Just curious. For those of you who organize or participate in some of the major poker runs......how many of them change up the route and card stop venues?
Is this done every year, every couple years, or ???

Thanks for your input.
Kevin

All of the poker runs I have participated in remain unchanged mostly...although living in CT there arent many alternative venues to visit...

I would think routes and rules would change if:

1. New sponsors host the event
2. Limited funding
3. Lack of participation
4. Weather

I can speak a bit 4 Kevin (EDGE)as I help him a bit w/ Boyne Thunder! We have done the same run the last few years & alot of it is out in Lake Michigan go'n 2 Beaver Island & back into Litttle Traverse bay! This year the weather & water was like a dream! The 2 years B4 the water was real snotty, alot of broken boats & headaches I think!! One of our major players this year suggested a dif route down into east/west Traverse bay & that way if wind & water where bad we would have the chance of some buffering by some land masses! some of the powers that B R real iffy on change, personally I think a change would B great!!! we have alot of the usual suspects that come year after year & just like the person that rec. a new course, I believe a bunch others would not mind it! I have been suggesting other small changes the last couple years as I sit in on some of the regular meetings & it just falls on deaf ears! people run'n this event w/ little boat experience & heres a good 1 4 ya, people make'n decisions who R BLOBOATERS!

C'mon folks.....I know it's a boring topic....but can I get a simple Y/N and an event name from a few of you who are regular attendees at some of these runs.
It would help with the planning for next years Boyne Thunder run.
Thanks.

After a while the runs become too repetitive.
I grant that there is some comfort for participants if they have visited the dock facility for the lunch stop previously, but that being said it just adds to the repetitiveness.

Every few years the route should be changed just for the sake of change and different water.

There are problems that come with that also. Maybe the lunch stop that has been used for years is giving the club a break because a charity is involved.
There is also the crowd and spectator boats along the route.
They count on the boats coming by annually and make a day out of it.

If any changes are made so it isnt sameo sameo they have to be related to the community in advance.

The SCOPE Poker Run was lasts weekend and we changed the poker run from previous years. This year we started in Long Beach as always, then to Avalon on Catalina Island, then to Two Harbors on Catalina. We had over 60 boats and had moorings for all and the "run" ended there at Two Harbors with a massive BBQ lunch. Everyone was free to leave anytime and then we had the poker run party/auction that evening back in Long Beach.Everyone loved it.

i have done 4pokerruns in the last year,the same one and they havent changed the run a bit

If I were running a poker run I'd probably change it every year. That way there aren't groups that will run WFO around the course ahead of the group. So it's either designate a pace-boat or change the stops all the time...

Thanks for your input & suggestions.

Kevin