Brian Rast Lays It On the Line In "The Bike Bet"

 

Poker is a game of mental will and stamina but in the latest edition of Stories from the Felt, the physical side kicks in. Brian Rast is one of the greatest players of his generation but his feat of riding from Las Vegas to Dan Bilzerian’s house in Beverly Hills, CA is among the most memorable of his accomplishments.

Now available on PokerGO is the story of that ride which took place in April 2016, a few months prior to Rast winning his second $50,000 Poker Players Championship bracelet.

Bilzerian had completed the same exact a few weeks prior with the aid of vehicles in front of him to prevent wind draft and a more comfortable bike than the road bike used by Rast.

With hardly any time to prepare and 6-1 odds being laid by Bilzerian and notorious prop bettor and high stakes poker player Bill Perkins, there was only one thing left for Rast to do. Get on the bike.

In 48 hours, Rast had to ride from Las Vegas through the desert highway separating the Eastern part of California from the winding hills of Los Angeles.

Rast’s mind is a formidable weapon which has won him over $20 million in tournaments during his career. It is that very mind that allowed Rast to overcome the physical hurdles that came up during the ride and allowed him to finish.

Perkins is the only person interviewed aside from Rast in “The Bike Bet” and his reaction to Rast gradually making his way toward claiming victory is a treat. It’s almost like he is watching Rast in front of him as he approaches his destination.

The physical challenge endured by Rast proves how strong the Stanford graduate’s mental capacity is in order to endure the full ride from Las Vegas. Only a few hours in, he sincerely thought he would not be able to make it. For anyone looking to find how why Rast is the future Hall of Famer he is, watch “The Bike Bet.”

For this tale and all other Stories from the Felt, subscribe to PokerGO. Every day this week, a new one will be available to stream and check out PokerCentral.com for all updates leading up to this weekend’s live streamed WPT Five Diamond final table.