With last month’s Key West Offshore Poker Run successfully in the books, Stu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club has released the Pompano Beach-based outfit’s event schedule for 2017. Here’s a quick look at what’s on tap for members of the club next year:

Jan. 27-29—Winter Poker Run To The Keys
Feb. 17—25th Annual FPC Miami Boat Show Bash
Feb. 23-26—Miami International Boat Show Run
Mar. 16-20—Tampa Bay Poker Run
April 21-23—Fort Myers Poker Run
May 5-7—4th Annual Key West Air/Land/Sea Poker Run
May 8-12—Florida-Havana Powerboat Rally
May 25-28—15th Annual Leverick Bay Poker Run
June 9-16—European Poker Run
June 29-July 2—25th Annual Bahamas Poker Run
July 20-23—St. Maarten SXM Poker Run
Aug. 8-13—25th Annual Emerald Coast Poker Run
Sept. 29-Oct. 1—Fall Bimini Blast
Nov. 7-13—25th Annual Key West Offshore Poker Run

The Florida Powerboat Club has a full slate of diverse events on tap for 2017. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

“Every so often I need to mix things up,” Jones said. “Otherwise, everything gets stale. For example, even though our Winter Poker Run is going back to Hawk’s Cay, they’ve made some upgrades and changes to the property that should make it a really nice change of scenery.”

Other noteworthy changes/additions to the FPC’s schedule for 2017 include:

• After 20-plus years of heading to Holiday Isle Resort on Islamorada, the FPC has set the Faro Blanco Resort and Yacht Club in Marathon as the final destination for its Miami Boat Show Poker Run.

• The club’s Tampa Poker Run is moving dates and has a new party venue called The Birchwood. Said Jones, “It’s going to be a great place for land-based activities.”

• The Fort Myers Poker Run will head to The Pink Shell. “It’s right off the Matanzas Pass Inlet and on the beach,” Jones said. “It will be nice to have the beach and marina with a great floating dock facility and some nice condos. It’s an ideal venue for what we want to do, and we have enough space for 40 boats.”

• The run to Havana, Cuba, will be back but once again limited to a small group.

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