Coronavirus Outbreak: PokerBaazi Moves PPL FTs Online, PokerStars Cancels Europe Events & APT Da Nang Postponed

Coronavirus Outbreak
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  • Attreyee Khasnabis March 11, 2020
  • 3 Minutes Read

For those who remember, the last time the world society was this affected was back in 2003 when the SARS epidemic had affected 26 countries and resulted in over 8,000 cases. In the present day, the Coronavirus (Covid-19 virus) has already affected 100 countries in three months, resulting in 119,286 cases and 4,300 deaths globally. While China is the epicenter of the disease, several European countries have also been affected, with Italy being the worst hit.

India, too, has joined the list of countries currently affected by the Coronavirus. The country’s count of cases rose from 18 to 62 on March 10, with eight people testing positive in Kerala, five from Maharashtra, four from Karnataka, and one from Jammu & Kashmir.

With the infection spreading at breakneck speed and most countries going on lock-down, it comes as no surprise that most poker tournament organizers are either canceling or postponing their scheduled stops. Brands like Triton Poker, Asia Poker League, and even the WPT had already canceled their stops in Asia, and the latest brands to join the list are PokerStars, Asian Poker Tour (APT) and PokerBaazi.

 

PokerBaazi Shifts PPL Live FTs Online

Even though Goa has not reported any cases of the Coronavirus so far, given the exponential spread of the disease, players have been wary regarding travel.

The PokerBaazi Premier League that ran its online edition from February 28 to March 8 was expected to host the final tables of the PPL#43 Highroller 6-Max 50 Lakhs GTD and PPL#58 The MoneyMaker 1 Crore GTD on March 13 and 14, respectively, at the PokerBaazi Live poker room onboard Casino Pride 2 in Goa.

PokerGuru Ambassador Rony Chowdhury raised the concern regarding traveling to Goa under the present climate on Facebook yesterday and asked the tournament organizers to consider shifting the final tables online.

Rony Biswadip
Rony Biswadip

 

“As a player in the current climate I think Baazi should change the FT of the moneymaker to online. It is highly irresponsible to Runa live ft in goa and make players travel from all over the country for this. When all sporting events are being cancelled around the world and large gatherings are being put off, as a small town player my family won’t even let me travel and I don’t want to miss this opportunity. I’m sure it’s the case for other players also.

I think having the FT online is easy and the only sensible way. Requesting Baazi management to reconsider and not risk player safety.”

PokerBaazi CEO Navkiran Singh was prompt to respond, asking for a few days to come to a solution.

Navkiran Singh
Navkiran Singh

 

The site eventually decided to shift the final tables online, and site representative Varun Ganjoo made the announcement on Facebook earlier today.

“Hey guys! This is to inform everyone that the final tables of PPL Highroller & The MoneyMaker, scheduled to be held offline at PokerBaazi Live Goa, will now be held online on PokerBaazi.com. The date and start time remains the same. This decision is taken after considering requests placed by some of the players having travel constraints considering the Covid-19 situation. We will be cancelling the travel and stay bookings done for the players. The same will be communicated through official channels as well.

I am sure it would have been exciting to see these FTs on live stream but nevertheless we hope the best men win, wishing Good Luck to all the players who made it!”

 

PokerStars Cancels European Events

Online poker giant PokerStars, had recently announced that while the European Poker Tour (EPT) Sochi will play out as scheduled from March 8 to 20 at Casino Sochi, all other PokerStars European events, have, for now, been postponed.

PokerStars Cancels Europe Events

“With many PokerStars sponsored live events upcoming around the world, we wanted to take a moment to let our players know our current position regarding the coronavirus,” stated a note published by PokerStars on Sunday.

“We are closely monitoring the spread of COVID 19 and working with the casinos operating the events we sponsor to ensure we are being kept up to speed with all the latest developments. As such, it is with a heavy heart that the decision has been made, in conjunction with each casino partner, to postpone all European events up until April 10, 2020,” the note further declared.

The events that have been impacted by this decision include the Road to PSPC stops that were to be held in Hamburg in Germany, La Grand Motte in France, and Madrid Gran Via in Spain.

PokerStars further stated, “The situation is highly dynamic and live tournaments are a big part of what we do. So we are endeavoring to strike a balance of catering to our players’ wants while also protecting attendees, and ensuring we act responsibly. We are reviewing every event on a case by case basis, and keeping up to speed on the latest developments alongside our casino partners.”

For players who had already qualified for the postponed events, the site stated, “Any player who has qualified online at PokerStars to the above events will be contacted in the next 24 hours for assistance with the transferal of seats to a future tournament.”

 

APT Da Nang 2020 Postponed

Asian countries have been just as severely affected as Europe, and it comes as no surprise that the APT Da Nang, which was scheduled to run from April 7 to 18, has been postponed to August 19 to 30.

APT Da Nang Postponed

 

A notice updated on the brand’s official site read:

“Please be informed that due to the ongoing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus 2019) situation, and the latest advisories issued by the Vietnamese Government and local health authorities, APT Vietnam – Da Nang scheduled for 7th to 18th April 2020 will now be postponed and rescheduled for 19th to 30th August 2020.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and thank you for your understanding.”

With nations going under complete shut down to prevent the virus from spreading further, the possibility of the 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) being postponed is gradually becoming more likely.

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