What is a geocaching poker run?
When we went to the AJACS geocaching event, we were introduced to a “Poker Run”. Now, never having DONE a poker run before I was really interested to see how this event would happen.
Frankly, I’m no good a poker. Just ask my grandma. (Shown below in her EatStayPlay.com apron!) Every Thanksgiving, the family gathers at her house. And after the turkey is consumed and the left overs put away, Nana proceeds to whip my you-know-what in poker.
I’m terrible at it!
So the idea of playing geocaching poker… Well, I figured I might as well give it a shot.
I had figured that you’d go to some caches (5 maybe?) and pick a card to make a hand. But what I just couldn’t figure out what how that would be FAIR. I mean, wouldn’t the first person to each cache just get to choose cards that would make a Royal whatever-you-call-it?
Boy! Was I ever wrong!
Just what IS a #Geocaching Poker run? Click To TweetHere’s how the poker run we participated in happened:
Number One: Ante up.
In this case, we needed to provide a quality trade item. The winner of the poker run was going to win a fully-stocked ammo can cache ready to hide.
(I contributed a first-aid kit)
Number Two: Get the cords
The fantastic coordinators from AJACS hid 5 caches around camp. So, all we had to do was visit each cache.
Number Three: Pick the cards.
Ah-ha! We were part of deck “B”. (There were over 200 people at the event so there were multiple decks in each cache.)
At each of the 5 caches, we just picked a card from deck “B”.
Now, remember how I was worried about fair? Well, turns out each card is in a sealed envelope. They’re even the blue-inside security envelopes so you can’t see the card. Just collect one envelope from each can and return the UNOPENED envelopes to the organizers.
To make it even better, each envelop had a big “B” written on it as well as the number of the cache: 1-5.
Number Four: Reveal the hand.
Just to give the team a fighting chance, I was very careful not to pick cards in any way. At ALL. When we got back to the registration, the event hosts opened the cards and wrote down our hand.
Not touching the cards must have paid off. We had the highest hand in our deck.
Three threes!
My Nana was so proud!
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How do cachers in your area do a poker run?
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Our caches were all practically IN camp and very easy to find.
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Have you ever done a run where the caches were difficult to find?
Find Your Geocache
March 30, 2010 @ 10:22 pm
[…] What is a geocaching poker run? […]
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April 13, 2010 @ 7:38 pm
I love this. I just might have to set up one of these events in NY.
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April 18, 2010 @ 4:15 am
I’ve saw one done at a NYGO summer picnic event, I skipped out on that one. But knew the game host. so I learned from him how to hold one. You have to be on your toes when trying to keep up to all who play.. Might I suggest a helper opening cards and recording some of the hands as well
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Geocaching Events: What and Why
September 17, 2010 @ 1:50 pm
[…] for a weekend of caching. New caches were hidden just for the event, there was a skills contest, a poker run, and a flash mob. Flash […]
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September 20, 2010 @ 2:09 pm
We do poker runs down this way often. The best way I have found to run a straight game is this. We hide twelve caches that are hidden over an area not just a camp ground but a couple miles apart. Within seven of thoes caches are colored chips. You have to find at least five chips to play all seven if you want to draw a cacd or two. Once back at the dealers desk you present your first five chips and you get delt five cards from a newly schuffled deck. This is your hand if you only had five chips but if you found all seven chips you can exchange two cards to try and better your hand. Kicker rule is if you find all seven chips you get a extra card so you could posibly exchange three cards within your hand. Higest hand wins and you can even throw in a wild card or two but it starts getting tough to figure with alot of people involved.
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September 20, 2010 @ 2:48 pm
Wow! That is really a neat idea. Sounds more complicated if you are having a lot of players though.
I’ve only PARTICIPATED in one poker run but it was a ton of fun. I would really love to organize one here in Chino. Maybe this fall…
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Geocaching Games
July 9, 2011 @ 3:57 pm
[…] was originally thinking of having a Poker Run but in my research, I’ve come across some other games […]
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Find Your Geocache: Event Games | The Outdoor Princess
July 9, 2011 @ 4:01 pm
[…] was originally thinking of having a Poker Run but in my research, I’ve come across some other games […]
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September 19, 2011 @ 4:55 pm
I have been setting up a poker run all summer. Without having read this page, I came up with the idea of envelopes and five caches. I’m going to do it a little different. I will pass out flyers with coordinates and a space to put a label sticker from each cache. The sticker will have a number. When everyone gets back together, and we eat (what else?) we start shuffling cards and assigning the cards to the numbers. Instead of having someone keep track of the hands, we will literally pass out the playing cards as they are turned over. Whoever gets the best hand wins.
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September 20, 2011 @ 1:29 pm
@ G.O. Turtle — that sounds like an interesting idea. Let me know how it goes!
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Holding A Poker Run Event
January 3, 2012 @ 10:14 pm
[…] Here’s a link if you’re wondering What is a geocaching poker run? […]
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