The Start of the Legends Poker Tour at the Bicycle Casino Facility in California

The 1st day of the 2008 world poker tour Legends of Poker Tour started on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 from the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, California. When the registration closed down for the 2nd of the two first days of the historic World Poker Tour tournament, just 373 participants paid the $10,000 buy-in cost. Last year the event attracted around 485 players, which means that player attendance dropped by twenty-three percent in 2008.

The eventual champion of the 2008 Legends of Poker will take home $1.1 million. The top thirty-six spots will play at the Los Angeles World Poker Tour Event. Entering the 2nd day, which features the survivors from Days 1A and B. These were the top ten chips stacks in the event: Ali Eslami with 158,525 chips, Adam Weinraub with 154,750 chips, John Smith with 134,125 chips, Freddy Deeb with 125,450 chips, Armen Momjian with 116,700 chips, Justin Scott with 107,325 chips, Evan McNiff with 105,675 chips, Neal Wang with 103,600 chips, Steven Graham with 101,925 chips and Sami Ruso with 101,100. Eslami has won $20,505 in at two World Poker Tour events. He also cashed in the world series of poker Main Event in 2004 and 2007.

Weinraub won the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational during Season V, winning $100,000. Deeb is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner who won $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship in 2007 for more than $2 million, edging out Bruno Fitoussi in the heads-up showdown. Scott is also a World Series of Poker bracelet winner. He won a $2,000 buy-in cost No Limit event during the 2006 World Series of Poker for $842,262.

McNiff achieved his first three World Series of Poker cash in 2008, which has a total of more than $70,000. Wang finished 4th in a $5,000 buy-in cost no limit event during the 2005 World Series of Poker, cashing in for $153,315. Last year's Legends of Poker event saw 1995 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Dan Harrington defeat David Pham to win $1.6 million.

It was Harrington's 2nd World Poker Tour final table as he finished in the runner-up position in the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship during Season IV. Pham has 6 career World Poker Tour final table appearances and has won more than $1.8 million.

September 14, 2008
William Atkins