COVID and live poker, again (3 Viewers)

[Josh Kifer]

Okay I'll amend my statement about the entire community. I don't like the derailling going on in this thread. I caught covid at a poker game recently, so I found the topic interesting. Also I was curious to see if anybody else had opinions about Ike Haxton's masks. But all the derailing seemed to be derailing the conversation. I don't like it when people decide for themselves that other people's conversations are over and that it's time to have a free for all.

We all don't like certain things in life. That's okay. But free will is a bitch and people are gonna do what they gonna do.

I hate people turning things into political threads, but I can't control people's actions. But I can call out bait when it's being set.

Do your thing. People will do there's. Mods will mod. Tommy will Tommy.

You know me and we've dealt with each other for awhile and we both are just calling it as we see it. I'm never here to ruin your or anyone's time on PCF. But in the same vain...

=)

 

[bergs]

I don’t think anyone disagrees with the point that not going to games when you know or suspect you are sick solves 99% of the problem.

No one is arguing for going to games sick.

Is there more discussion needed on that topic, or shall we dive into collecting DNA from each other before exhanging gaming tokens? I’m fine with it, as long as I get to first.

What if we actually don’t have a human genome?

(Asking for Josh).

 

[bergs]

*Live video at the table of Bergs at DiD *

Ribs fear me. Napkins are for the weak.

 

[upNdown]

We all don't like certain things in life. That's okay. But free will is a bitch and people are gonna do what they gonna do.

I hate people turning things into political threads, but I can't control people's actions. But I can call out bait when it's being set.

Do your thing. People will do there's. Mods will mod. Tommy will Tommy.

You know me and we've dealt with each other for awhile and we both are just calling it as we see it. I'm never here to ruin your or anyone's time on PCF. But in the same vain...

=)

Yeah we've discussed this before. I could definitely lighten up. You and Bergs could definitely derail less.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Yeah we've discussed this before. I could definitely lighten up. You and Bergs could definitely derail less.

We could detail way more tho too with how often we are on. I mean one or two a month is pretty small potato's for the guys who have 35k messages combined. I've been relatively light on it in 2024. Bergs, I can't control as he keeps escaping the leash I attached to him....

 

[Beakertwang]

FLAMING RABIES

Great name for a band!

 

[desselBANE]

Covid bad. This thread good.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Covid bad. This thread good.

Welcome to PCF. Sign up for the special "Bergs and Kifer" offer and we come to your house and eat everything in your fridge while ruining a dinner party.

 

[desselBANE]

Welcome to PCF. Sign up for the special "Bergs and Kifer" offer and we come to your house and eat everything in your fridge while ruining a dinner party.

Sounds like a great time

 

[Josh Kifer]

Sounds like a great time

Oh boy, it is.

 

[bergs]

We could detail way more tho too with how often we are on. I mean one or two a month is pretty small potato's for the guys who have 35k messages combined. I've been relatively light on it in 2024. Bergs, I can't control as he keeps escaping the leash I attached to him....

No jail can hold me.

 

[bergs]

Welcome to PCF. Sign up for the special "Bergs and Kifer" offer and we come to your house and eat everything in your fridge while ruining a dinner party.

My friends and I used to go to parties at college and we’d at some point raid the hosts fridge and just start chowing. I get so hungry when I’m hammered. It’s amazing I don’t weight 400 lbs.

 

[Josh Kifer]

It’s amazing I don’t weight 400 lbs.

 

[ChipEnvy]

The problem is what it has always been. It is the people who don’t have the decency to put their own self interests on hold for the benefit of other people. They don’t stay away from others unless they are physically unable to do so. They are the same shitty people they were before. This is just another thing they don’t care about giving to other people. It could be a cold, Covid or Smallpox, it doesn’t matter, they gotta do what they gotta do and if other people are affected, well that’s on them.

 

[Taghkanic]

I don’t think anyone disagrees with the point that not going to games when you know or suspect you are sick solves 99% of the problem.

No one is arguing for going to games sick.

Is there more discussion needed on that topic, or shall we dive into collecting DNA from each other before exhanging gaming tokens? I’m fine with it, as long as I get to first.

What I’m grappling with as someone who attends live games a good 70-80 times yearly is not resolved by just pledging that “I won’t play sick and I hope you won’t either.”

As I understand the research, people are often most contagious the day *before* they show symptoms.

And some continue to be contagious after they feel better.

So good intentions improve the odds of staying clean of COVID. In my case, the people I play with regularly are pretty conscientious, so I “only” get it maybe once yearly from live poker.

Meanwhile, I’m not picking it up from the rest of my day-to-day life. This may be dumb luck, but I think this likely is because as someone who works almost entirely from home, I have no other times when I spend 6-8 hours straight in confined spaces with 6-8 other people.

