Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on Live Poker: Poker Players Share Their Views On the Ongoing Crisis

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has grown more devastating with every passing day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Situation report – 61, there are presently 266,073 confirmed cases worldwide, with 32,000 cases being reported in just the last 24 hours. The death toll has now reached 11,184. All of us are experiencing this ‘once-in-a-generation’ disease for the very first time, which has even surpassed the 2002 SARS epidemic that had reported 8,098 cases and 774 deaths.

In India, the present tally of positive cases stands at 341, with the death toll reaching six casualties on Sunday. Several states have imposed lockdowns. This is in line with the ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ protocols that are being advocated by the WHO and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, there is no denying the fact that the outbreak has wreaked havoc on numerous industries and businesses.

Among the businesses that have been impacted by this unprecedented situation is the poker industry, specifically the live poker scene. With the shutdown of casinos in Goa and Sikkim till March 31 and April 15, respectively, many live stops that were scheduled to take place in March, April and May, namely the DPT Xpress, the National Poker Series, and the DPT April edition, have been forced to postpone their plans.

We had previously brought you the views of poker room operators Chirag Sodha, Vasim Rozani, and Manish Adnani, on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, like the poker venues, the outbreak has left many poker players, who had made travel bookings for upcoming live events, in the lurch. With no end to the current crisis in sight, we reached out to a few top Indian pros, seasoned regs, and industry insiders to get a feel of how big of an impact the current outbreak has made on the players, especially those who are active on the live circuit.

Many players we spoke to had already made travel bookings to popular Asian events that presently stand canceled or postponed. A few have even finalized their plans for the 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) that is slated to start in May. The fate of the series now hangs in the balance because of the drastic change in circumstances that, among other hindrances, include strict travel restrictions worldwide.

Indian Poker Players React to COVID-19 Pandemic

There’s a growing group of Indian pros that has tasted success in both the domestic and international live circuit. Every year, many of them travel to attractive international destinations like Europe, Melbourne, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and not to forget Las Vegas to play. If names like Dhaval Mudgal and Sumit Sapra have earned accolades in the Asian circuit, others like Abhinav Iyer, Nishant, Sharma, Jaideep Sajwan, Aditya Agarwal, Kartik Ved, Nikita Luther, and Paawan Bansal have slayed it at the world’s biggest poker tournament series, the WSOP.

For this feature, we connected with some of these players to find out about their current situation and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them.

While poker pros Raman Gujral and Akshay Nasa said they didn’t really have any plans to travel and so were not affected, others like former Red Dragon Manila High Roller champion Ankit Ahuja had to forego his plans for the Irish Poker Open and SHRPO because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tournament circuit regular Meherzad Munsaf vented out that he had to can his travel plans for WPT Manila, and already has confirmed bookings for the WSOP as well. So had another active pro, Kunal Patni, who informed us that he would try to get a refund on his bookings.

Former MoneyMaker champion Romit Advani and most others underlined the sudden spike in online poker action during the outbreak that has halted all forms of live poker.

Without much ado, let’s read all about what our ‘desi’ pros have to say about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected their travel plans.

Are you currently in India or abroad? Did you travel for any poker tournament recently?

Ankit Ahuja: India. I traveled to LA for LAPC in February.

Romit Advani: I’ve been in Mumbai for the last fortnight or so, but back in February, Dhaval (Mudgal), Abhinav (Iyer), and I rented a house together in Goa temporarily. So, I’ll be back there in a day or so post this Sunday’s Janata curfew. It’s exciting times in Goa actually with so many of us there living within a few minutes of each other – Maddy (Madhav Gupta), Raghav (Bansal), Shravan (Chhabria), Nikki (Nikita Luther), Adi (Aditya Agarwal), Goindi (Abhishek), Sahil (Agarwal), Eka (Vedantham) and others. It’s nice to be around like-minded people with common goals and routines – the vibe and energy in this bunch is amazing – it’s very positive and motivating – besides that, most of these guys have been my friends for many many years, and they’re all crushers of the game. I’m always learning just talking to them!

