Louisiana’s Tickfaw 200 is cooking Cajun-style
The Tickfaw 200 Poker Run has become one of Louisiana’s most anticipated boating weekends, a bucket-list event that blends the beauty of the bayous with a nonstop party.
Set for April 30-May 2, 2026, the poker run attracts performance boating’s top dogs to the winding waterway in Livingston Parish, an hour north of New Orleans. Based out of Blood River Landing, the three-day poker run lets boaters chart their own course.
Boaters can spend the day at the Fun House watching the catamarans and center consoles idle past a tree-lined backdrop. Or poker runners could visit one of 17 stops, many of the bars and restaurants are only accessible by boat. Participants can easily log 100 miles or more if they hit all the card stops and popular riverfront bars along the Tickfaw 200 route.
Epic 2025 Tickfaw 200 Poker Run
Since the Tickfaw 200 Poker Run restarted in 2023 after a multiyear pause, the boat count continues to grow. And that’s reflected in the growing crowds at the “Fun House,” base for the Tickfaw 200. The late Charles Albert built the Fun House using wood and other materials from the surrounding area for the club.
The poker run drew a broad fleet, from sport boats to high-end catamarans and center consoles. For most participants, the moss-draped bayous and open water of Lake Pontchartrain are only part of what makes the event so cool.
The Tickfaw 200 is at the top of the list for Kyle Weese, who ran his turbine-powered Nor-Tech catamaran.
“It’s the one poker run that I make sure I have my boat ready for,” said Weese, who lives in Woodward, Oklahoma. “If the boat is still running after Tickfaw, I’ll do other poker runs.”
The poker run featured live music at the Fun House, one of the few times the private marina is open to the public. Friday night featured a scaled-back version of the chicken drop to raise money for the fire department. When the chicken pooped on a square, the winner collected the money.
What to Expect for 2026
Poker runners can expect another full weekend of activities, when the Tickfaw 200 kicks off the first weekend of May. Participants have 17 restaurants and bars to choose from, a few of which are only available by boat.
Among the more popular stops on the weekend are Sun Buns Bar & Grill, the Prop Stop Inn and the Gator’s Den. Blind River Bar, which reopened in 2024 after burning down in a fire, is also a favorite for poker runners. Among the stops, Weese will make sure to visit in the Nor-Tech are JB’s Fuel Dock and the Prop Stop Inn.
As the Tickfaw 200 continues to grow, Weese hopes the poker run can keep the same feeling as when Albert organized it.
“It didn’t matter who you were, what you ran, when you showed up or how big your checkbook was,” Weese said. “That’s what makes Tickfaw what it is.”
