Lakewood Croquet Club

MARYSVILLE, WA – Lakewood Croquet Club (LCC) Officials today announced the return of the Club’s annual poison-rules match, Poison 3, to the Johnston Croquet Grounds in Marysville this coming Saturday, August 5th at 7pm. The invitation-only event is a fast becoming an annual Pre-Champions Cup tradition, as top LCC competitors look to hone their skills prior to the Cup showdown, slated this year for August 19th in Seattle.

Poison rules croquet differs from a more “traditional” extreme croquet match (if there can be such a thing as “traditional extreme”) in that plays continues after a player strikes the end stake, which uses signals the conclusion of the contest. Under poison rules, that player then becomes “poison”, and can/must strike other players with his ball. Once another player is struck by a “poison ball”, (s)he is eliminated from the match. Multiple players can become “poison” by completing the course and “staking out” and the last player standing is declared the winner.

Last year’s Poison match-up proved to be a roller coaster affair, lasting well into the evening (to the point that players were employing mountaineering head lamps in order to find their way around the course). “King of Qualifying” Tom Carmony looked to have the win wrapped up, before a late showdown with “The Franchise” Jeff Gepner in a koi pond left him with a second place finish (both players’ balls ended up floating in the pond as they attempted to strike one another).

It was revealed days after the event, via a series of emails obtained by LakewoodCroquet.com, that Gepner had indeed failed to clear a wicket and should never have been in contention at the end of the match. Carmony was left fuming and vowed revenge at this year’s event.

Click here to see photos of last year’s Poison 2 »