Jaideep Sajwan: I had mainly been traveling and playing in the US before the Corona issue. I didn’t want to get back to India during January winters, so I came to sunny Mexico. I guess I am stuck here now, but this definitely gives me a normal schedule if I want to play poker. I can start playing at 9 in the morning instead of 8 pm at night.

Kunal Patni: Currently in India. I just came back from a cash festival in Colombo three days back.

Sahil Chuttani: I am self-isolating in Delhi.

Meherzad Munsaf: I am currently in India, homebound. I did travel for the Red Dragon to Manila and for APT Vietnam last month.

Nishant Sharma: I’m currently in India only, and I am mostly grinding online cash and MTTs for a while. I just traveled for the series in Goa.

Alok Birewar: Yes, in India. My last live series was the IPC in January.

Vaibhav Sharma: I’m in India, I did not travel anywhere recently.

Paawan Bansal: After coming back from Aussie Millions, I’ve been home playing online.

Abhishek Goindi: I am in India, in Goa right now, which is the best place in India to be in. I haven’t traveled recently; I have just been playing all the events in India.

Sahil Mahboobani: Currently in India. The most recent live tournaments I attended were the BPT and IPC at the start of January 2020. Before that, I was in Hong Kong for a month visiting family.

Did you plan to attend any of the upcoming Asian/other live stops, and how did the postponement/cancelation of the series impact you? What about the flights and hotel bookings for the planned trips?

Ankit Ahuja: I didn’t plan on any Asian stops, but I had planned for the Irish Poker Open (in Dublin, Ireland) and SHRPO (in Miami), followed by the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Vegas. Fortunately, I hadn’t booked any travel yet. When I got the news, the events were getting canceled.

Romit Advani: Yes, most of us were looking forward to WPT Vietnam as the next stop on the live tour. To answer your question about canceling travel arrangements, I’m somebody who always books super last minute – so that’s worked out well!

Jaideep Sajwan: Had I returned to India, I would have thought about the poker stops in the Philippines and Vietnam for sure.

Kunal Patni: No

Sahil Chuttani: I wanted to focus online anyways, so (the outbreak) did not impact my plans.

Meherzad Munsaf: I did have plans for the WPT Manila and other Asian stops, but while in Vietnam there was a talk in the air regarding the COVID-19 and after a lot of advice from a few business partners, I did choose to opt-out and yes indeed lost out money on the cancelations.

Nishant Sharma: I was planning for Vietnam, but luckily, I’m not the guy who will pre-book everything except when it comes to WSOP.

Alok Birewar: Yes, I was gonna attend a few in March, April. I had not made any bookings.

Vaibhav Sharma: No, I didn’t plan to fly anywhere.

Paawan Bansal: I was supposed to be in Russia for EPT Sochi right now but canceled everything. I didn’t get a refund for the ₹50K in flights but chose not to risk it with everything going on.

Abhishek Goindi: I didn’t plan any Australian stops, but I did plan the Asian stops. Luckily for me, I hadn’t made the bookings yet. I am a last-minute kind of guy, so luckily, I didn’t have to make any cancelations. I planned to play all WPT’s, APT’s in the Asian circuit this year.

Sahil Mahboobani: I (had) planned to attend WPT Cambodia and APT Vietnam. However, it all seems to be looking unlikely as of now.

Did you have plans for WSOP or made any bookings towards it? What are your views on the chances of the series gets canned?

Ankit Ahuja: Yes, I planned to go to WSOP, hadn’t made any bookings yet, though. The series would be canceled most likely (as it should be given the current circumstances). WSOP is a petri dish for germs; there are way too many people who don’t maintain good hygiene.

Romit Advani: Vegas this year is also a big question mark with so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. For now, it’s most important to stay safe and stay healthy. Social distancing comes naturally to most poker players, especially for those whose primary focus is online. So not too much sweat there!

Jaideep Sajwan: I had already decided that I was not going to do the full WSOP this year. With tax and my preferred games getting tougher, I had planned only to travel for the Main Event. I don’t see the series happening now. If it does, I am only a couple of hours away.

Kunal Patni: Yeah, I have already made bookings for a 50-day stay at Airbnb. It looks like it’s very difficult for WSOP to happen. Hopefully, Airbnb will refund the full amount; otherwise, we will lose a substantial portion of our booking amount.

