As a keen cyclist, you may have heard of events like the bicyclepokerrun.com. Many charities organise these events to help raise money and give cyclists a chance to get fit and give something back to the community. The charity Spoke cards, cleverly combined cycling with poker to raise some money. The charity normally hosts the event every august and it is always a big success.
The charity aims to raise funds for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a charity that supports women under 40 who suffer from breast cancer.
The event sees the cyclists ride between various bike shops and pick up a playing card from each. The specified route is normally at least 30 miles long, but unlike a conventional cycle race, it’s not who finishes first that matters, it’s who has the the best poker hand at the end. It is a great way for keen cyclists to combine their passion for poker with their favorite sport.
With poker and cycling both being fast-growing leisure pursuits, it is no wonder poker bike rides are becoming ever more popular; not only does it make a fun day for sport enthusiasts, but it’s all for a good cause too. It certainly makes a change to playing Partypoker.com at home, so why not organise your own poker run for your favorite charity? Here’s a few tips for you to read to get you started.
What is a poker bike run?
A poker run is an organized event where participants, usually using bikes, motorbikes, boats and other all-terrain vehicles, race against each other to visit five different locations. Arriving at each location, the participant will be given a playing card which they must keep safely until the end of the race. Once all the players have crossed the finish line, the five cards and brought together and who ever has the highest scoring hand, wins.
The event has a time limit, however the participants are not timed—winning is purely a matter of chance. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record for the largest event was set in 2009; a staggering 2,136 motorcyclists took part in the poker run and raised money for the Fallen Firefighter Survivors Foundation.
How is the money raised?
Each participant pays a fixed amont to enter the poker run. In some eves, a small amount of this is put towards funding the event, but the rest goes straight to the chosen charity. Commercial sponsors often donate prizes, certificates, medals and awards, so even those with low scoring hands walk away with something.
The cards
Often, participants are not given proper playing cards, and instead, hands are written down or marked with punched holes in a ticket.
Who can play?
Since it is not gambling, anyone can take part, have some fun and raise money for charity. Old and young can take part without feeling pressured to finish first, because at the end of the day, it’s the cards you have collected which matter.