Daniel Negreanu Talks COVID-19 Scare In Latest Podcast

A number of major live poker festivals have been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns and will impact the global live poker market in a significant way.

Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu recently shared his views on the economic impact of COVID-19 and the most effective way to prevent the virus from spreading, along with how this global pandemic will affect the poker scene.

In the latest episode of the DAT Poker Podcast, the Poker Hall of Famer said that summer has always been a busy season at the live felts, but it’s likely to change now as the COVID-19 threat continues to spread on a global scale.

Negreanu said a lot of players would choose to stay at home at this time of crisis, instead of risking their health and safety by taking part in poker events which involve a big number of people from different locations.

In the March 11 episode of the podcast co-hosted by Terrence Chan, Negreanu revealed that he and his wife Amanda Leatherman even decided to put themselves in quarantine at home, to prepare for “what is likely to come“.

Negreanu said the best practice to prevent the spread of the virus is social distancing. This means staying away from people as much as possible.

Negreanu Criticizes Trump

The 45-year-old Negreanu also hit out at US President Donald Trump for being unrealistic. Earlier this month, Trump said a vaccine will be developed in the next three months, but recent statements from health experts have debunked this assumption. Negreanu said the US government should focus more on those who are likely to take the brunt of a potential economic decline in the country arising from the outbreak.

The Canadian poker pro has called on policymakers to put forward policies that will ensure affected people will get much-needed help. Negreanu also said that what is currently happening in Italy might happen in the US as well. Italy has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths outside China, prompting a lockdown. Negreanu suggested that the US government can impose preventive measures before things get even worse.

The measures could involve the temporary closure of commercial establishments that attract a daily influx of people, such as restaurants and casinos. People should also limit their social interactions. This of course will have a significant financial impact, but as what they say, prevention is better than cure.

Negreanu and Chan also talked about the upcoming World Series of Poker (WSOP), discussing the festival’s possible cancellation, due to COVID-19. If the worst-case scenario happens, more players would turn to online poker instead.

Online Poker Must Be Legalized

The former face of PokerStars said it’s about time the US government considers legalizing online poker throughout the country so poker players can still enjoy their favourite games while at home.