High stakes crusher Ike Haxton has been blogging about the health concerns live poker players face in the future. The American partypoker ambassador talks about how much he misses the game but also can not stop thinking about the real challenges we face once the lights turn back on.

By: Mark Patrickson

I dont know about you folks, but Im really starting to miss playing live poker. Sitting around a table, shuffling chips, talking s**t. Drinking too much coffee. The steady, mellow pace that can make 12 hours pass before youve noticed. I love it, I miss it

The COVID-19 lockdown has left much of the worlds population nervous about returning to normal. With the number of coronavirus deaths being visibly published every day it is unlikely that much will be normal for a long time, with many choosing to stay under their own lockdown.

Haxton points out the obvious situation that live poker will struggle with when the games start, that it is the perfect environment to spread an infection.

The constant touching of the surfaces around you, including the cards and chips, makes it so easy to transmit any kind of bug to your playing partners.

The breathing in each others direction in such a small space guarantees an increased possibility of catching something.

In general, poker players are also not known for the healthiest lifestyle. With their compromised immune system we can again guarantee that per player there will be more bugs going around, even ignoring the coronavirus for a second.

Weve traveled from all over the world, on planes, through airports, and in taxis, coming into contact with countless people along the way. Were stressed out, jet-lagged, not eating well, and not sleeping enough, all of which surely compromise our immune systems.

A lot will depend on how quick a reliable vaccine program can be installed around the world. Will normal service resume before this happens? Haxton is of the opinion that it shouldnt in the case of poker.

There is bound to be quite a lot of arguing in the near future on exactly what is the best way forward. Haxton just says that his main interest is in getting the conversation going beforehand.

For the most part, I dont have very strong convictions on what should change, but Id like to get a conversation started about our options.

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Ike Haxton Raises Concerns About the Health of Live Poker Players - HighstakesDB