I totally agree with washing hands after handling chips and before eating, but I don't get why anyone cares if you wash hands after you pee. Since the toilets flush automatically, the dirtiest thing you touch is the bathroom door AFTER you wash your hands. Or is the worry that people pee all over their hands? Urine is sterile but still gross, so I would prefer everyone wash their hands after peeing on them.

I've seen House, MD too. Urine isn't sterile.

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gor...ither-rest-you

I would hope urinating on one's hands isn't common enough to cause concern, but proper cleaning of one's genitals certainly could be a problem (especially among the population that frequents a casino/cardroom) so unless people start standing at the urinal with their hands in the air I'm going to judge you if you don't wash hands after.

Touching the door: I either use a paper towel or, at Encore for example, the door doesn't require a hand (pushes open) so just use my foot.

In no way am I a hypochondriac, I've had some filthy jobs (including dealing cards), but I see this as more of an etiquette thing than fear of the plague.

There's always a bug floating around somewhere in Boston. I have to remind myself to keep my hands away from my mouth at the poker table because poker chips.

What are the days M-F that people who want to played mixed games in this thread go to play? Happy to play 20/40 when I'm there but I don't always bring enough money for that game. Hopped in for a bit one day back in August. HOET was the mix

8/16 mix has been happening Friday/Sat the last few weeks. Haven't really seen it go on other days. Was a really fun table last night. We got Badacey into the mix in the last few hours and broke everyone's brains

Given the recent discussions about germs and hand washing, and my expertise in the area (https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/3...phobe-1422913/) I thought I'd post my tricks to not getting sick while playing poker during cold and flu season

1) Never touch anything above your neck with your unwashed hands. This is very difficult to refrain from doing at first; however, over time it can be ingrained in your psyche. They key is if you don't touch your face (particularly your nose, eyes, or in your ears) you don't give the germs on your hands a place to enter your body. If you have an itch on your face, scratch it with your shirt, or wash your hands before scratching.

2) If you do eat at the casino, if at all possible do so while not simultaneously playing, as that way you can wash your hands beforehand and not need to touch cards or chips while you eat. If you insist on playing and eating at the same time, wash your hands before you start to eat and either only use utensils or use one hand to eat and the other to touch chips/cards.

3) Using Purell is fine, except you need to use it correctly. If you put purell on your hands and then touch the Purell bottle afterwards, bingo you just got germs back on your hands. The way to do it right is to squirt the purell into the palm of your hand then deftly close the bottle and put it away all before you then rub in the purell. It's not as easy as it sounds but once you get the hang of it it'll be second nature.

4) If you're sitting "in the line of fire" of someone who's coughing, try to get a table change. Yes, in some cases coughing isn't indicative of someone who's still activeily sick, but no need to take chances.

5) Drink plenty of fluids

6) Shower and change clothes when you get home

7) Don't touch your phone unless you've first washed your hands or properly (see #3 above) used Purell

8) Wash your hands upon entering and exiting the bathroom. Yes, it's extra effort but a "belt and suspenders" approach to avoiding getting sick is worth it.

9) Wash your hands after you change in your chips and have put your money away, as that way you don't get germs from your hands on your car

That's most everything that comes to mind.

And get a flu shot.

I was always told washing your hands at the casino is bad luck

you forgot the part where you need to tap a wooden surface 11 times anytime you leave a room

Do I just need to spend a half dozen days a year sick to avoid all of this? Good grief, I don't love the idea of germs and sometimes keep hand sanitizer at the table but this is a little much.

Is there a place I can see how many players they got for the past few Sun 7pm Survivor tournaments? Thinking of heading over there soon.

Henson Mob lists results thru Oct 31.

https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/fes...hp?a=r&n=32323

The Henson Mob is so much better than the Hendon Mob.

Damnit! Touche.

To each his/her own. In my case, I have chronic sinusitis, which basically means a head cold will always turn into a sinus infection. Not fun. I also have a son who's on immuno-suppressing medicine, so introducing illness into the household is not a good idea. Is this overkill for most? Probably. But as you said it's up to you whether (and, if so, to what extent) to do any of these things. I just posted it as a PSA.

I thought you were seriously trolling them with Henson because they spelled it Harbour....

I wish I were that clever... Looks like the numbers in that tournament just keep going down.

Encore Boston Harbor drops $50 table game minimums, paid parking

https://www.masslive.com/casinos/201...d-parking.html

Anyone think this'll have effects on poker? I imagine that the lower table minimum will bring in more traffic which could lead to more 1/3 2/5 games. I'm glad, I'll actually be able to play the occasional hand of blackjack or craps.

I've witnessed the opposite. The high pit table minimums drove many non poker players to the poker room because it was the only place they could go with $400 and drink for a couple hours.

It's not been uncommon for me to have 1 or 2 players at the 1/3 who don't even understand posting blinds.

They added 2 satellites to a $250K on the week of 12/22, though I don't see that tourney scheduled yet

https://www.pokeratlas.com/poker-tou...3A00%2B00%3A00

That is really exciting! The buy-in for satelite being 120$, I'd assume that the buy-in for the actual 250k is probably gonna around 1k (??). 600$ seems too low to meet the 250k guarantee.

They just put the $250K tourney info up. $600 buyin, three day 1 flights on Dec 26, 27, and 28th. Day two on Dec 29th. 30 minute levels, structure is up on Poker Atlas.

The HH promo ends Wednesday and will not be running on Black Friday according to poker atlas.

40min levels on day 2.
Day 1s play "only" until blinds get to 1k
Will surely play all day 1s til' I qualify for day 2 (if ever).

PokerAtlas says there are 186 on the waitlist for 1/3, 281 for 2/5, and 120 for 4/8 LHE.