by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jun 19, 2020 | Updated on Jun 19, 2020
It’s been almost three months since the worldwide lockdown was imposed due to the global health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The global live poker market came to a complete standstill like many other industries and poker players who were regulars on the live circuit have been hurting.
Even as casinos slowly resume business operations, poker tables continue to be closed due to health concerns.
Both casino operators and poker players are hesitant to begin poker action.
It looks like it is going to be quite difficult to return to the good old ways of playing at the live felts as the threat of COVID-19 is likely here to stay until a vaccine is discovered.
The reopening of poker rooms, though with restrictions and reduced capacity, has been marked by filled tables and long queues of players waiting for their turn. Isaac Haxton, a high-stakes regular and one of the most accomplished poker pros in the world, believes it is still not entirely safe to be competing at poker tables these days, with the number of coronavirus cases still continuing to increase.
Haxton said while the majority of players are itching to get back into action, health and safety should remain a top priority.
Live Poker Setting Could Spread Infection
According to Haxton, the constant touching of chips and cards, and breathing the same shared air in a closed space can easily transmit the virus to anyone playing at the table.
In addition to that, poker pros also tend to have weaker immune systems because of the demands of their career, travelling around the world, coming into contact with many different people from various backgrounds, sometimes skipping meals, and lacking adequate rest, putting themselves at risk of contracting the virus.
The high-stakes crusher admitted he missed the intense competition at the tables and the live poker vibe in general like every other player out there, but he also accepts the possibility that things may not go back to how they were before this pandemic. It might take longer before poker operations to return to normal but the industry has to move on and determine its options.
Haxton said he doesn’t have very strong convictions on the changes that would need to be implemented to keep things going, but he intends to ignite a discussion on the best way forward for live poker.
