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Volunteers and participants gather on a dock at Barren River Lake during the annual Friends of Barren River Lake and Park Poker Run. Gage Wilson/Glasgow News 1

Hundreds motor around Barren River Lake for annual poker run

Aug 6, 2023 | 10:05 PM

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

Volunteers sit at folding tables under a pavilion as they register people for the poker run. Gage Wilson/Glasgow News 1.

On the shores of Barren River Lake and in marinas all across the lake volunteers set up tables and pavilions to await the hundreds of people traversing the lake in hopes of building their winning hand.

The event is the annual poker run put on by the Friends of Barren River Lake and Park. It is funded through sponsorships, membership dues and donations, wherein teams — usually on boats though the trek is possible by land — travel to four marinas on the lake to get a card to build their poker hand.

The marinas that are scattered around Barren River Lake are, The Narrows, The Peninsula, Walnut Creek and Barren River State Park. At each of the four stops, volunteers give each team a card in a sealed envelope to add to their hand. After receiving four cards the teams return to Sunset Beach to get their last card and record their score.

To register, receive a hand, costs $25 with the first place team winning $500, second place winning $250 and third place winning $100.

Volunteers hand teams their sealed envelope with their card in it after they log their visit on the volunteers’ lists. Gage Wilson/Glasgow News 1.

According to Joie Mills, chairman of organization, they had roughly 330 hands given out. He said that was typical for this event, but not as big as 2021.

Missy Towell, president of the club, said this is the its “largest fundraiser” of the year and goes to pay for the various other events, and projects, they put on.

Crowds wait to receive their next card at the Peninsula Marina. Gage Wilson/Glasgow News 1.

“We do many projects around the lake, to beautify the lake, and we do two beach fests. They don’t make any money they just provide something fun to do. We also do the trash cleanup,” Towell said. “So this is going to fund the trash cleanup and the fireworks.”

In the end, Justin Hammer won first place with five aces. Tara DeHart was second and Jim Sauerherber was third.

The poker run is an annual event held on the first Saturday of August.

The Friends of Barren River Lake and Park was founded in 1987 as the Barren River Regional Water Safety Council before changing its name to the current one in 2012. It is a non-profit organization partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kentucky State Parks, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, county and local governments, and the local tourism commission.

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