Todd Campbell, the main man behind the annual Hartwell Lake Poker Run set this year for June 6-8 in Starr, S.C., knows his audience. And for that reason, he keeps the entry fee for events, which raises money for Meals On Wheels-Anderson (S.C.) at an uber-affordable $85 per boat—and passenger tickets are $25 per person.

With its $85 per-boat entry fee, the annual Hartwell Lake Poker Run in South Carolina is one of the most affordable—and booming—events of its kind. Photo courtesy/copyright Jacob Davis/LakeLifeFotos.

Let’s take a quick reality break, if only for a moment. There aren’t many—if any—large-scale organized go-fast boating events you can enter for that kind of money. Heck, most post-run bar tabs are higher than that. But again, Campbell knows his audience.

“Everything in the event is ala carte,” said Campbell, who several years ago purchased the then-dilapidated Big Water Marina host venue and has been renovating the facility ever since. “If you want another T-shirt (one T-shirt and one raffle ticket comes with the registration fee) that’s extra. If you want another raffle ticket and a T-shirt for a passenger, that’s an extra $25. If you want food, that’s extra.”

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