Jake14mw
Flush
I knew that coughing or sneezing would be a common way to spread, but did not know that normal talking at a poker table distance would be a big risk factor.
COVID-19 (Corona virous) and your home game? (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Jake14mw
- Start date
It's true. Have you ever seen someone blow on their glasses? You can see the lenses fog up. That moisture comes from the same place as the air that flows across your vocal cords when speaking -- your lungs.
Under an abundance of caution, I'm unlikely to play in a game if masks were necessary. That would indicate to me that it's not safe yet.
And I would respect that decision. Most of us are young but a couple of my players have some underlying conditions that leave them susceptible to them getting sicker if they were to contract the virus.
Jake14mw
Flush
But that's the problem we will have, we won't know when masks are "necessary". The risk won't go from 100 one week to 0 the next. The risk will probably go down a small amount each week (hopefully). So, if the risk was down to a 5, would masks bring it down to a 2? Everyone is different in what level of risk is acceptable to them. I agree with you that I don't want to play poker with my buddies with masks on, but what if it makes a difference between having 4 players and 7 players? I guess we are just going to have to see how we feel. I was thinking about switching out cards and not having food, etc, but if not having masks will be a bigger risk, then I don't know.
Using your example, people don't talk onto or blow onto their glasses to clean them, they huff on to them at very close range in order to use the warm humid air from their throat. But I understand the point, and will definitely be trying to read/understand more about the risks of airborne transmission. I am trying to understand how much the risks can be mitigated by taking certain precautions for poker.
Jake14mw
Flush
Just please keep in mind that it's not just about you. It's about the people that you might pass it on to, and so on and so on. EVERYONE is needed to stop the spread, not just those at risk.
Believe me, I know.
The new reports that a handful of kids are getting really sick now scares the bejeezus out of me with a two year old at home.
Listen, it comes down to this for me.
I'm not hosting or attending any event until health officials give the OK with a high level of evidence that it is safe to do so. Once community spread decreases to almost zero and I'm no longer in daily contact with COVID patients, that's when I'll entertain playing live poker again. Until herd immunity is achieved either via a vaccine or the virus burns through everybody, I'm going to do everything I can to keep myself, my family, and everyone else safe.
That being said, I'm not going to live in fear the rest of my life and not ever have a party or host a poker game again. When the benefit greatly outweighs the risk, I'll be more than happy to go back to a semblance of normalcy, but at the same time I understand that I'm at higher risk for getting sick and spreading to others because of my profession, hence the initially stringent precautions I would have in place.
I'm not hosting or attending any event until health officials give the OK with a high level of evidence that it is safe to do so. Once community spread decreases to almost zero and I'm no longer in daily contact with COVID patients, that's when I'll entertain playing live poker again. Until herd immunity is achieved either via a vaccine or the virus burns through everybody, I'm going to do everything I can to keep myself, my family, and everyone else safe.
That being said, I'm not going to live in fear the rest of my life and not ever have a party or host a poker game again. When the benefit greatly outweighs the risk, I'll be more than happy to go back to a semblance of normalcy, but at the same time I understand that I'm at higher risk for getting sick and spreading to others because of my profession, hence the initially stringent precautions I would have in place.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
The first game we host post-Covid will use the following guidelines:
- The invite will mention that you may wear a mask covering your nose/mouth. They won't be required, but I will let it be known that it is a good idea.
- I cook dinner for my players, and they bring sides. In the invite, I will discourage "grab by the handful" additions (chips, crackers, etc). We have 2 tupperware cereal containers if someone forgets, and they can shake the chips/crackers into a bowl.
- If you bring a cheese platter, also bring toothpicks.
- Food will not be allowed at the tables. It is already discouraged, so this is a really minor change. Drinks are OK.
- Kissing the winner will be discouraged. It's never happened, but a couple of my female players are really hot, so I have been hopeful. Then again, I haven't won in a long time...
- Breaks will be extended to encourage longer hand-washing.
- If I can get my hands on enough mini-bottles of sanitizer, I will place 1 on each player's chipstack at the start of the night. However, this idea is either really popular or hoarders have them all, so this may not happen. I can dream though, see guideline #5. I still dream about winning.
Jake14mw
Flush
pics or it doesn't happen
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Pics are in the home games thread. 
link?Pics are in the home games thread.
AceFour
Two Pair
Cannot wait to play a live game again. However, my crew seems to be playing now 4-5 times a week online with each other. Cash outs are a pain but you got to admit that clean up is a hell of lot easier and nobody needs an Lyft home.
