Bringing Live Poker Back To Manitoba
Here are my suggestions/thoughts on bringing poker back. I think there is some urgency to do so. Manitoba has essentially flattened the curve better than most and because of such the public will want to be rewarded for our efforts and want our casinos open. As far as poker goes, I also think the window of opportunity is closing. Even before the State of Emergency, the Club Regent poker room was looking to cut the hours of poker and to scale back to one tournament a week. People were already finding alternative poker venues.
Charity poker venues in Winnipeg were getting busier and the game was increasingly getting better. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday charity tournaments A Wednesday tournament was going to be added. The Tuesday venue could likely restart anytime because even at capacity, it would still be less than 50% occupancy of the venue. Same with the proposed venue. I think the Monday tournament could negotiate with their venue to move it to the dance floor. Friday night may need an alternative home.
Home games started growing in popularity over the last year. You can play with people who you want to play with. You play at stakes that you want to play with. You take breaks when you want. Personally, I have been converted a little. I am annoyed easily and there are people playing poker who annoy me and I never know when they are going to show up at public venues. Atleast, at a home game, you can control this.
I have never liked to play online because I like looking at players in the eye and I like the social banter of the game. However, even I have been enjoying my online experience. Most websites offer a home game tournament option. The admin fee is very low. The prize pool is calculated for you. Tables are balanced automatically and breaks are 3-5 minutes. Add a zoom call to the mix and you have got a great experience. I am able to play on Saturday night in my pjs, drinking a shandie, and laughing out loud. My monthly home league may never come back.
Somehow, I have gotten off track. I don't think I am the only one. I think it illustrates why casinos need to open sooner rather than later. We have become used to being at home and keeping ourselves out of situations that may compromise our personal health.
First of all, prior to re-opening, casinos must negotiate a memo of understanding with their collective bargaining units that employees must have their vaccinations up to date. This would include the yearly flu shot; if age appropriate, the pneumo vaccination; and, of course, a vaccine for covid19 when developed. If people don't want to get vaccinated, then they don't have to work at the casino.
The same would go with patrons of the casino. Once the yearly flu shot is available to the general public, the patrons could not enter the casino without having the flu shot. People entering the casino would have their temperature taken by security with an ear thermometer. Elderly people with underlying conditions tend to run a little high so the temperature test will defer a lot of people who are vulnerable to being hosts for infection.
The players club would become very important and would contain more information. You would have to scan your care when you entered. You would only allow to be in the casino for 8 hours. There would need to be atleast 8 hours between visits at the casino. Any longer than that is probably not in anyone's best interest. If you were a smoker, you would only allow three breaks within your 8 hours. If you exit more than this, your time at the casino would be over for that day.
Masks would be compulsory for staff and patrons. Slot machines would have to be alternated for physical distancing but the alternation would change every hour. This would insure that no guest would be at one machine longer than an hour. Obviously, there would be no saving machines while you went to the washroom, etc. Once you leave a machine, you have left it. Just like at the gym, patrons would be asked to wipe down surfaces once they leave a machine and chair. Going to the casino would no longer be a spectator sport. You need to be playing or transitioning. No more crowds watching someone getting a bonus. Any aggressive action toward a machine, staff, or another player, you will receive a 24 hour suspension. If you get 4 suspensions within a calendar month, you will get a phone call to determine if casinos are the best environment for you.
There will be a staff member in each washroom to remind people to thoroughly wash their hands properly.
Since Covid19 is an airborne virus, smoking is considered to be a risky behavior as smoke can carry the air we exhale longer. There can only be four people in the smoking canopies at one time and each smoker must face a different corner. You would have to wait in line to smoke.
Down to the poker room. I know most table games are planning to re-open with 5 players, but I think Club Regent can handle nine players per table with some modifications. Chips will be needed to be sterilized once per day. With reduced hours, there will be less chips in play so that shouldn't be a problem. Players will be asked not to touch their chips unless they are in play. Cards aren't touched very long or often so the risk of contact transmission will be very low. Again, it will be important that poker won't be a spectator sport, so if you have a seat, you need to occupy that seat. No more watching every table and having conferences with your buddies. Everyone will be required to call-in for a seat for cash games but they will only be able to call in when they are in the parking lot and if there is a seat, they can enter, but, otherwise they wait in their vehicle until they get a text that a seat is available.
As with slots, any aggressive action towards equipment, staff, or another player would result in a 24 suspension. Not negotiable. Chips would be removed from the table.
Hydration rounds would happen hourly and every guest would be offered a bottle of water. Flushing out your system is very important in reducing infection. The older we get, the less we drink so it is especially important for older adults. Pushing fluids is very important for prevention of urinary tract infections. Often, many older adults have UTIs without even knowing it. One of the symptoms of a UTI is delirium which may cause aggression. Resolve the infection and resolve the delirium. Water is very important. Other than water, there will be no eating in the poker room. Alcohol service won't return immediately and it will be something that is phased in. All the other experiences in the casino will be applied. Once you leave your seat for your session, you will be asked to wipe it down, and the chair will be "out of play" for the rest of the day.
I have missed poker. I have missed my friends. I want it back. I know it will be a changed experience and there will be some changes I don't like. I accept that. I understand that changes are needed to ensure all of our safety. Changes may change at any time for best practices. I just want my poker back.
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