February 20, 2022

Wild Card Poker Run

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Stories and Photos by Ben Radatz from Dare Devil Inc

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“Two’s a cruise” is unwritten hot rod wisdom I picked up years back. It’s also five or a baker’s dozen or a streets’ length, depending on who you ask.

Whatever the number, if there is one (there isn’t), it’s a tradition as old as hot rodding, and maybe the soul of the whole thing, away from the outward-facing showrooms and drag strips and back on streets these cars and bikes once owned. It’s about strengthening the community, fine-tuning builds, picking up knowledge and just having fun.

All of the above, and below, were on display this past January at the first Wild Card Poker Run in Long Beach. Organized by Max Herman, Josh Kohn and Ethan White, it’s a five-stop cruise through the ports and shipping lots in the industrial end of town, with each participant receiving a playing card at each stop. Whoever has the best hand at the end of the run, wins.

Wins what?

Does it matter?

Attended by a small crop of familiar SoCal racers and builders and a few out-of-towners, the run was a departure from other regional cruises that stick to the inland canyons and boulevards around Los Angeles. Docks and shipping containers may not seem like a better alternative, but the timeless ports of Long Beach and the dramatic arc of the new Gerald Desmond bridge became idyllic backdrops for this sunny Sunday SoCal cruise.