Celebrating 20 Years of Bar Poker: The Granite Bowl Poker Raid Anniversary

Few events hold as much significance in the Minnesota bar poker scene as the police raid on Granite Bowl in St Cloud, MN twenty years ago this week which ultimately paved the way for the social/free bar poker games & leagues we love to play in bars across the state of Minnesota.

Dave Bischoff’s game at Granite Bowl in St Cloud in 2005 was a huge success and was infamously interrupted by law enforcement in a “raid” that sent shockwaves around the state. This action stirred legislators to come to the support of bar owners and players, and ultimately led to the passing of a law that defines and allows “free poker” in Minnesota.

To commemorate this pivotal moment, Dave Bischoff and FPN have teamed up to put on a special “20th Anniversary Poker Raid” tournament to be held at Southway Bowl in St. Cloud on Friday July 19th with registration starting at 6pm.

Registration 6pm / Cards in the air 7pm

Starting chip stacks will be 10k with 15 blind minute levels.

FPN is sponsoring a commemorative trophy and invite/seat in the upcoming “Desert Dash-for-Cash 100k National Championship Main Event” to be held in Las Vegas in January 2025, where players compete in a $100,000 freeroll. Additional prizes and bounties will be awarded.

Dave Bischoff and Mayor Dave Kleis (sponsored the poker bill) will be on hand to announce the start. WSOP bracelet winner Dana Castaneda from FPN will direct the tournament.

Come down, show your skills, reminisce of days gone by, support your friends, neighbors and local business, compete against multiple FPN national champions, share old memories and make new ones. FPN will be bringing some pictures from the early days of the Minnesota Poker League.

This special event is an official National Qualifier for the Free Poker Network (FPN). Players compete for points to qualify in FPN’s leagues across the state where multiple players qualify directly to the National Championship in Las Vegas from each sponsoring location.