Poker Run Flyer: What to Include & Design Tips
Your flyer is the first thing potential riders see. A good flyer answers every question a rider has in under 10 seconds. A bad flyer gets ignored. Here's how to make one that fills your event.
Essential Information (Don't Skip Any of These)
Every poker run flyer must include these elements. Missing even one can tank your turnout because riders won't call to ask — they'll just skip it.
Event name
Make it memorable. "3rd Annual Fallen Heroes Poker Run" is better than "Poker Run 2026."
Date and time
Registration time AND departure time. "Registration 8:30 AM, Kickstands Up 10:00 AM."
Start/finish location
Full address. Include a landmark if the location is hard to find. "Iron Horse Saloon, 4523 Route 9, Anytown."
Entry fee
Per rider AND per passenger. Mention extra hand pricing. "$20/rider, $15/passenger, extra hands $10."
What the money supports
The cause or charity. This is the #1 motivator for many riders.
What's included
Food? Music? Prizes? Raffle? Riders want to know what they get for their money.
Contact info
Phone number AND/OR Facebook page. Not just an email — riders call.
Route info
"5 stops, ~80 miles" is enough. Don't list every checkpoint on the flyer.
Entry fees and prize info are especially important — check our poker run prizes guide for how to present payout structures on your flyer. And if your event benefits a nonprofit, our charity poker run guide covers how to frame the cause for maximum rider buy-in.
Design Tips That Work
One glance rule
A rider walking past a flyer at a bar should get the event name, date, and location in one glance. If those three things aren't immediately visible, redesign.
High contrast, large type
The event name should be readable from 6 feet away. Use bold, high-contrast colors. Dark backgrounds with white/bright text work well.
One strong image
A single impactful photo (bikes lined up, open road, your charity's logo) is better than a collage of 8 tiny images. Let the image set the tone.
Leave white space
Cramming every inch with text makes the flyer unreadable. Give the important information room to breathe.
Include a QR code
Link to your registration page, Facebook event, or route map. Riders will scan it with their phone instead of typing a URL.
Print size matters
Design at 8.5x11 for posting at shops. Also create a square version for social media (1080x1080) and a story version (1080x1920) for Instagram.
Color and Font Recommendations
Flyer design is about instant readability, not artistic expression. These color and font combinations have been proven to work across hundreds of poker run flyers:
Color Schemes That Pop
- - Black background + bright orange or red text: High contrast, looks aggressive and energetic (works for sport bike and custom bike events)
- - Navy blue background + white text + gold accents: Professional, works well for charity and veterans' events
- - Dark gray background + neon green or yellow text: Modern, eye-catching without being harsh
- - Red, white, and blue: Patriotic, default for military/veteran fundraisers and HOG chapter events
Fonts That Work
- - Event name (headline): Bold sans-serif fonts like Impact, Bebas Neue, Oswald, or Anton. All caps, large size (80-120pt). Should dominate the top third of the flyer.
- - Date, time, location: Medium-weight sans-serif like Arial Bold, Helvetica, or Roboto. 24-36pt. Easy to scan.
- - Body text (details): Clean, simple sans-serif. Arial, Helvetica, or Open Sans. 12-16pt. Never use script fonts for body text — they're unreadable at small sizes.
- - Avoid: More than two font families on one flyer. Fancy script fonts for anything other than a decorative accent. All-lowercase text (reduces readability).
Test readability by printing the flyer at full size and taping it to a wall. Stand 10 feet away. If you can't immediately read the event name, date, and location, increase the font size or adjust the contrast.
Where to Distribute Your Flyer
A great flyer in the wrong places is wasted effort. Here's where poker run flyers actually convert:
Motorcycle dealerships
Bulletin boards, service waiting areas, and sales floors. Ask the manager — most are happy to post event flyers.
Bars on the route
Especially if they're a checkpoint. They benefit from the foot traffic and will actively promote to their regulars.
Gas stations near biker roads
Riders see these before and after rides. High visibility for your target audience.
Facebook riding groups
The single most effective digital channel. Post in local motorcycle, boating, or ATV groups. Create a Facebook Event.
Barbershops and tattoo shops
Heavy overlap with poker run demographics. Most have a community board.
VFW and American Legion posts
If your event benefits a veterans' cause, these are mandatory distribution points.
Common Flyer Mistakes That Kill Turnout
Even experienced organizers make flyer mistakes that tank registration. Here are the most common errors and how to avoid them:
- - No date or wrong date. It sounds obvious, but organizers proofread 20 times and still miss this. Have someone else check.
- - No contact info. If a rider has a question, they need a phone number. Not just an email or a Facebook page that hasn't been updated since 2023.
- - Too much text. A flyer is not an itinerary. Save the detailed schedule for the event page. The flyer's job is to make someone care enough to learn more.
- - Low-res image for printing. A 500px Facebook graphic will look terrible printed at 8.5x11. Design at 300 DPI for print.
- - Posting too late. Flyers should be up 4-6 weeks before the event. Posting 1 week out means most people have already made plans.
Timing Errors That Cost You Riders
Posting your flyer 4 weeks out sounds reasonable, but the best-run poker runs start promotion 8-10 weeks before the event. Why? Riders plan their weekends 3-4 weeks in advance. If you post your flyer on May 1 for a May 25 event, half your potential riders have already committed to other plans. By the time they see your flyer, they're conflicted — attend yours, or keep their existing commitment? Many choose the path of least resistance and skip yours.
The second timing mistake is posting flyers for Saturday events on Monday. Riders make weekend plans on Tuesday-Wednesday. If your flyer goes up on Monday for a Saturday event 5 days away, most riders have mentally committed to "nothing this weekend" or another event. Post mid-week for maximum impact.
