Daniel Negreanu Calls For Poker Rooms To Suspend Operations Amid Virus OutbreakSix-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner Believes Operators Should Temporarily Close Rooms To Curb The Spread Of Coronavirus |
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Six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu is not taking the coronavirus outbreak lightly.
The Canadian poker pro tweeted Wednesday evening that all poker rooms should suspend their operations to slow the spread of the virus, correctly identifying that live poker is one of the easiest ways for the virus to be transmitted with the cards and chips being passed around the table.
All poker operators: stop.
Suspend all tournaments and cash games now.
There isn’t a more infectious environment imaginable than a poker table.
Shut it all down.— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) March 12, 2020
The tweet came shortly after the National Basketball Association announced that it would be suspending the remainder of its season following the confirmation that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz had tested positive for the virus.
The news from the NBA happened nearly simultaneously as it was revealed that legendary actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson also both tested positive while filming a movie in Australia.
At the time of writing, the number of confirmed cases in the United States is up to 1,312 with 38 deaths and eight recoveries. There are 126,431 cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
When someone responded to Negreanu’s original tweet asking if he thought the entire casino should be shut down, he was blunt in his response. It seems that Negreanu, who has more than $42 million in live tournament earnings, is a firm believer in social distancing in order to curb the spread.
Yes.
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) March 12, 2020
Casinos in Macau were shut down for 15 days during the peak of the outbreak in China. It led to a historical year-over-year decline in revenue for the world’s largest gambling market.
There has been speculation among players as to whether the WSOP will be canceled this summer, with some even taking bets on the proposition. PokerShares, a Canadian betting market that does not take action from U.S. players, currently updated its odds on the situation and lists the 2020 WSOP main event being delayed, canceled, or moved as a -119 favorite.
WSOP now a favorite to be canceled/postponed pic.twitter.com/6VmveHtQ7I
— Dan O'Brien (@DanOBrienPoker) March 12, 2020
At the end of February, WSOP staff reiterated that it had no plans to cancel the series, but that may change as other professional sports and large music festivals continue to alter its schedules and the series gets closer to kicking off.
Live! Casino in Maryland announced Wednesday morning that it would be postponing its WPTDeepStacks main event scheduled for later this month and several tournaments in other parts of the world have been canceled or postponed.
Poker pro Kitty Kuo and high-stakes gambler Haralabos Voulgaris are just a couple of players who seem to agree with Negreanu’s sentiment.
Can you imagine a more fertile ground for a virus than a Poker tournament? https://t.co/BIGkyLJqlv
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) March 12, 2020
if one poker player get Coronavirus in big tournaments in Las Vegas,it will damage poker tour company or casino , for many years hard work maketing, it’s really worth to risk？
be safe3kingme3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AnkushMandavia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">AnkushMandaviaMrJesseJames4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/subiime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">subiime n stay distance with ur friends,thx pic.twitter.com/ZThJGSwoLK— kitty kuo thomas (@kittykuopoker) March 12, 2020
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