In this blog post, you’ll learn:
- What a “poker run” is and how you play it
- How to keep your poker runs interesting with a location theme
- Where to find charity poker runs in your local area
Prefer to get this information in podcast form? Listen to the 30 Minute Motorcycling Podcast episode about poker runs:
What are “Poker Runs” and how do you play?
Simply put, a Poker Run is just like any other poker game – except with a creative twist.
Instead of sitting down at a poker table, you and some fellow riders ride your motorcycles between checkpoints.
Depending on the version of poker, the checkpoints are usually between 5-7.
Regardless, once you arrive at the first checkpoint, everyone gets a card from a deck of playing cards.
Then, you all ride to the next checkpoint.
Once you’ve all arrived at the second checkpoint, everyone gets a second playing card.
After that, the whole process repeats until you’ve reached the final checkpoint.
At that point, everyone shows their cards, and whoever has the best hand wins.
If you need to brush up on poker hands and how to play, here are 2 videos from the YouTube channel Triple S Games:
Keep your poker runs interesting with a Theme
Now that you know how to do a poker run, the next question you might have is:
Where do we go?
You can just pick a few checkpoints at random, but if you want to keep it interesting, consider adding a theme.
Essentially, set the checkpoints on your run based on something they have in common. For example:
Historical places
Are you a history buff? Why not add a healthy dose of history to the equation?
Look up some places where you are that hold some kind of historic meaning and ride to them.
Then, once you arrive there, give a brief explanation about the place’s historical significance, just before you give everyone their cards.
It’ll be just like a guided tour!
Places of Your Past
This one is a great choice for biker couples who are just starting dating – or even some friends who have just met.
What better way to get to know someone than by showing them the place where you grew up (or have them show you the place where they grew up)?
These could be places like:
- Your childhood home
- Where you went to school
- Another place you went to a lot when you were younger (e.g. a shopping mall)
Charity Poker Runs
But not all poker runs are done just for fun – some poker runs are organized events run as a charity.
And these events attract people in the hundreds – something even in the thousands.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest poker run happened in 2013 in the American city of Fort Collins, where 1,494 participants raised $13,000 for the Realities for Children fund.
So where do you find one of these charity runs?
Where to find a charity poker run
All you have to do is Google “poker run near me” or “poker run,” followed by the name of the city you’re in.
If you’re in the United States, I highly recommend that you check out CycleFish.com, which has a listing of charity poker runs in all 50 states.
