Why People Play Casino Poker

Let’s think about the reasons why most people play casino poker. The two main reasons are:

(A) To make money and

(B) To socialize.

Now let’s consider a prototype “tested” in the gaming medium as just one of several options for a working poker table in the post-CV19 era. This is a standard table with glass (or plastic) dividers. This design is believed to reduce the chances of infection and/or spread of infection between dealers and players and among themselves. Similar designs have appeared elsewhere, and some are reportedly in use now that some casinos are starting to reopen.
Despite the many questions whether this desk design is really safe for consumers and provides an acceptable level of protection in the midst of a global pandemic that has infected more than a million Americans, even at best, how “good” would it be? poker game?
Returning to the starting point raised at #1, would a live poker game played under the shadow of CV19 be (A) potentially profitable and/or (B) social? My conclusion is – no and no.
When casinos reopen in Nevada, table poker will be played with a maximum of four players. Now ask yourself the following:

What type of poker player would play a short gun in these extremely unusual conditions? Pro and semi-pro? Yes. What about casual gamers? Probably not. What about weak and inexperienced players? Absolutely not. Prediction: A standard four-handed game will be terrible. They would be practically invincible, with a few exceptions which will be mentioned later.

It would be like a pool where sharks feast with juicy bite marks, almost impossible to find.

What about the social aspects of these games? Four-hand poker with a divider can be an interesting conversation in a matter of minutes, but quickly becomes very annoying. Parts where players may experience speech problems, not to mention glare problems, will ruin the prospect of a fun and lively game. Let’s face it: *before* the pandemic and crisis, live poker became uncommunicative, almost robotic by nature. Smartphones and iPads have erased casual talk ahead of the early 2020 event. Now remove half the players at each table as seating is reduced from 9/10 to 4 and partitions are regulated and poker’s social appeal is removed.
So the game will be pretty bad in most of the situations. What is the result of all this? just drawing on the table/chair will be so important to the profit that it will be much more difficult to organize the space. Smart players will explore the space trying to find places with weak players few and far. However, a small number of players – mostly short hand specialists – can expect a significant increase in profits. But it will only be a small amount. Most of the low-skilled players who previously accumulated modest wins soon became profitable players or even lost. For almost everyone, of course in a poker market with tougher and more experienced players, the game is unbeatable. Since players’ rake percentages and reasons for dealer tips tend to increase (fewer players mean a higher percentage of the pot won), this will only add to the pressure of trying to win.
Very few locations, games and players will benefit from the new conditions. Some markets have a bigger gap between skilled and unskilled players, and better players make more money faster. However, it can also be dangerous for players who lose players who may pass out more quickly and be unable to replenish funds. If they break up, who will replace them? So even short-term winning players can suffer in the long run, especially if playing short hands has been the norm for a while.
When it comes to attracting new players to the game, forget it. Casino poker used to be scary. However, full games with up to 10 players often allow beginners to join in and not be forced to make a lot of decisions. Short hand games with competing blinds and faster action will not attract new players, which is essential to the success of any poker room.

So I conclude that most of the game will be undefeated. Poker games will become less social. And games can even be dangerous.

Is there anything positive? Well, online poker needs to be done well in what is now legal and/or quasi-legal. I strongly advise players to focus on trusted sites where users enjoy some level of protection. It’s a shame that so many poker pros didn’t do much to advance online poker years ago when they had the chance. Now the game will fight, at least for a while.

I am neutral on the question of a better future for poker. I just don’t know, and I can’t make any predictions, and this is coming from someone who has spent several years in all of the game’s countries. How could our entertainment and gaming habits change if these social distancing guidelines were in effect longer?