Sahil Chuttani: Had plans for Vegas but mostly not going now.

Meherzad Munsaf: I had made my reservations for the WSOP in February itself, including my stay to flights to everything. I am sure no poker player wants this series to be canceled, but looking at the current scenario and the way the world economy is going and the way this virus is spreading like wildfire, I think that they should go ahead and cancel this series either to a later date. It is a tough call for the organizers as they are waiting for things to calm down and don’t want to comment soon. Still, definitely my advice to all the players would be – this happens every year, yes, it is a prestigious event, but health and security are very essential. As there are a lot of cases, we don’t know who also has the virus but no symptoms. Also, there are just so many countries that fly in, and with severe travel restrictions, it might not be realistic, so it all depends on actually what the situation is in mid-April. I will definitely see the situation around and then take a call if I want to attend it this year or not.

Nishant Sharma: A few weeks back, my friends and I had almost booked the villa. Just then, there was the news of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy, so we decided to wait for a while, and now it seems like WSOP will be either postponed or canceled. Mostly it will be postponed, and hopefully, that’s the case as it will be hard to wait for one more year for WSOP.

Alok Birewar: No WSOP plans.

Vaibhav Sharma: Yes, I thought about doing WSOP this year, but now it’s GG.

Paawan Bansal: Yeah, I had been planning on going and even booked an AirBnB for it, but I won’t be going even if it happens (which seems highly unlikely right now anyway).

Abhishek Goindi: Definitely, I had plans for WSOP. I am still optimistic as we still have two months to go. WSOP is something I am looking forward to. If not, WPT Barcelona is something next on my list.

Sahil Mahboobani: I have always preferred playing online to live, and with the online scene booming right now, that’s exactly where I want to be present.

Your focus is obviously going to be online for now. Your views on how this is impacting online turnouts?

Ankit Ahuja: Obviously, online is going to be tougher. I’m not sure how many recreational players would be attracted to online poker because of casinos closing down since I don’t expect it to make much of a difference. I may or may not play some Sunday MTTs and likely will skip cash games. I have a couple of non-poker projects that will have my full attention over the coming weeks now that most of the live events are canceled. Online poker is not a priority for me.

Romit Advani: Obviously, now all travel is on hold – the focus has shifted entirely online with casinos in Goa shut as well. I’ve noticed a decent uptick in numbers online – in both cash and tournaments. I definitely miss being on the live felt though – shuffling chips and building towers -traveling to new cities – meeting new people and having different experiences. It’s definitely my preferred version of the game! And that will happen sooner than later because like everything – this too shall pass!

Jaideep Sajwan: I have reduced poker a lot now. I am focusing on other things at the moment, but with mobility becoming an issue, I do see myself playing online more in the near future.

Kunal Patni: I think online Indian poker will see great numbers and guarantees being crushed for all majors.

Sahil Chuttani: Online volume has certainly shot up due to the crisis.

Meherzad Munsaf: I guess online will be the next big thing; I personally am not much of an online player as I have reduced it. But I do look at some attractive tournaments and series online, and I think poker operators in India should plan and have many online series to various well-organized games for the benefit of everyone who are stuck at home. I think a lot of poker operators in India and even globally have been doing that so, and it is really a good thing.

My personal advice to all the poker players is – do not panic, stay calm, stick to your routine, enjoy the surrounding of your family and home, and the bonding with the loved ones (it’s priceless). Don’t rush to travel or make plans just because you have it on your mind. Health is very important, and so is your life to your loved ones. Be safe and keep yourself well-nourished and healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Nishant Sharma: It seems like a small online boom, and we can see the GTD’s getting crushed by a good margin, so it’s great, but then it’s nothing but a short-term rise, and everything will get dried out if things remain the same, so hopefully there will be a vaccine soon. Till then, stay home, stay safe, and let’s crush.

Alok Birewar: Online turnouts should increase considering lockdowns throughout the country.

Vaibhav Sharma: Yes, I’m going to focus just online this year till things get better in the near future. I think more series will come up soon, and it’s gonna boost the online numbers for sure. Everyone should stay home and click, click, click!

