Thanks to a date change initiated last year, poker run enthusiasts from the Northeast and beyond no longer have to choose between the Western New York Poker Run (formerly the Buffalo Poker Run) and Poker Runs America’s 1,000 Islands Poker Run. The Buffalo-based event, which is being operated for the first time under the Elite Poker Runs LLC banner, is scheduled for Aug. 11-12. The signature event for Poker Runs America, the Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1,000 Islands run happens the following weekend.

The gave Peter Roberts of Double R Performance, a full-service new and pre-owned high-performance powerboat dealership located in Oro-Medonte, Ontario—roughly halfway between the two poker run venues—an idea.

Elite Poker Runs LLC is organizing the Western New York Poker Run this year. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“People who are coming to do both events can park and store their boats in our secure yard,” said Roberts, who co-owns Double R with his brother, Raymond. “I’m not going to charge anything. We have a big yard with a lot of capacity. For those come up to Toronto after the Buffalo run for the week, it would really suck to have haul a 50-foot boat around. For participants who might want to fly home and then come back between the two runs, they can just leave their boats here. There are airports in Toronto and Buffalo.”

Double R Performance is a sponsor of the Western New York Poker Run, and likely will sign on as a sponsor at some level for the PRA 1,000 Islands event.

By changing the dates for its 1,000 Islands event (above), Poker Runs America eliminated a schedule conflict with another popular poker run in the Northeast. Photo courtesy/copyright Eric Colby/Speedonthewater.com.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for people to do a weeklong trip,” he continued. “Because Poker Runs America switched the date last year, I was able to do both events. I hadn’t been to do the 1,000 Islands run for years and it was fantastic. And the event in Buffalo is always fantastic. Having them the opportunity to do both runs on back to back weekends is a very nice deal.”

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