WSOP: World Swine of Poker

[Poker, Swine Flu, World Series of Poker]

World Series of Pigs? World Swine of Poker?

If you have never been to the World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas, here is a fact you might want to consider this year. People get sick. Long hours of playing poker, not sleeping, eating poorly, drinking more than normal, lots of late night distractions. Sleep, when you get it interrupted by housekeeping staffs and tournament schedules. Add to that the cards and chips that move from player to player at break neck speed and players who are sick, incubating or carriers and well...

"The Amazon Room at the World Series of Poker is the perfect storm for a swine flu outbreak."

On some level there is always the "poker room crud" or the "tournament wheezes" that break out at any big tournament series. Put that many players and staff together for that long a time and someone gets ill and passes it on. Transmission is just too easy at the poker table. Then suppress the normal immune systems of many players by running a six week long series in Las Vegas with all of its "other temptations" and well you see where I am going with this.

But generally speaking people disappear for a few days and hole up their rooms, ordering ginger ale from room service. This year could be different. They are canceling nearly all public events in Mexico to try and stave off the epidemic, pandemic spread of the Swine Flu.

Here's hoping.... blah, blah, blah.

I don't want to be an alarmist, but......

I just don't see Texas Dolly playing a final table wearing a paper mask.