AEG 'Vegas Concert Production Giant' requires Vax, Oct. 1, for attendees at venues. Sign of things to come?

https://www.reviewjournal.com/entert...s-2418688/amp/

From articles I've read, El Dorado is cutting costs at every opportunity.

Average hi temps in Vegas for October are in the 77-84 F range and the walk from the strip is only about 30 minutes.

There are a few major conferences running in Vegas that are already requiring proof of vaccination for entry with no exemptions/exceptions (HIMSS this week being one of them)

I can't see that happening. Expecting gamblers, poker players no less, to do anything early is unrealistic. A lot of players want to late reg, you have to accommodate them. In my cranky old age, I'm beginning to see the wisdom in that. You have to get pretty lucky to cash a tournament, playing from level 1 doesn't really make that any easier. I talked to one seasoned tourney player that always late regs. If he jams and loses his first hand in level 8, he figures the same could happen if he played from level 1 and moves on to the next tourney.

I can't see that happening either, but I might be surprised.

Money Show in September is not requiring the jab as far as I've heard.

If the alternative is not running the Wsop, how would you address a likely shortage of dealers?

The players can deal themselves like the Old West and Old California.

Let them deal PLO 8 or better

In all seriousness, if you offer for example a $1000 incentive and work out a way for night classes, you may be able to push through enough graduates in the next 6-7 weeks. Keep the experienced dealers for the complicated events like dealer's choice, stud, etc....

Maybe they stopped because of Covid, but they used to have free shuttles from Harrah's to Rio.

They stopped that a couple years ago.

Update to the rule. Now if Vaccinated and near someone positive you will be ok, unless showing symptoms.

Very Positive Update .

Yes, my take away from that announcement is the WSOP is still full steam ahead. Only way I can see it stopping would be mass public outcry, which won't happen as mass gatherings and events, way bigger than the WSOP, have been happening and still on schedule even before October.

It's a mixed bag. Some event organizers are acting as if Covid isn't real, while others are requiring proof of vaccination and/or negative tests. Plus, the situation will only get worse between now and October, as it's apparent that roughly half of America wouldn't get vaccinated even at gunpoint--and those people are coming to Vegas in droves.

Since at the WSOP, you're sitting in a huge, crowded, poorly ventilated room, and you might be next to the same people for hours on end, I'm not comfortable, and I suspect many others are not as well, with having no idea whether other participants are vaccinated. I'm fully vaccinated, but breakthrough infections are quite possible in this setting.

Also, insofar as physical condition is concerned, poker players rank one step below attendees at the World Candy Eating Championship. Look around the WSOP main room and you'll see "underlying conditions" everywhere. This is not the healthiest crowd.

Of course, they could require proof of vaccination and/or negative tests as a condition of playing, but that would affect revenue, and that has always been the sole consideration for the casinos and CZR in particular.

There's so much fertile territory here to comment on. Frankly, I can fine fault in virtually every utterance, in either the accuracy of your statements, or their general tone. That being said, I see no reason to continue to point these thing out to you, or anyone else. People can judge for themselves whether your viewpoints have merit.

I would like to address one of your statements though... "the situation will only get worse between now and October".

This is a common belief I have seen repeated by you and others, here and elsewhere. Fortunately, it is not my job to predict what is going to happen in the future with regard to COVID. And I have the utmost respect and sympathy for those whos job it is. But, if we simply look at what happened with COVID in LV last summer, and also look what has been happening with COVID in LV this summer...

http://covid.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/cases/

Then the suggestion that things will get worse between now and October is not supported by what is actually going on. If nearly two years of trends is to be believed, then things should continue to get better until the next wave begins in October and peaks somewhere near the New Year. But, of course, this is just speculation based on actual data. I'm sure the predictions of message board posters are just as likely to be accurate.

Yes! That would be hilarious watching me try to deal on a full sized table.

Most players probably have a better idea of the pot than the average dealer.

Looks like they got a lot of pushback. I hope there are no more surprises.

I hope this happens, and then they start flicking a bunch of covidiots out of the tournaments with bigger fields, and get some tasty overlays.

Well, this is the internet, so there's always someone who can "fine fault" with anything one says. Therefore, you're just random noise.

My statement that things will only be worse come October isn't my prediction. I'm reporting what most experts, all more knowledgeable than you or I, are predicting.

You see, I don't evaluate a situation based on what I'd like to happen, and then selectively examine information according to confirmation bias. I would very much like the WSOP to be a safe environment. I would very much like enough people to be vaccinated that it's not unsafe. But what I would like--or what you would like--will have no bearing on what will actually be.

I read the Rule 115 update a second time, and it looks like if you don't have the vax they can still throw you out without compensation.

I have not said anything about what I would like to have happen. That seems to be your domain. And I agree what you would like to have happen has little bearing in what will happen.

Also, I’m not selectively evaluating information based on confirmation bias. I’m not even sure what you think it is I’m trying to confirm. I am looking at nearly two years worth of data on what has actually happened. If you think that is being selective, then I would suggest you don’t know what the word means.

So, if you want to trust the “experts”, whoever they may be, instead of looking at what is actually going on, then that is your prerogative. As is being afraid. “Safe” is an opinion, not a fact. I am reminding you of that because I know you have a lot of trouble dealing with the notion that it’s ok for other people to have different opinions than you.

There have been large-field tournaments going on for over a year. I don’t recall any huge controversies over players being disqualified and sent packing without some sort of fair arrangement reached. Seems to me, in the age we live in, a rash of such occurrences would generate a ton of chatter on Twitter or other mediums. I mean even one would probably make some noise.

I suppose the WSOP could go it’s own way and do things drastically different than what we have seen elsewhere over the last year. But is there any reason to speculate they will? In other words, other than it being yet another hypothetical to wrangle over on message forums, why should we really be concerned about this rule? Asking for a friend.

I can't help but observe that you didn't agree that what YOU want to happen has no bearing on the outcome. That suggests a grossly inflated sense of self-importance on your part.

If you don't understand that the increased contagion of the Delta variant makes previous data irrelevant, well, then...I'm willing to chalk that up to simple ignorance rather than confirmation bias on your part, if you prefer.

I trust the experts because they do indeed tell us what is actually going on. And personal safety isn't a function of an individual's attitudes and perceptions. It's an objective concept. There are a lot of fools walking around right now who think they're perfectly safe. You may proudly join their ranks if you wish.

All this isn't even remotely a matter of opinion, just as, say, gravity functions the same way whether you believe in it or not.

It might not be a matter of rules enforcement per se; the WSOP might see a rise in cases over the several weeks of the tournament and events might be canceled. A multi-day event could end abruptly.

Of course, the likelihood of that happening increases the more vigilant they are (onsite testing, etc.), so I think they'll be negligent instead. They have a major financial incentive to keep the infection vat bubbling--and that's what most of the players will want as well.

Proof of vaccination and/or a negative test in order to play are still simple and readily available tools. There would be, of course, massive bitching and moaning, but that would be countered by the goodwill created by efforts to keep people safe and the events running smoothly.

I don't see this as a problem.

Exactly! At first I thought that they should just require proof of vaccination, but the rule they came up with is so much better. I really hope they decide to enforce this rule strictly. It would save them so much on dealers when half the field is DQ'd on Day 1.