The only options I see are:

1) Insist on people testing pre-game. <<< Not gonna happen

2) Wear a high-quality mask. <<< Uncomfortable and awkward; arguably ineffective depending on your point of view

3) Convince hosts of other games to get a high-end air filter machine and also ensure good ventilation of the room throughout the night <<< Helpful but an imposition and also not a guarantee of safety

4) Play less often / fewer hours <<< If I play 1/2 as much volume, does that translate to 50% fewer infections? Probably over a long time span, but not necessarily year-by-year. COVID variance

5) Play only at my own game where I can better mitigate the risk [I filter the player pool, filter the air, ventilate the space, send reminders not to attend if sick or known to have been exposed, etc.]

Of these, 4) and 5) are probably the best I can do, unless I can cajole other hosts to tighten things up, and find a good mask that I really don’t notice while playing.

Which is a shame, because I don’t want to limit my playing time. And also getting out to other games helps my own, due to reciprocity among them.

 

[upNdown]

What I’m grappling with as someone who attends live games a good 70-80 times yearly is not resolved by just pledging that “I won’t play sick and I hope you won’t either.”

As I understand the research, people are often most contagious the day *before* they show symptoms.

And some continue to be contagious after they feel better.

So good intentions improve the odds of staying clean of COVID. In my case, the people I play with regularly are pretty conscientious, so I “only” get it maybe once yearly from live poker.

Meanwhile, I’m not picking it up from the rest of my day-to-day life. This may be dumb luck, but I think this likely is because as someone who works almost entirely from home, I have no other times when I spend 6-8 hours straight in confined spaces with 6-8 other people.

The only options I see are:

1) Insist on people testing pre-game. <<< Not gonna happen

2) Wear a high-quality mask. <<< Uncomfortable and awkward; arguably ineffective depending on your point of view

3) Convince hosts of other games to get a high-end air filter machine and also ensure good ventilation of the room throughout the night <<< Helpful but an imposition and also not a guarantee of safety

4) Play less often / fewer hours <<< If I play 1/2 as much volume, does that translate to 50% fewer infections? Probably over a long time span, but not necessarily year-by-year. COVID variance

5) Play only at my own game where I can better mitigate the risk [I filter the player pool, filter the air, ventilate the space, send reminders not to attend if sick or known to have been exposed, etc.]

Of these, 4) and 5) are probably the best I can do, unless I can cajole other hosts to tighten things up, and find a good mask that I really don’t notice while playing.

Which is a shame, because I don’t want to limit my playing time. And also getting out to other games helps my own, due to reciprocity among them.

I was surprised that I didn't hear about outbreaks at this year's WSOP. Maybe it doesn't do well in the dry desert air? I didn't see a lot of masking, aside from a few like Ike Haxton (who's been wearing a mask at tables for four years now) and the idiot Jerry Yang, who was unidentifiably wrapped up like a super villain. But MTTs in casinos are the sort on things I'm concerned about. Maybe I'm being naive, but this isn't the summer of 2020 - I'm not very concerned about a single table with friends.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I was surprised that I didn't hear about outbreaks at this year's WSOP. Maybe it doesn't do well in the dry desert air? I didn't see a lot of masking, aside from a few like Ike Haxton (who's been wearing a mask at tables for four years now) and the idiot Jerry Yang, who was unidentifiably wrapped up like a super villain. But MTTs in casinos are the sort on things I'm concerned about. Maybe I'm being naive, but this isn't the summer of 2020 - I'm not very concerned about a single table with friends.

I honestly don't think Vegas wants the numbers pushed out. I had a few friends go to WSOP and I think literally every one of them caught something or covid.

 

[bergs]

I was surprised that I didn't hear about outbreaks at this year's WSOP. Maybe it doesn't do well in the dry desert air? I didn't see a lot of masking, aside from a few like Ike Haxton (who's been wearing a mask at tables for four years now) and the idiot Jerry Yang, who was unidentifiably wrapped up like a super villain. But MTTs in casinos are the sort on things I'm concerned about. Maybe I'm being naive, but this isn't the summer of 2020 - I'm not very concerned about a single table with friends.

I never had COVD until the WSOP. Ended up with it finally. 3 days where every joint in my body hurt.

Hasn’t slow me down at all. My bankroll isn’t going to burn itself. Need to get out there.

 

[Taghkanic]

I was surprised that I didn't hear about outbreaks at this year's WSOP

I was surprised that I didn't hear about outbreaks at this year's WSOP. Maybe it doesn't do well in the dry desert air? I didn't see a lot of masking, aside from a few like Ike Haxton (who's been wearing a mask at tables for four years now) and the idiot Jerry Yang, who was unidentifiably wrapped up like a super villain. But MTTs in casinos are the sort on things I'm concerned about. Maybe I'm being naive, but this isn't the summer of 2020 - I'm not very concerned about a single table with friends.

I think a big chunk of the WSOP player pool consists of people who would not admit they’d gotten COVID at a casino even if that happened to them 100% of the time.

——

Plus, a reason I am more concerned about some home games than big tournaments is that the latter usually occur in huge high-ceilinged rooms with industrial HVAC systems.

