Video Poker Forum

OTABILL wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:51 pm

Masks are now required with the exception of folks eating and drinking. No exception in the PR releases from both mention an exemption for smoking. Wonder how they will handle that since one cannot properly wear a mask and smoke at the same time. https://www.caesars.com/corporate/newsr ... properties

https://investors.mgmresorts.com/invest ... fault.aspx

I'm wondering if these will become fashionable again?

notes1 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:03 am

not able to comment on caesars or mgm casinos.

but, tampa hard rock has been open for about a month, and i have been there multiple times. masks are required for entry and most everyone, keeps them on. i wear a N95 mask and take plenty of other precautions.

Notes I'm pretty confident that you got medically cleared, properly respirator fit-tested and training on the correct donning/doffing and care of the N95 mask before you put one on, right?

Kidding, kidding.....

actually ted, kidding aside, you are not as far off as you might think. after more than 2 months of doing nothing, i was willingly to do most anything to get out and do something i enjoy. everyone will get a laugh out of the regime i follow, everytime i go:

-i do wear a n95 mask
-i carry a bag of sanitized wipes that i use constantly
-when i go to the bathroom, i am like a surgeon preparing to operate. scrub hands, arms.
-put more sanitizer on hands
-when i leave and get back to car, i have a spray bottle of sanitizer and use in on my hands, arms, face and neck
-when i get home (i do wait until i get home) i take off all casino clothes, wash down and put on clean stuff

i know, i am almost embarrassed to admit all i do. gotta admit, kind of a germaphobe to begin with.

back to n95 masks, i have no idea how anyone could smell minor smoke or anything else with these things on. i have a tough enough time getting enough oxygen to breathe. for those who have not worn one, they are nothing like a surgical mask or the homemade masks that are now commonplace.

This is sort of related to this thread.

A poker dealer at Orleans Casino here in Las Vegas recently came down with Covid. The poker room there decided it was best if they did NOT tell the players. (I got the word from a poker dealer I know who shares a non-casino-related hobby with em.) I would have thought they should have announced that if you played at "Joe's" table in the past few days you should consider quarantining yourself, or getting checked, or something. Instead they decided it was best not to say anything.

bob, in regards to vegas casinos, the few pictures i have seen, show little in the way of reducing playable machines or the number of players allowed in at anyone time. it looked like nothing had changed.

your observations?

Masks were required --- beginning today. I haven't been in a casino today.

Station Casinos made the biggest change in playable machines --- not in the machines themselves but they halved their slot club rate for video poker and reduced the number of high point days. That is, instead of regular 6x point days (worth 0.60%) now they have 5x and 4x as their biggest ones (worth 0.25% or 0.20%). This affects the playability of most video poker machines. Very few of them gave you a big enough edge that cutting off so much doesn't make them unplayable.

Other casinos have increased desirability of playing there. Boyd offers 11x points (0.55%) twice a week along with daily point multipliers the rest of the time that they didn't used to have.

In July, South Point offers the equivalent of 0.9% free play for the first $8,000 coin-in you play Monday - Thursday and unlimited 0.6% all day Sunday July 4. Same machines near as i can tell.

Masks were worn by less than 50% of the patrons previously --- but today the rules changed and I have no report on that. there are a lot of customers who are opposed to masks for political or other reasons. Many, presumably, were good casino customers. How casinos are going to handle this is a mystery to me.

My hours of play are typically somewhere between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. I'll go in a few hours to pick up some free play at South Point, then return home. I don't know how much of a typical experience that will be.

I have better information now. Went to South Point at 6 a.m. this morning to pick up free play.

About 75% of the patrons had masks somewhere near their face --- if you include using them as a necklace or a chin guard. Probably 30%-40% were wearing them the appropriate way. There was a guard station near the entrance from self parking (the entrance i use) --- presumably to check for masks and to hand them out if needed. At 6 a.m. it was not being manned.

This is one data point and i can't speak for other casinos, or even this casino at different time periods.

My host from Bally's AC says no smoking will be allowed on casino floor. I will be staying there for the 4th of July weekend.

Go get 'em paco, good luck.

Thanks Ted