With a little more than a week-and-a-half to go, the inaugural Mentor Poker Run on Lake Erie, Ohio, is filling up. More than half of the event’s 30 spots have been taken, according to organizer Anthony Scioli of Elite Poker Runs LLC, which produced the Erie Poker Run and will be handling the Western New York and Grand Island Poker Run events later this summer.

Fresh from organizing the wild Erie Poker Run (above) last month, Scioli is looking forward to putting on the Mentor Poker Run in less than two weeks. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“A lot of people have told me they’re going to sign up the day before the event,” said Scioli. “I’m just worried that we’ll be full by then. If they want to be sure, I’m advising they sign up sooner rather than later. I know they’re part of the deal, but I’d like to try to get away from ‘day of’ registrations. It’s hard on the venues and the sponsors.

“Right now, most of the people registered are from the area in Ohio,” he added. ‘But I’m sure more will be coming from Western New York and Pennsylvania.”

The poker run, which includes catered parties on Friday and Saturday evening, is being held on the same weekend in Mentor as the Super Boat International Cleveland Grand Prix. Scioli has set up lunch for the multi-stop run at Nuevo Modern Mexican and Tequila Bar Restaurant behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people who are going to be in Mentor for the race with their boats and my goal is make a whole weekend of it for them,” he said. “That includes being part of the spectator fleet—as a group—for Sunday’s races.”

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