I did not catch COVID when I played all day and night for four days at a WSOP circuit event. That was held in Turning Stone’s huge Event Center normally used for concerts and conventions, with 3-4 story ceilings. If it had been in their usual low-ceilinged poker room I’d have been more worried. It’s all about concentration and duration of viral loads.

By contrast a home game in a dining room with a low ceiling, where there’s almost no space to squeeze behind the chairs, and no windows open or A/C running during colder months, now feels like a trap to me.

 

[Himewad]

I think a big chunk of the WSOP player pool consists of people who would not admit they’d gotten COVID at a casino even that happened 100% of the time.

I think most people don't even get tested anymore. I know I don't. I woke up last Wednesday with a persistent headache and I was really tired for a day. Did I have COVID? Who knows? But I was over it within a day or so, and I didn't give it a second thought. I really think most people are ready to move on.

 

[Taghkanic]

I think most people don't even get tested anymore. I know I don't. I woke up last Wednesday with a persistent headache and I was really tired for a day. Did I have COVID? Who knows? But I was over it within a day or so, and I didn't give it a second thought. I really think most people are ready to move on.

My current case is not as severe as my first, but I’m getting to the end of Day 4 and still feel sick. I got outside for a couple hours to do some zero turn mowing, because I had to, but was hating it.

And then there are people (like one of my relatives) who are immunocompromised or elderly/infirm who don’t react or recover like the rest of us.

Plus the virus is still churning through new variants every 6-12 months. The current one seems less nasty but it can still move in the other direction.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I think most people don't even get tested anymore. I know I don't. I woke up last Wednesday with a persistent headache and I was really tired for a day. Did I have COVID? Who knows? But I was over it within a day or so, and I didn't give it a second thought. I really think most people are ready to move on.

Yup. We provide tests at work for staff and since spring, literally no one is taking them. Covid is now just a "cold" or "flu" now.

 

[upNdown]

I think most people don't even get tested anymore. I know I don't. I woke up last Wednesday with a persistent headache and I was really tired for a day. Did I have COVID? Who knows? But I was over it within a day or so, and I didn't give it a second thought. I really think most people are ready to move on.

If it's just you, fair enough. But like I said, I started feeling symptoms a day or two after I'd been with my 80 year old parents. So yeah, I tested so I could warn them to pay careful attention to themselves. If it's just me, sure, it's just like the flu. But "ready to move on?" Not when I could kill my parents.

 

[Himewad]

If it's just you, fair enough. But like I said, I started feeling symptoms a day or two after I'd been with my 80 year old parents. So yeah, I tested so I could warn them to pay careful attention to themselves. If it's just me, sure, it's just like the flu. But "ready to move on?" Not when I could kill my parents.

My parents are in their mid-70s. My wife's parents are in their mid-70s. They have zero concerns about COVID anymore. If people want to mask up and shelter in place, go right ahead. But like I said, most people seem like they are ready to move on.

 

[Taghkanic]

Covid is now just a "cold" or "flu" now.

There is some medical research suggesting that the more times you get it, the more likely you are to have other cascading long-term health problems as a result. But agreed that a large part of the population does not seem to care. (A large part of the population also eats fast food several times a week or even a day.)

 

[Taghkanic]

But like I said, most people seem like they are ready to move on.

People becoming blasé about health issues does not mean those health issues have gone away.

I try not to base health decisions on vibes. If anything, other people taking things more casually just increases my risk.

 

[buzzmonkey]

I was surprised that I didn't hear about outbreaks at this year's WSOP...

 

[Josh Kifer]

There is some medical research suggesting that the more times you get it, the more likely you are to have other cascading long-term health problems as a result. But agreed that a large part of the population does not seem to care. (A large part of the population also eats fast food several times a week or even a day.)

Oh, not saying my personal view. But just what I hear from the pile of people I deal with daily. It went from people grabbing 10-15 tests a month per person (we were burning hundreds a week) to us having 2 used last month or two for the entire workforce.

That was me.

I felt like shit.

It wasn't covid.

 

[upNdown]

My parents are in their mid-70s. My wife's parents are in their mid-70s. They have zero concerns about COVID anymore. If people want to mask up and shelter in place, go right ahead. But like I said, most people seem like they are ready to move on.

So what does zero concerns and ready to move on mean to you, or the most people you speak of? Does that mean you're going to work or school or card games when you're sick?
Personally I have no interest in masking up or sheltering in place. But I think I have learned a little bit more about trying not to spread germs around, even though I can still get through the day.

 

[Himewad]

So what does zero concerns and ready to move on mean to you, or the most people you speak of? Does that mean you're going to work or school or card games when you're sick?
Personally I have no interest in masking up or sheltering in place. But I think I have learned a little bit more about trying not to spread germs around, even though I can still get through the day.

Pay attention, since you clearly have an agenda here. I stated earlier in this thread, if you're sick, stay home. If you're hosting and you're sick, cancel. That's just common sense both pre-COVID and post-COVID.

Zero concerns and ready to move on, means that I don't worry about any virus, COVID or otherwise. If people are worried, they can mask up and shelter in place.