Poker Walk How-To
- You’ll need a deck of cards, a large area to walk (can be inside or out) and a small group of people to play.
- Specify a walking route (i.e. a lap around your yard outside, a lap around the inside of your house, a circle within our neighborhood or a nearby park, etc.).
- Designate one person as the dealer. This person must understand the rules of poker ( to view a poker hands cheat sheet for reference). The dealer will remain in a fixed location on the route to pass out cards to participants.
- Participants can take turns being the dealer so that all have the opportunity to MOVE
- Participants walk 5 laps around the chosen route. After each lap, they receive one card for their hand. Participants must walk the route 5 times to earn a complete poker hand.
- Participants turn in their complete hands (5 cards) to the dealer, who then determines which participant has the winning poker hand.
Neither skill nor speed is a factor; the winning objective is to have the best poker hand! People of all ability levels are encouraged to join in, get some exercise at their own pace, and try their hand at a friendly game of poker.
Tips for Maintaining Social Distancing
Limit your group to those you are isolating with. This is the perfect activity to do with your family or close friends with whom you reside. Avoid bringing in other people you do not already interact with on a daily basis. Those considered vulnerable to COVID-19 should sit this one out.
Make sure your cards are sanitized. The best way to ensure this is to open a brand-new deck. If using a new card deck isn’t possible, wipe down each card with a Clorox wipe or equivalent.
Forgo the dealer. In lieu of a dealer, set the cards out on a table and have participants pick up a card from the table after each lap they walk. This helps reduce the number of people touching the cards.
Stagger yourselves to maintain 6 feet between each walker. After the first walker starts a lap, the next walker should wait a few seconds before walking so that social distance can be maintained.
Wash your hands before and after participating. You may also consider wearing gloves and/or a face mask.