Lake Cumberland Poker Run Set to Rock Kentucky
The 2018 edition of the Lake Cumberland Poker Run is nearly here: the 12th annual run kicks off Friday, Sept. 7, for a weekend of fun, music and fast boats.
And best of all, Brittany Dunn—aka the beautiful and captivating Miss Powerboat Nation (who has turned heads at numerous boating events over the past few years)—will be representing PBN and Speedboat Magazine at this year’s event.
The Cumberland event has been called Mardi Gras on the water, and the name is well-deserved. Kentucky’s famous reservoir comprises 1,255 miles of shoreline and boasts an average depth of 90 feet. The event’s home base is State Dock Marina, known as the houseboat capital of the world. Organizers have dubbed this poker run as the world’s craziest and funnest ever, and there’s no denying that it has become one of the nation’s most popular speedboat attractions. Most of the action occurs on Friday and Saturday, but participants typically end up sticking around through Sunday to enjoy the lake’s attractions and long, straight-shot boating opportunities. It’s estimated that 30,000+ spectators play a part in the action, rivaling even the Fourth of July for the sheer throngs of participants.
Imagine 50 houseboats with a combined 200 bedrooms lined on a single dock exclusively for Poker Run participants—along with an adjacent dock with 125 of the most incredible speedboats in the country—and you start to get a pretty good idea of what this event is like. One dock becomes “Houseboat Row” and after dark; when the Party Barge gets cranked up, it’s reminiscent of Mardis Gras. Meanwhile, the other dock is completely cleared and reserved exclusively for the Poker Run Boats. The ability to “stay where you play” is one of the poker run’s hallmarks.
This year’s entertainment will be provided first by the country sounds of the Derek Allan Band on Friday night, followed by Parrots of the Caribbean, a Jimmy Buffett tribute band, that will rock the party on Saturday night. Bill Kingery will be bringing back his popular bass-thumping sound system and light show to keep the Party Barge bustling into the evening.
There’s still time to register for the poker run over the phone, reserve a “boatel” or if you just have questions in general. Call (888) 782-8336 or send an email to info@statedock.com.