Format Mistakes That Look Unprofessional
Riders judge your event by your flyer. A poorly designed flyer signals a poorly run event, whether that's fair or not. Here are the format mistakes that scream "amateur hour":
- - Pixelated or stretched images: Using a 400x300px image stretched to fill an 8.5x11 flyer looks terrible. Use high-resolution photos (1500px+ width) or vector graphics.
- - Clipart overload: Five flaming skulls, three American flags, and a photo collage is visual chaos. Pick one strong image and let it breathe.
- - Inconsistent alignment: Text blocks that don't line up, bullet points at random indents, and tilted text boxes make the flyer look rushed.
- - Missing bleed area for printing: If you design edge-to-edge graphics without a 0.125" bleed, the print shop will add white borders or cut off your design. Always design with bleed if you're printing professionally.
- - Wrong file format: Save print flyers as PDF with embedded fonts, not JPG or PNG. Digital flyers for social media should be PNG or JPG at 1080px or larger.
Digital Flyer Distribution Strategy
Physical flyers at dealerships and bars get you 20-40 riders. Digital distribution gets you 100-200. Here's where to post for maximum reach:
Facebook Groups and Pages
Facebook is the single most effective digital channel for poker run promotion. Riders over 35 (your core demographic) are active on Facebook and check riding groups multiple times per week. Post your flyer in these group types:
- - State/regional motorcycle groups: Search "[Your State] Motorcycles" or "[Your City] Riders." Groups with 5,000-20,000 members are ideal.
- - Brand-specific groups: Harley Owners Group chapters, Goldwing Road Riders Association, Suzuki Hayabusa groups, etc. Post in groups relevant to your expected rider base.
- - Women riders groups: "Women Who Ride" groups have exploded in the last 5 years. If your event is women-friendly (or women-only), post here.
- - Veterans and military motorcycle clubs: If your event benefits a veterans' cause, post in Patriot Guard, Combat Vets MC, and VFW groups.
Create a Facebook Event for your poker run and post the event link in these groups (not just the flyer image). Events get better engagement than standalone image posts because riders can mark themselves as "Interested" or "Going," which shows the event to their friends.
Email Lists
If this is your 2nd, 3rd, or 10th annual event, you should be collecting email addresses at registration. Past riders are your highest-conversion audience — they already know your event is well-run. Email your list 6 weeks out, 3 weeks out, and 1 week before the event. Keep it short: "Registration is open for [Event Name]. Same great route, bigger prizes this year. Register here: [link]." No novel-length emails. Just the flyer image, a one-sentence pitch, and a registration link.
Motorcycle Forums and Reddit
Forums like ADVrider, Motorcycle.com, and sport bike forums allow event promotion in their regional sections. Reddit has active communities like r/motorcycles and regional subs like r/MotoLA or r/Chicagomotorcycles. Read the group rules before posting — some ban promotional content, others require "Event" flair or mod approval. When posting, engage with comments and questions. A flyer dump with zero follow-up looks like spam.
Event Listing Websites
List your poker run on Poker Runs America, CycleFish, Eventbrite, and local event calendars (city tourism sites, chamber of commerce, local newspaper event sections). These sites have low individual traffic, but collectively they add 15-30 registrations to mid-sized events. Listing is usually free and takes 10 minutes per site. Do it once, set it, and forget it.
Instagram Stories and Reels
Younger riders (under 35) use Instagram more than Facebook. Post your flyer as an Instagram Story with a swipe-up link (if you have 10k+ followers) or a "link in bio" callout. Create a 15-30 second Reel with clips from last year's event, overlay your event details, and add trending audio. Reels get 10x the reach of static posts. Tag checkpoint locations, sponsors, and local riding clubs to expand reach.
Sample Flyer Copy
Here's a fill-in-the-blank template for poker run flyer copy. Customize the bracketed sections for your event:
[EVENT NAME]
[Ordinal if applicable - e.g., "5th Annual"]
Benefiting [Charity Name / Cause]
DATE: [Day of week], [Month] [Date], [Year]
REGISTRATION: [Start time] - [Departure time]
START/FINISH: [Venue name + full address]
ROUTE: [# of stops] stops, approx. [# of miles] miles
ENTRY FEE: $[amount] per rider | $[amount] per passenger
EXTRA HANDS: $[amount]
INCLUDES: [List what's included - e.g., "BBQ lunch, live music, prizes, raffles"]
PRIZES: [Total prize pool or top 3 payout amounts]
1st: $[amount] | 2nd: $[amount] | 3rd: $[amount]
INFO: [Phone number]
FACEBOOK: [Facebook page or event URL]
REGISTER: [Registration link or "At the door"]
All riders must sign waiver. Helmets required [if applicable]. Rain or shine [or "Rain date: [date]"].
Keep it simple. Riders scan flyers in 5 seconds — if they can't immediately answer "When?" "Where?" "How much?" and "What do I get?" they move on.
Digital Promotion Beyond the Flyer
A physical flyer gets you local reach. Digital promotion extends that to every rider within 100 miles. Need more ideas for making your event stand out? Our 50 poker run ideas guide has creative themes and activities that give your digital promotion shareable content.
- - Create a Facebook Event and invite every member of your club/organization
- - Post in regional riding groups (search "[your state] motorcycle" on Facebook)
- - List on Poker Runs America, CycleFish, and Eventbrite
- - Ask checkpoint businesses to share the event on their social media
- - Email your list from previous events — past riders are your highest-conversion audience
Make registration easy for your riders
PokerRunPro gives you a shareable event link for your flyer — riders register in seconds.
Learn More About PokerRunPro