It is Summer in New England, and you know what that means…. Boston Virtual ARTCC's Tea Party Poker is BACK! We invite all pilots to participate and win some of the great prizes we have to offer!
Are you new to Boston Virtual ARTCC or VATSIM? Find out more about
getting started with online ATC.
What is Tea Party Poker?Tea Party Poker is a fun game that gives pilots another reason to participate in the event, see more of our airspace, and the chance to win some terrific prizes! While there is absolutely no requirement to participate in Poker, it's become an annual tradition that many pilots take part in.
If you choose to participate in Tea Party Poker:
- Each time you land at a Class B, C, or D airport inside ZBW, send BOS_PK_CTR a private message and you'll get a reply with your virtual poker card(s).
- You must fly to airports that are at least 50nm apart (straight-line distance).
- Once you obtain 5 cards, you can keep flying, discarding, and picking up new cards to help better your hand.
- The pilot(s) with the best hand at the end of the event will win and pick their choice of available prizes.
The full set of rules is listed below.
RulesAll pilots who choose to participate in this competition agree to abide by the rules below. The competition rules may be modified for clarity or other reasons without prior notification to participants. Please refer to this page for any updates. These rules are current as of July 29, 2025. The Events Coordinator shall have final say on all questions or disputes regarding this competition, and will be responsible for determining the winners.
The full rules governing the contest are:
1. Event Duration: The poker game starts at 11:00am ET on Saturday, August 9 and ends promptly at 5:00pm ET (1500z to 2100z).
2. How To Play: A pilot is eligible to draw virtual poker cards by completing any Eligible Flight during the event. At the conclusion of a flight, a pilot may contact the designated event official (BOS_PK_CTR) via private message (PM) to obtain the poker card(s). The event official will respond via private message advising the pilot of the cards they have received.
• When contacting
BOS_PK_CTR to obtain a card, your PM must include:
- Flight origin and destination.
- Email Address (first message only).
- VATSIM CID
• Pilots will receive:
- First drawing: two poker cards.
- Subsequent drawings:
- Two poker cards, if the landing is at an airport other than KBOS that is staffed by a Tower controller. Pilots have the option pick up only one card, if desired.
- One poker card, if the landing is at a towered airport staffed "top down" by an Approach or Center controller only, or if the landing is at KBOS.
• Pilots may contact
BOS_PK_CTR to obtain a card after landing at the intended destination and once at a safe/appropriate location. Once the 'card request' message has been sent, pilots do not need to wait for a reply or card assignment; the next flight may begin immediately.
•
Bonus Play: Boston Virtual ARTCC members who are graduates (having completed all 30 flights) of the
Wings Over New England (WINGS) training program are eligible to receive
an extra poker card. This can be claimed by notifying
BOS_PK_CTR at the conclusion
first flight. Failing to notify
BOS_PK_CTR until later flights
forfeits your eligibility for this bonus card.
3. Notification of Winners, Prize Priority: By entering the contest and providing your email address to BOS_PK_CTR, you consent to Boston Virtual ARTCC emailing should you be a winner. (If you are not a winner, we won't contact you, nor will we retain your contact information beyond the conclusion of the event.) Winners will be notified at the email address provided within 14 days of the end of the competition and will be able to choose from the list of prizes available in order of their poker hand. Winners must respond to their prize notification email within 48 hours to confirm their priority and select a prize. Winners who do not respond within 48 hours will lose their priority to select a prize but may still be eligible for any remaining prizes at the time they reply to the email.
4. How To Win: The pilots with the strongest poker hands at the conclusion of the event will be the winners. The number of possible winners will be equal to the number of pilot prizes available. Pilots must hold a full hand (5 cards) to win; therefore, pilots must complete, at a minimum, 3 eligible flights to qualify. Winning pilots will be allowed to select from a variety of prizes in order based on the strength of their respective poker hands:
5. Eligible Flights: An Eligible Flight is any flight that terminates in a full-stop landing at a towered airport (controlled by Tower, Approach, or Center) within Boston ARTCC (ZBW) during the scheduled event times and complies with the restrictions outlined. Flights that originate outside ZBW airspace, and flights that originate before the start of the event, may be considered eligible provided they comply with the restrictions below. If a pilot is not certain whether a flight will be eligible, they should contact the designated event official (BOS_PK_CTR) via private message prior to departure.
- The flight must be between airports that are at least 50nm apart (by straight-line distance).
- The destination must be a towered airport (surrounded by Class B, C, or D airspace).
- The pilot must remain connected to the VATSIM network for the duration of the flight.
- VFR pilots must file a Flight Plan prior to departure that includes, at a minimum, their aircraft type, origin, and destination.
- The event ends promptly at 5:00pm ET (2100z) and any flights that conclude after this time will not receive a card.
6. Discarding: Pilots who hold a full hand (5 cards) may try to better their hands throughout the event time by completing additional flights. Pilots wishing to do this should advise the designated event official (BOS_PK_CTR) of the card or cards they would like to discard at any point, before receiving new cards.
At no point shall a pilot hold more than 5 cards in their hand. 7. Designated Event Official (BOS_PK_CTR): Issuing and tracking of pilot cards will be conducted by a designated event official. Cards that each pilot has in their "possession" will remain unknown to all other pilots until the event is complete. A pilot may verify their card holdings with the designated event official via private message. All replies to card verification requests will be returned via private message.
8. Number of Decks: The competition will use a minimum of one deck of cards (52 cards) to start with, and the cards will be issued at random. Once this deck has been exhausted, a new deck will be added. Cards that are discarded will be placed back into the pool of available cards.
9. Duplicate Cards: It is possible that a pilot may mistakenly receive a duplicate card during the event. If this happens, it is the pilot's responsibility to notify the designated event official (BOS_PK_CTR) as soon as possible and receive a new card. Hands containing duplicate cards are considered "illegal" poker hands and will not be eligible to win.
10. Tracking of Poker Hands: Poker hands will be tied to a pilot's VATSIM CID, not their name or callsign.
11. Exchanging of Cards: Trading, exchanging, or transferring of cards between or among pilots will not be allowed at any time during the event.
12. Withdrawal: A pilot wishing to withdraw from the game must notify the designated event official (BOS_PK_CTR) by private message, or if unavailable, one of the BVA controllers staffing a position. The pilot's cards will be returned to the deck(s) and made available to other competitors to collect. Once a pilot has withdrawn, they may not attempt to re-enter the competition.
13. Shared Cockpit Flights: Cards are issued to flights, not pilots. Participants who choose to fly together in the same aircraft (i.e., shared cockpit flying) will be considered a single flight and receive one set of cards. For the purposes of the competition, the name and CID of the pilot who messaged BOS_PK_CTR will be considered the pilot who is participating in the competition.
14. Disqualification: Pilots who are disqualified will not be allowed to re-enter the competition. The Events Coordinator will have the final say in any disputes regarding pilot disqualification. A pilot may be disqualified from the competition for:
- Failure to comply with VATSIM COC.
- Refusal to comply with ATC instructions.
- Attempting to cheat or circumvent the competition rules.
- Providing false/misleading information to the event official.
DisclaimerIn no way should this competition be seen as a promotion or simulation of gambling. There is no purchase necessary to play or win. Gambling is not endorsed by Boston Virtual ARTCC or any of its affiliates, including VATUSA, VATSIM, and the event sponsors.
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