The Nevada Gaming Control Board released a memo on Friday outlining how casinos should operate upon reopening to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including playing poker four-handed.

Will this be enough? or will people go to the poker rooms more with rules like this in force?

Nevada Gaming: Poker Should Be Played Four-Handed When Casinos Reopen

I haven't been to Vegas since 1999 (seriously), but seem to recall that there is not a great deal of space between tables. More tables, more profit for casinos.

So unless they are planning on re-configuring their floor plans, physical distancing will still be an issue.

Even then, enforcement will be difficult. Dealers needing to keep track of the action at their tables and monitor the behaviours of their customers? Add alcohol into the mix and things can get unruly quickly.

I'm very skeptical.

Originally Posted by Shells

The Nevada Gaming Control Board released a memo on Friday outlining how casinos should operate upon reopening to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including playing poker four-handed.

Will this be enough? or will people go to the poker rooms more with rules like this in force?

Nevada Gaming: Poker Should Be Played Four-Handed When Casinos Reopen

OK, 4-handed is getting closer to proper social distancing guidelines.

But, have you ever played 4-handed for extended periods of time?

1. There is essentially no action - sometimes when this short I like to drive the action but really I am just picking up the blinds at a cash table until the table is tired of it and players ask the floor to break the table. And of course I'm straddling every chance I get - now there are essentially 3 blinds at a 4-handed table.

2. Without action - can a player beat the rake in any 4-handed cash game? And without a flop - how many rooms even take a rake?

Tournament play with 4-handed tables becomes very very interesting.

And just so Crankmuppet knows....The Wynn was talking about leaving every other table empty. And of course they could re-configure the table layout to minimize person-to-person contact.

And yet I will try it when rooms re-open!

Looking forward to going back to Vegas but it won't be for poker rather Blackjack.

Originally Posted by Shells

The Nevada Gaming Control Board released a memo on Friday outlining how casinos should operate upon reopening to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including playing poker four-handed.

Will this be enough? or will people go to the poker rooms more with rules like this in force?

Nevada Gaming: Poker Should Be Played Four-Handed When Casinos Reopen

It depends, are any of the players carries of COVID 19? How many tables are in the room? etc. I'd stay away from this scenario until a vaccine is in place.

It's going to be tricky no matter how they structure things if they open before a vaccine is available. Fewer players per table and fewer slot machines means higher stakes and rakes to make it viable. Everything has to be more expensive. Are there that many high rollers? Where is all the new disposable income going to come from?

They do have to open sometime though. There are a whole lot of people out of work. A whole city/state that could easily sink back into the dessert. Not to mention all the lost business for the airlines.

And now this >>> https://www.cardschat.com/forum/poke...0/#post5594915

Strictly speaking on the potential of playing cash games or tournaments with 4-handed play, I believe that could significantly impact one's style of play. There may be many hands of inaction as people are waiting to only real give action if they're in one of the blinds. People's ranges may alter since there's less potential players in any given hand. Playing at these events will just have a very different feel overall.

I don't see that will work...
Smaller pots, less hands go to the flop...
The casinos will hardly make enough to pay the dealer with one needed per 4 players...
That's twice the amount of dealers needed as before.

And then some people will not go play poker because they are too concerned about corona and some others will not play because they don't like the short handed games....