Bicycle (as in bicycle wheel) and then "The Bike" for short.
The Bike has three live poker sections. There is a large room for low limit games plus smaller tournaments are played in the room. Then up a few steps for mid-level games, then up a few more steps for "high limit" games.
But "high limit" is really a misnomer. Because at The Bike the $100 buy-in poker games are considered high limit.
The high limit area was recently remodeled with new chairs, new tables, new carpet and they moved "the cage" to make more room for tables. It is quiet, plenty of TVs, very nicely lit, good floor staff, attentive cocktail waitresses, and perhaps the best part about playing in the "high limit" room is that you eat free. Everything on the menu is free. If you want a steak dinner, it's free. Want a jumbo shrimp cocktail, it's free. Want Vietnamese cuisine or Chinese food, it's free. And it is all very good. Last night I had the Mongolian Beef and it was loaded with vegetables and big chunks of beef and it was delicious. The portions are large and for dessert I had a slice of apple pie -- I skipped the ice cream.
For dessert or for a snack some players ordered milkshakes or scoops of ice cream.
Did I tell you the food is free in the high limit room? Well, it's not really free, the "rake" from the games pays for the food.
Be sure to get a players' club card and get it scanned. In the other sections of the casino you earn points for food, and in the high limit area your scans go towards free tournament entries.
The WSOP Circuit Event comes to the Bike in January. This will be the second year the WSOP Circuit is at the Bike. It is running now at Harrah's Rincon.
Did I tell you the food is free in the high limit room? And it's really good!
The Bike is planning a major renovation with a new hotel being built there plus convention and meeting space.
There is also a section for casino games -- the "California Games" -- including blackjack and all the rest. They used to have card craps but they did away with it.
What I really like about the Bike is that the restrooms in the poker area are all "touch free." Please see the photos on the "Casino Public Restrooms" page here: http://alanbestbuys.com/id223.html I wish all casinos had restrooms this clean and this well kept.
Okay, now to my play last night. It was "okay" and nothing special, but it was almost a disaster.
There was a waiting list for the $100 game when I got there and within a few minutes a new table started. I took my middle seat which I prefer but it turned out not to be "a lucky seat."
At The Bike the $100 game has a buy in of as little as $100 but you can also buy up to $300. About half the table of new players bought in at $200, a few at $100 and a few at $300. I bought in at $300.
The next couple of hours were not good. I lost my initial $300, bought in for another $200 and lost that (now down $500), then bought in for another $300 and lost about $180 of that.
I was down to $120 in chips in front of me ($680 lost) when I finally started to win some decent pots.
It was now about 1-AM Sunday morning (this morning) and another table "broke" and two players came over to our table to fill seats of players who left. One of the players came with $600 and he immediately tried to dominate the table with big bets.
Until he got there the usual preflop betting was $3 or $6 or maybe $10. But this "new player" was raising every hand to $25 and for the most part was forcing players to fold, or when he did get a caller or two he would win with his strong cards.
But the table started to resent him because he raised to $25 on EVERY HAND and we knew he wasn't getting big cards on EVERY HAND.
So I mentioned to the player next to me, "I can't wait till I get a hand to call." Well, the next hand I had 4-4. Not especially strong but worth a call especially since I only had $120 in front of me.
Mr. Dominant Player did his usual of raising the $3 blinds to $25 and everyone at the table folded, except me, with my 4-4. And I got lucky and a 4 was on the flop. I had a set. After the flop, Mr. Dominant Player did what I expected -- he went all in. He had KQ and there was a Q on the flop but my set held up and I doubled up to about $250.
A few hands later I had 7-7. Again, not incredibly strong, but Mr. Dominant Player raised again and everyone folded except me. I called. There was a 7 on the flop. I doubled up again, and now I had about $550... and Mr. Dominant Player was down to about $60. He no longer could make his "big $25 pre flop bets" and he lost a few more hands.
Then, when Mr. Dominant Player had only $35 left, he went all-in pre flop. Again, I had 7-7, so I called. The flop comes... and after the flop he looks at me and says, do you have a 7 again? He asked that because on the flop were TWO SEVENS. I had flopped quads. The table went nuts.
Mr. Dominant Player was busted and left. I was still down about $200 on the night. But it was a heck of a night.
Oh, did I tell you the food was free?
Reply With Quote
