Poker News

Ten days ago, a lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California numbered VC057998. The litigation pits poker players Eli Strickland and Edwin Pairavi against the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles over what the Plaintiffs claim is a “classic bait and switch.”

The suit surrounds a $200,000 guaranteed poker tournament held at The Bike last November during the North American Poker Tour (NAPT). According to the lawsuit, which Poker News Daily obtained last week, the tournament was originally scheduled to run from November 18th to 21st and have three starting days. At the end of each of the first three days, the top 7% of the field would advance to the final day on November 21st. Then, a winner would be decided. The top 10% of entrants would finish in the money.

Strickland and Pairavi entered on November 18th, the first starting day, and both advanced to the finals. However, according to the lawsuit, “Defendants… even before the start of play on the first day of the tournament, seeing that they did not have enough tournament entrants and would have to reach into their own pocket to pay a portion of the guaranteed prize money… began plotting to add another start day to the tournament.”

The decision was purportedly made to hold another starting day on November 21st, which pushed the final back to Monday, November 22nd. The tournament sported a $545 buy-in and, according to the lawsuit, 14 players had qualified for the final prior to the addition of another starting day. On the fourth Day 1, another eight players qualified for the finale, which allegedly shrunk “the payout to each player.”

The suit explains, “To the Plaintiffs… [the new players] meant the following: 1) they had more competition to win the tournament; 2) regardless of their financial position in the tournament, they earned less than they would have otherwise; and 3) they would have to play the final round on a work night when they would be more tired than on a weekend night.”

Strickland and Pairavi are suing the Bicycle Casino claiming breach of contract, fraud, and unfair business practices. The lawsuit also asserts that if the two poker players in question had known that another starting day would be added, they “would not have taken such action and not entered the tournament.” Strickland finished 16th in the event for $2,000, while Pairavi landed in fifth place for $9,800. Thirty-two players made the money.

The Plaintiffs are seeking “compensatory economic damages according to proof,” “compensatory non-economic damages for losses,” “pre- and post-judgment interest on the amount of losses,” “punitive damages according to proof,” “reasonable attorneys’ fees,” “an injunction barring Defendants from performing further acts of unfair competition,” “restitution,” “disgorgement of Defendants’ profits from acts of unfair competition,” and “other and further relief as the Court may deem proper.”

The complaint was filed on January 25th. According to the Bicycle Casino’s website, the tournament was billed as a $545 No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry event. The website also states, “Management reserves the right to cancel or modify any event in the best interest of the game.”

The Bicycle Casino serves as the home of the annual World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker. Last August, Andy Frankenberger became its latest champion and walked away with $750,000, the smallest top prize given out since 2003. The contest drew 462 entrants and the top 45 finished in the money. The WPT Legends of Poker saw its buy-in slashed from $10,000 in 2009 to $5,000 last year in an effort to increase attendance.

Speaking of 2009, new UB.com pro Prahlad Friedman took down the Legends of Poker that year and earned over a million dollars. Other past winners have included John “The Razor” Phan (2008), Dan Harrington (2007), Joe Pelton (2006), Alex Kahaner (2005), Doyle Brunson (2004), Mel Judah (2003), and Chris Karagulleyan (2002).

2 Comments

  1. Camorra says:

    The management over the Bike are such fucking douche bags! Ever heard of overlay you fucking morons? Pay the fuck up!

  2. LivePlayersAre Clowns says:

    Live players need to get a grip on reality, lol at suing over this. Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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