What’s not to love about the annual Miami Boat Show Poker Run to Islamorada? It’s a beautiful journey to a fine destination, and so much of the hardware comes straight from the show.

Case in point is the quad 300-hp Mercury Verado outboard engine-powered Statement Marine 368 Crossover SUV center console pictured below. Just one week before this photo was taken, the 36-footer—the first four-outboard Statement built—was on display and drawing a crowd inside the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Owner Bob Christie gave his family and friends a ride to Islamorada on his new quad-outboard Statement center console during last month’s Miami Boat Show Poker Run. Photos courtesy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image.

Stu Jones, the founder and owner of the Florida Powerboat Club, actually designed and planned the run around the Miami show. Bright idea that one, in that it gives the builders and proud owners of the latest and greatest go-fast hardware the opportunity to showcase it in the spectacular setting of the upper Florida Keys.

There are bigger poker runs. There are wilder poker runs. There are longer—much longer—poker runs. But the Miami Boat Show Poker Run is unique because it falls on the heels, and in no small way supports, the most important boat show of the season.

With almost 100 boats, this year’s sold-out run may even have signaled the beginnings of a comeback for the go-fast world. While it’s too early in the boat-buying season to reach anything resembling an informed conclusion on that subject, this year’s turnout was cause for at least guarded optimism.

Just one more reason—in addition to it being new—that a center console captured by photographer Jay Nichols makes perfect sense as our choice for Image of the Week.

Coming to a poker run near you.