The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, with various industries forced to suspend their operations. Live poker is among those bearing the brunt of the ongoing health crisis, as casinos have been ordered to shut their doors and major live tournaments have been cancelled since February.
While everything looks dark in the live poker arena, online poker is shining brightly, thanks to the influx of players who have been on home quarantine over the past six weeks.
Since the lockdown, the world’s leading online poker operators have boosted their offerings to keep things going for poker aficionados. Add to that the numerous massive online festivals which come with multi-million guarantees that players can take a shot on. But the vibrant atmosphere and physical connection present at live poker settings is something players would definitely want to come back to.
Nevada Poker Rooms Reopening
Last week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board released health and safety guidelines for the potential reopening of casinos in the state. Las Vegas houses some of the biggest and most iconic casinos in Nevada which have been closed since March, when the virus started to wreak havoc in the country. It also largely depends on its hospitality industry to survive as a city. Unfortunately, the hospitality sector is among industries worst hit by the crisis.
Now, there are talks of reopening Las Vegas to get its economy back up and running. However, there are many who are not in favor of this as they fear for their lives as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise. But for Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, the city can’t stay shut for an extended period of time. That is why she has recently emphasized the importance of reopening the city as soon as possible, and is now working with relevant parties to find the “safest” way possible to do this, and it could involve adopting “new normal” policies.
So what could it mean for live poker?
Huge Adjustments Need To Be Made
As per the policies recently published by the Nevada gaming authority, poker players should now brace themselves for the new face of live poker: four-handed table, less-crowded rails, social distancing, and constant disinfection during games. The question now is, will it actually work?
From a casino perspective, such setting would have major financial implications. First, more dealers would be required to facilitate the games at each table, while proper hygiene and disinfection measures also need to be maintained. Four-handed poker tables would involve reduced rake as players would be playing more hands each hour, representing a dip in revenue for casinos.
They could actually decide to increase the rake in cash games, but this would be less-attractive to players and would only turn them off. Also, not everyone enjoys short-handed poker. With a maximum of four players allowed to play at each table, there would be less rake collected, most likely resulting in a 50% drop in income, compared to when full tables were the norm.
Will Social Distancing Work?
Casinos and poker rooms would also need to do a lot of work, logistics-wise, from table and chair arrangements, to installing protective equipment, and providing easy access to disinfectants. They also need to organize efficient disinfection and regular hand-washing schedules. Photos and videos relating to the future look of playing at casinos have recently emerged on Twitter, and many would agree it would require some serious adjustments.
Poker rooms looking to reopen in Nevada are required to outline their plans, including measures they’ll adopt in line with the rules and guidelines recently released by the gaming board.  Customers can only start to enter their building a week after approval.
While the reopening of live poker remains possible, the live tournament scene would essentially remain shut, as governments will still likely implement rules prohibiting large social gatherings. Other countries have started lifting their lockdown measures, but the current stats say we should not be complacent as a potential resurgence of the coronavirus will be more dangerous.