The fourth annual Biddeford and Saco Poker Crawl starts May 17. Contributed / Jim LaBelle

The fourth annual Biddeford and Saco Poker Crawl will take place over the three-day period of May 17 through May 19. Card sharks are invited to put their best poker hand together to win prizes and support the local small business community. Over 40 downtown businesses in Biddeford and Saco will participate.

The game is simple, and no poker experience is required to play. When players spend $10 or more at one of the participating locations, they get to pull a card from the deck. Over the 3-day period, players are encouraged to shop at as many participating locations as possible to build their best 5-card poker hand.

All players return their poker hand to Common Roots Studio on Washington Street in Biddeford on Sunday, and the top five hands will win gift baskets and gift cards donated by participating businesses.

“It’s just a really fun way to get people out exploring all the great stores, restaurants and businesses we have in the Saco and Biddeford area,” Poker Crawl creator and Common Roots owner Nick Blunier said. “It really brings the community together in a collaborative and enjoyable way.”

The event is co-sponsored by the Biddeford and Saco Chamber of Commerce, with help from the Heart of Biddeford and Saco Main Street. The Poker Crawl encourages people to stop into businesses they have never visited before Executive Director Jim LaBelle of Biddeford and Saco Chamber of Commerce said.

“This fun event helps create more awareness for all that we have to offer by encouraging people to visit and shop at multiple locations,” LaBelle said.

All participating businesses will have a Poker Crawl poster in their window and a map of all other participants. A complete list of all participants and rules can be found on  the Common Roots website at https://www.commonrootsstudio.com/

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