So my flight back to the States leaves at the end of the month. It's actually really safe here caronavirus wise with no new cases in the last few weeks in the region I'm staying in, and like 65 deaths in the whole country. I considered staying longer but their winter is starting here soon and there's a really good chance flights out will stop running soon. Don't want to be stuck here long term.

In total I have 25+ hours of travel time, including 3 flights (West Australia to Sydney, 3ish hour layover, Sydney to San Francisco, 3ish hour layover, and San Fran to Phoenix). I'm leaning towards not wearing a mask because I want to eat and drink on the plane which is pretty hard to do while wearing one obviously. Yes I could take the mask on and off or just replace with a new one, I have 10 or so available. But then I would still breath in potentially tainted air when I eat my snack/have a sip of water. Also the case count is so low here the flight should be pretty safe regardless. Lastly, I'm in my mid 30s, not obese, and not sick with something else. So even if I do catch it I'm in good shape. I'll just get antibodies which would give me a free pass until a vaccine is available.

Of course if someone is sneezing and coughing I'll toss on a mask as needed to avoid droplets. I also plan to wipe down my seat space with wet wipes I added alcohol to.

What say you?

Why the **** would you leave Australia to go back to the USA? Are you totally dim or something?

All flights out will stop soon. Australians are already banned from leaving the country until 2021. United is still running flights to San Fran, but those won't last forever.

Can't you afford a private jet charter from that 2014 WSOP win?

I actually live in Western Australia as well.

The odds of you getting it on the plane would be pretty low, but honestly if you don't want to get prime idea would be to you know, not go the epicenter of the disease.

In all honestly no idea as to your citizenship or anything like that but if you left and not an Australian citizen I doubt you are allowed back for 12 months with how our government is going.

Yes AINEC

I can. Jamie Gold gave me some cash game lessons after my W. However private jets won't be able to leave here either. Travel ban applies to all citizens and permanent residents. Not just commercial flights. Nice try though!

US citizen. Evacuated here over a month ago from Bali thinking I'd be able to go back there in a few months. Things are looking a little different now, though.

I'm fine with not being able to come back to Oz for a bit. I've spent several months here over the last year. The players at the Crown Casino don't have to battle with me anymore so they should be happy. lol. Did you play at the Crown?

Honestly - I didn't read past your first sentence to say that you should be wearing a mask.

Nice try yourself, what about chartering a PJ right now?

No need to answer though, joke's been pushed enough. Just wear a mask, or better yet, stay in Oz. US is going to be lit imo.

So one of the flights is 13 hours. That's a long time to wear a mask!

Being dead is pretty permanent, though, so maybe you want to dodge those outs.

I would go with the flow on the first two legs and definitely put it on once I landed in the US.

FWIW and there might be a difference between Australia and New Zealand and different home countries, but I talked to my friend who is on a one year research assignment in Auckland right now. She contacted the embassy to ask what would happen if there aren’t any regular flights back to the EU in August and was told that they’ll continue their commitment to bringing every citizen back home.

Wear it on the plane. Everyone is trapped there breathing the same air. Any of the people sitting around you could have it. People will be coughing, and your stuck there. I made pretty much the same flight a month ago.

Tournaments not cash (lol the 1/3 games with 16bb stacks and 10% capped at $15). If you have played Perth tournaments and know any of the regular players I am who you think I am (judging off my screename, only so many Ashley's in the scene). Happy to chat via PM if you have anything else to discuss RE: Perth gaming scene.

Given citizenship issues I can see why you would choose to go, but that said I would be looking to rock out a mask at all opportunities on the trip.

Good luck.

oh no trapped in autrailia, that would be horrible.....thats obviously my sarcastic voice. Id just stay

anyway, I dunno how big a diff a mask is going to make on a 13 hour flight from a place where it seems no one really has it....but id probably def wear it upon landing in the US and flying to phoenix.

lol, seriously?? are the games somehow that good, or do you just hate your life and or have a gambling addiction?

Australia has government monopolies on casinos in each state, so the casinos don't face much by way of competition.

In terms of regular games there are occasionally good 5-5 300-1k with slightly reduced rake games but in general the regular game running if any would be a couple tables of 1/3NL 50-300 with the above mentioned rake with 6 OMC's playing 15vpip/2pfr. Its why I generally only bother to play during the three tournament series (which are usually fairly decently run larger tournaments comparable to the average WSOP Circuit series) as opposed to either the over-raked low stakes weekly tournaments or the cash games.

I used to play a lot, and it is a shame how badly the economy of the games have been handled since the peak boom of 2009-2012 (at least for Perth cash games).

To the best of my knowledge Sydney and Melbourne still have solid bases but are heading the same way.

There is a thriving home game scene if you know where to look, as well as the increased prevalence of app games at least.

Yeah the Crown cash rake sucks, though really it's not that much worse than a lot of US rooms. The a $15 AUD rake is only about $10 or $11 USD. and there's no bad beat jackpot drop and tipping is prohibited. So, at least arguably, it's roughly equivalent to a $6 rake in the US. I played a few times last year and there were a bunch of donators. Still, unless you want to dedicate your life to bum hunting, beating the capped $1/3 game long term at any decent win rate isn't very likely. That said the tournament series rake is good here at 10%. I played two of the major series here last year. Good thing I only play mtts.

Not sure if I played with you or not, Ashley. Not really looking to play any home or app games here. As elsewhere, the potential for being cheated/scammed is just too high. So I mainly play online.

I'm not living in a fear-of-dying from carona-virus state, and there are a lot of drawbacks to being here in the in between state of not quite being a regular tourist yet not being an expat. Long term I want to be back in the US and there are more opportunities for me thee so that's where I'm going. I've been slow travelling the world for the last year and a half so I may have a little more perspective than some of the high count posters on here who don't get out much. See, I can bust out the sarcasm too!

I'm leaning towards a mixed strategy with the mask situation. Yes I won't be able to keep one on the entire time, but if I do wear for a few hours at least that will reduce the potential viral load.

If you're thinking of playing poker in a poker room before 2021, I wouldn't count on the U.S.

I'd stay where you are, but you know, I'm in Iowa so it might be a bit subjective.

Well, you can always come visit Kansas City to see “the big town”. (Yes, some people in Nebraska and Iowa apparently call it that)

Actually lived in Overland Park and Lee's Summit for 4-years.

I love Kansas City.

I’m taking a similar flight next week (Queenstown-Auckland-LAX). I plan on wearing a mask except when eating. I’m not worried about other passengers so much as the flight attendants. Wish I could stay in NZ for the long haul but that’s not in the cards right now.

We really like KC, wouldn’t have expected to ever live in the same neighborhood as a reigning SuperBowl MVP. Just feels funny to me that people call it the big town when it’s the smallest metro area I’ve ever lived in.
Based on my friend, everything in NZ is pretty relaxed? Expect a totally different situation when you get back to the US..