Making a poker run more interesting

P

poadeleted20

Deleted
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Messages
31,250
Everyone knows what a poker run is -- each contestant flies to several airports, gets a card from a deck at each, and when all have returned to the "original point of departure" the best hand wins.

Now, how do you make this a bit more than just flying to a string of airports? Ideas welcomed, and will be credited in the AYA Poker Run this summer at Sacramento CA.
 
****ing Contest--Before first departure each contestant drinks 3 liters of water. Whoever 'holds' it the longest wins. To prevent cheating each hoo hoo is taped shut.

"Strip" poker--at each station, the one drawing the lowest card (single card hand) has to leave something behind. This could be a canopy, flap handle...you get the idea. You can swap with other contestants at next station if your overall hand beats theirs or if you can bluff really good.

Flour drop--Closest to the cook's table wins.

Time trials--best ETA/ATA match, fuel burn, etc.

"Find it and Fly"--at each station, before departing, each contestant must identify if plane is currently airworthy after being "attacked" by secret squad of A&P/IA.
 
Ron Levy said:
Now, how do you make this a bit more than just flying to a string of airports?
Click to expand...

I laid out a poker run last year and picked an interesting ground feature somewhere roughly(sometimes only very roughly) between each airport, figured out the Latitude and Longtitude for each and listed those. Any one that got all of them right received a nonsensical but very official looking certificate. It got people looking around. I passed them over Taquahmenon Falls, Pictured Rocks and the only house in a 40 mile stretch of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It helps to have a gps to find the places but can be done with good old pilotage.
Here is the wording on our certificate:
​
Let it be Henceforth Proclaimed

To the Ends of the Earth, and the Top of the Sky

On this, the 24th Day of the Month of June in the Year 2004

In Recognition of

Exceptional Navigational Skills, Uncanny Eyesight,

And the Ability to Program a GPS

We Do Hereby Bestow on the Crew of





The Honored Title of

Navegante Prodigiousus
​

Barb Miller
 
Turn the game at the final destination into a Texas Holdem hand?

(I've been watching too much TV)
 
Ron: Howabout making certain cards at certain airports wild cards ie. 4s dealt at SBY are wild and 9s dealt at KLOM are wild it could make it kinda interesting.
 
How bout having folks grading landings at each airport? Or maybe turn it into a rally of sorts, and give prizes to folks who complete the entire circuit closest to the time they predicted before the flights started?
 
Card hunt. When they get to the airport and go for the cards, sometimes they get a card, sometimes a hint on where the cards are on the airport grounds. It could be hidden out behind a hangar somewhere, at the entry road sign, or by the pumps, or :D at another nearby airport entirely. We use to do something similar to this on the farm as kids and if you took too long searching, your best card starts incrementing until it's worthless based on time overdue. You could also have a series of FAR/AIM questions that must be answered and work that into the game somehow.

Scatter 'em to the four winds. Each contestants gets a different inital airport to go to. The first airport on their list is clipped to their tiedown ring. They do not know what the next airport is on the list until they get each card. Talking to others in the race won't get you to the correct next airport in sequence. Penalty points on cards for blowing the sequence.

Unique landmark identification between airports based on hints and a digital or cheap instant camera. No GPS. Something to make them think and hunt around a little.

Pilotage only. No electronic navigation aids. Closest to fuel/time estimates per leg gets a prize.
 
The Batesville, AR poker run is held annually with FAA involvement. Pilots demonstrate a different manuever at each airport and are graded on it (Short field landing, take off, dead stick landing, soft field ......). Prizes are awarded at an FAA safety meeting back at the starting point. Can earn a Wings program level in one day by participating, even if you already have one for that year.
 
Uh, may I suggest a contest for the best hoo hoo taping?

Extra points to be awarded for precision.

:happydance:
 
Hey Ron, how about this:

Using the idea of GeoCaching, have the cards located at a place other than the FBO at the airport. Give coordinates or clues to coordinates, and have the pilot get to the airport, bust out a handheld, and find where on the airport property (or nearby the airport) the cards are located.

Another idea - have one bonus card at each stop that is available using the above technique. Those that don't have handhelds, or don't want to go searching for the bonus card, don't have to - they get their first card and leave. The first pilot to find the bonus card gets it, and everyone else sees a message that says that they're too late.

Then the pilots can take their best 5 cards of the day, and use it as a hand.
 
N2212R said:
Boys have em. Girls don't.
Click to expand...

Must be a Michigan thing.

In the service, a guy from Michigan tried to explain their version of hooters and hoo ha's. Both men and women have hooters, while only women have hoo ha's.

We laughed our butts off, stuff like that seemed funny during that time.
 
Marlboro Airport does an air rally each year, organized by whoever was unfortunate enough to win last year's rally. They're always different, but along the lines of getting a bunch of clues in sealed envelopes. You solve the first clue to find the first airport. If you can't solve the clue you can open an inner envelope and get another clue, but you lose points. After you get to the first airport, you open the next airport's clues, etc, etc. You could use this method to figure out which airports to go to to get the cards. The last time I participated I don't think we managed to find a single correct airport though...! I know one year we were given an initial heading, and when the view outside matched a snapshot we were given, we had to turn to a different heading, which was figured out using some kind of riddle or clue. I can try to drum up some more examples for anyone interested - they've gotten pretty crazy!
 
Bill Jennings said:
Must be a Michigan thing.

In the service, a guy from Michigan tried to explain their version of hooters and hoo ha's. Both men and women have hooters, while only women have hoo ha's.

We laughed our butts off, stuff like that seemed funny during that time.
Click to expand...

:D Michigan thing? Not unless I've missed something.... From my perspective, only women have either Hooters or Hoo ha's... thank goodness!

Still, I knew what they were talkin' about (so did the rest of "y'all"....~also NOT a Michigan thing :rofl: )
 
Last edited:
AdamZ said:
Ron: Howabout making certain cards at certain airports wild cards ie. 4s dealt at SBY are wild and 9s dealt at KLOM are wild it could make it kinda interesting.
Click to expand...


Wild cards!! EEEK!! :hairraise:
 
Ron Levy said:
Now, how do you make this a bit more than just flying to a string of airports? Ideas welcomed, and will be credited in the AYA Poker Run this summer at Sacramento CA.
Click to expand...

Pilotage & Ded reckoning only for navigation. Airports are not named but only described based on entries in the A/FD. Possibly, first one back gets an extra card if they made it to all required airports ("Except at night, when they'd have to give it back." -- extra credit for anyone knowing the name of this "game" - "the odds are astronomical").

Entrants have to do something like perform a skit, sing a song, do a dance, answer a silly question prior to getting their playing card. The something they have to do is different at each airport and the contestants don't know what it is until the arrive to get the card. Preferably the skit, song, etc is done in public in front of an audience.

Len
 
Last edited:
555Juliet said:
Spot landing contest at final destination airport?
Click to expand...
That's a good idea for most poker runs where the poker run is the only event, but at our convention we have a separate spot landing/bomb drop contest (as well as an air race, and an air rally with sealed clues and all, and a lot of other stuff -- see the AYA web site http://www.aya.org/aya2005 for all we have planned), and there will be many who only want do one or the other.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top