As for masks at the return to the game I think that will be a bit of an issue since we are all cigar smokers. But someone posted nicotine kills covid somewhere right below the bigfoot sighting article so I suppose we are all good.
As for masks at the return to the game I think that will be a bit of an issue since we are all cigar smokers. But someone posted nicotine kills covid somewhere right below the bigfoot sighting article so I suppose we are all good.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Nice hand, sir. Well played. LolI'm more than happy to help people find poker related links because the search function is so hard
Jake14mw
Flush
I think this is good news? Maybe chips and cards are not as big of a risk as just sitting next to someone? Will be playing with 6 players on a 10 person table be safer earlier than we thought?
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cdc...asily-on-contaminated-surfaces-153317029.html
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cdc...asily-on-contaminated-surfaces-153317029.html
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
I wish.
While the CDC says transmission via surfaces is not the primary method of spreading the contagion, poker players have far more mouth-to-hand-to-mouth activities. Eating, picking up a bottle or glass that is in a cup holder, even resting at a table with hands covering their mouth to avoid giving up tells, or just tanking. As a whole, we are a disgusting group.
Jake14mw
Flush
Hands covering mouth to avoid giving up tells should be banned.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
...along with hoodies, headphones, cell phones, sunglasses, Ed Hardy shirts, playing sober, telling bad beat stories, and smelling bad.
There's a lot on the list before we get to hands over the mouth.
Not to nitpick or give you any problems, but wearing a face mask while idle would prevent most of that from happening. Understood that people want to drink, but unless they're dipping their entire hand into a whiskey or pint glass before sipping on it, I don't see how contamination would occur from drinking from a water bottle or beer can.
I think a small cash game or tournament (4-8 people the most) in which everyone wears a face mask and food is not allowed at the table is reasonably safe in communities with decreasing infection rates. Areas of the Northeast and Pacific coast are seeing this, but as a nation overall, the USA is not quite there yet.
Washing hands before sitting at the table, before getting up from the table to get a drink or use the restroom, and before sitting down again will reasonably assure that transmission of anything will be minimal. I do think that it will be a while before a communal chip, popcorn, or pretzel bowl makes an appearance at a game that I host.
people do that?
75% of my crew doesn't even know what COVID is, however they are blissfully embracing staying at home all day. Needless to say, our game has gone from 1 to 2 tables.
Also, I've been told whiskey kills it so everybody has been instructed to bring extra ammunition in case we have an outbreak.
If that is an excuse to down more shots, whiskey won't kill the virus once it is already inside you but since you said that "75% of my crew doesn't even know what COVID is ", it is probably opportune to let the boys entertain the fiction so they haul in a keg or two and let the free liquor flow
Just make sure none of them get any Trumpian bright idea of ingesting bleach
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/sci...-could-kill-coronavirus-drinking-it-wont-work
Nope. You need to drink more
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
You are welcome in my game, anytime.
upside: tons of laughs, good fun, chips generally flowing in the direction away from meYou are welcome in my game, anytime.
downside: you will most likely have an empty fridge
ekricket
Royal Flush
Is covid over now?
bsdunbar1
4 of a Kind
Yes
It's the cyclical nature of the media. Find something else to beat us over the head with until the next big story comes along.
Make no mistake, the virus is still out there. There's no doubt in my mind that there will be spikes in cases in all of the cities where large protests took place, but I don't think that the spike is going to be as profound as you may think.
There are reports out of Italy that the virus is severely weakening, is not nearly as contagious, and is more-or-less burning out. A lot of the decrease in cases does have a lot to do with social distancing and wearing of masks to limit spread of droplets.
I'm very encouraged by what I've been seeing living in the area of the US that was hardest hit by this. I think we can safely start to open things up little by little, but we should do so carefully and not let our guard down.
I think there is a good chance that this iteration of the SARS virus burns out and we will not get another wave this fall or winter if it shares similar characteristics of its cousin that ravaged Asia in 2002. But I can't say that for certain.
I will be planning on hosting a poker game in July with an abundance of precautionary measures still in place, but whether I get enough of brave players to have a game remains to be seen.
JustinInMN
4 of a Kind
We'll find out how the protestors in Minneapolis are doing in two weeks.
Alabama teens are playing the COVID game. They sell tickets to a huge gathering where several people that tested positive also show up. 1st people to test positive wins the ticket money. Several people here might want to participate
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