Paawan Bansal: Expect the numbers to keep soaring as all the live cash and tournament players start grinding online.

Abhishek Goindi: Yes, online is a big focus for me. I actually made a big switch to online sometime back, but right now, I am concentrating on the boot camp and coaching people because people don’t have anything to do and have time to learn. So, it’s a good time to coach and teach people.

The original ‘Poker Guru of India’ Aditya Agarwal shared that since he has just become a father, he was not planning on traveling much except maybe a short trip to Las Vegas for the WSOP Main Event. However, given the uncertainty surrounding the series, the same does not affect his plans much. He seemed content crushing online MTT’s for now and intends to continue doing this for the next few months, at least.

Poker Room Operator Jim Ramm on the Coronavirus Outbreak & How It Has Affected the Casino Industry in Goa

A poker veteran who has been a long-standing presence in the casino business in Colombo and India, Jim Ramm recapitulated how it’s been for the casino sector since the government’s around the world shut down public establishments, including casinos.

“Really very eerie. Very very quiet. We, casino people, have not seen days like these since forever. Yes, the casino ships do go for dry docks periodically and are out for a couple of weeks. But that’s a different feel. This time around, we are ready for operations but locked down. And more than that is the uncertainty of when things will normalize. However, the whole gaming industry is united with the government in its drive to contain this health threat. We understand the gravity of the situation and will hold the fort for as long as it takes. We understand our Corporate Social Responsibility and will not waver. A single human life is more important than all the casinos of the world put together.”

Talking about the steps being taken for the many casino employees who have been impacted, Jim said, “It’s not only the livelihood of the direct employees of the casinos that are affected. There is a large sector of ancillary and auxiliary industries that survive and thrive on the gaming industry of Goa. These industries probably have 10 times more employees than what the casino industry directly employs. Together the impact on this whole segment of workers is massive because many of these workers are on daily wages. Casinos, however, mostly have permanent employees on monthly wages. These employees will not be affected as much because the casino owners will pay their staff full salaries and support them during this uncertain period.”

Ramm, who was the driving force behind India`s first live tournament series, the India Poker Ranking Tour (IPRT) that was started in 2008, and is eponymous with the Jim’s Poker Room, added, “I am confidently hopeful that every casino, without exception, will step up and make it a point to pay full wages to their permanent employees. The temporary staff may run into some bad weather depending on how long the situation takes to come under control. The worrying part is about the workers who fall under the ancillary and auxiliary industries that provide support services to the casinos. A large part of their workforce earns daily wages.”

Though he admitted that the pandemic has shaken the casino sector, he was optimistic that things will pick up in time. “We are all praying that this COVID-19 pandemic will be contained at the earliest. The WHO and other international organizations predict the global normalization timeline to between three and six months. We have seen the devastation of businesses and the huge negative economic impact this disease has already had on institutions and industries worldwide…For sure, the lockdown will be lifted sooner or later. Casino business will face the brunt, no doubt. We will lose a large percentage of tourist visitors for some time, but on the other hand, the hard-core gamblers will save the day. They are a different breed altogether. They thrive on risk. Hopefully, all will be well.”

“Hereafter, I think it will become a norm for all of us to implement and conduct safety checks in all casinos as a routine matter. This would give confidence and will convey a feel-good factor for the customers. It will also be safe for the casino staff, who are specialists in the field, and equally important for the survival of all casinos,” he further added.

Outlining his plans after the COVID-19 scare has subsided, Ramm said, “I will get back to the drawing board as soon as I see the window of normalization opening up and try to customize some new and different kind of promos, suiting the prevailing situation. It’s not going to be very easy; I tell myself. The mindset of poker players, like most others, would be changed emerging from this global hysteria. I am preparing to put on my maverick hat and start the grind, planning my next moves to survive in this ever so competitive industry. Yet, I am still optimistic about having at least ten live (brick & mortar) poker rooms up and running by the end of this year 2020, spread across South Asia, the Far East, and Africa. We have four Jims Poker Room already, only six more to go!”

In such a time of crisis, when everything seems gloomy and full of despair, a positive way to look at it would be that this gives us some much-needed time to spend with our family and loved ones.

And as for poker players, its time to take the grind online!