Introducing a Real Poker Run

Running is not just for exercise; it is a way of life, a hobby and a habit.

Getting out and pounding the tarmac can improve your mood, keep you fit and help you socialize with friends. To go out for a run is enjoyable and beneficial, but the word is often used in vain. We’re talking about it being used in terms of a poker run.

A poker run is a charitable event where people pay an entry fee and usually travel between two points in vehicles. How is that a run? What aspect of driving from one point to another can be considering running? They’re misappropriating the word, but all is not lost. After all, the literal meaning of ‘poker’ and ‘run’ seems to be combining the popular card game and feet on the floor, so why not do that?

The core concept of a poker run is simple. People pay an entry fee to charity, which entitles them to travel a course, usually point to point, with checkpoints along the way. You are handed a playing card when you set off, and as you hit each checkpoint, you’re given another. The finish line provides you with a final card, and at that point, you make your best poker hand. There are usually two winners to each event; the winner of the race and the person with the best poker hand. Whilst these events are often on water or in vehicles, the concept of a poker run is perfect for an actual running race.

You don’t need a lot to set one up, and it is certainly worth thinking about for your next club event. Firstly, you’ll need to plan a course. It doesn’t have to be a marathon distance, rather something more achievable, perhaps 15km with a checkpoint every 5km. That would provide runners with five cards by the time they finished the race, which would be plenty for a poker hand.

Next up, choose a charity. You might be doing it to raise funds for your running club or using a poker run to raise money for another worthy charity. Set an entry fee, and set about getting people to sign up. If you’re in a running club, you should have no shortage of takers. You could do different levels too, so amateurs set off at one time, then intermediates after that, with your elite runners finishing the day off with a much later start. If you’re timing the event, take times between each 5km checkpoint, as the runners will have to stop and get their card, affecting their overall time.

You’ll need some volunteers to man the checkpoints, and a poker run usually has between five and seven. We’d recommend bottles of water and stations for them to take a breather as well. A poker run is a social event, so if runners wish to have a quick natter at a checkpoint, that’s going to be okay, too. The day should be fun for everyone, with an element of competition.

Finally, you will need a grasp of poker hand rankings to ascertain who has won that aspect of the day. At the final checkpoint, get each competitor to show their hand, either three-card or five-card, and eventually, a winner will present themselves. At that point, crown the race winner, award the poker winner and pack up knowing the real victor is whichever charity you have chosen to support.

If you get it right, a poker run can be a great way to boost performance, have an enjoyable day, and, most of all, get out in the fresh air and feel real freedom. After all, that is why we run in the first place.