Originally set for Sept. 9-10 on Lake Erie in Western New York, the Grand Island Poker Run has been cancelled. A combination of factors forced Anthony Scioli of Elite Poker Runs LLC to pull the event, which was heading into just its second year, from the Elite Poker Runs schedule.

Launched last year, the Grand Island Poker Run would have been the fourth event of the 2017 Elite Poker Runs season. Photo courtesy/copyright Elite Poker Runs LLC. 

“We had no major sponsor heading into it,” said Scioli. “It was a second-year event so I put it on the schedule without one, but a major sponsor never materialized. Registrations were very low—we had under 10 boats—so we’re going to refund the registration fees.

“Our dates conflicted with the Lake Cumberland Poker Run in Kentucky and our venue, the Buffalo Launch Club, couldn’t let me change them,” he continued. “I had a two-year contract with the club but they were gracious enough to let me out of it, and they’re open to doing something down the road if I decide to.”

The Grand Island Poker Run would have been the fourth event produced by Elite Poker Runs LLC this year. The outfit’s first event of the season was the third-annual Erie Poker Run in Pennsylvania, followed by the inaugural Mentor Poker Run in Ohio and the Ray Nuchereno Memorial Poker Run—formerly the Buffalo Poker Run—in Western New York. Scioli said he is in the early stages of deciding which runs he’ll produce in 2018.

“I took on more this year than I should have,” he said. “I have to sit down and see where I really want to go with this and how many runs I want to do next year. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time. But for now I’m just going to enjoy the rest of the summer with my wife, Sara, and our kids.”

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