Advertisement

End of the poker face? Covid-secure casinos to reopen dealing cards face-up

Gamblers will be able to see the entire table's cards in three-card poker games at major casinos - Reuters
Gamblers will be able to see the entire table's cards in three-card poker games at major casinos - Reuters

It can take a card player years to master a poker face, but when casinos reopen on Saturday some may find it is a skill ill-suited to the new, Covid-secure world of gambling.

Dicing with Lady Luck will now come with a raft of new safety measures to keep gaming venues free from the virus, including a rule to stop players from touching cards.

It comes as the Government pushes ahead with reopening further parts of the economy, including beauty salons and bowling alleys, after a two-week delay prompted by concerns about the country's rising infection rate.

Several of Britain’s biggest casinos told the Telegraph that the new hygiene regime will still allow customers to hold their own chips, but any hand dealt to them in a card game will be face up.

Although upwards-facing cards are standard practice for games such as blackjack, it will offer players a much-coveted advantage over the house for one game in particular.

Three-card poker traditionally sees customers dealt a hand of three cards face down, after which they will place a wager if they believe they have a better hand than the dealer.

While the dealer’s cards will remain concealed, players will now be able to see each other’s cards - giving them a better chance of working out the strength of the dealer’s hand.

This will help them decide whether to fold or take their chances.

Simon Thomas, the owner of the Hippodrome Casino in London’s Leicester Square, said: “When it is dealt face up, it actually gives customers a slightly greater advantage than they had before - but it’s a necessary move.

“We’ve put perspex screens to separate players at the gaming table and all gambling will be done seated.

“For us, the key thing is to make sure the customers and staff appreciate what we’re doing and feel secure without it being oppressive.”

Other casinos were keen to stress that the size of the advantage three-card poker players receive would not be significant enough to threaten major losses for the house.

“It’s very marginal,” said Sarah Sculpher, the chief marketing officer of Caesars Entertainment, which has seven casinos across the UK.

“It’s not enough that we would take a decision that it would be too much of a risk to the business to do that.”

Gamblers can expect to be greeted at some venues by thermal imaging systems to detect whether they may be coming down with a high temperature and staff will be equipped with the now-standard face visors.

Unfortunately, one victim of the new restrictions is the popular game of craps - which sees large groups of players gathered around a table to bet on the outcome of a dice roll.

“It’s lots of people crowding around a table to make it fun,” Mr Thomas said.

“We couldn’t find a commercial solution with enough players to justify it.”

Many other sectors are also gearing up for a long-awaited reopening this weekend - and few are likely to be busier than beauty salons.

Beauticians have been inundated with bookings for close-contact services such as eyebrow shaping and facials, previously considered too risky to be allowed earlier in the pandemic.

Some businesses said they have had services booked up until September, and since the announcement eyebrow shaping bookings have soared by almost 800 per cent.

New guidance announced on Thursday allows these services to reopen on Saturday and will also mean that staff offering "close contact" services, including hairdressers, will now have to wear a face mask as well as a clear visor.

Treatwell, an app which lets customers book beauty treatments in their local areas, experienced a 352 per cent increase in bookings from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon.

A spokesperson explained: "The demand for close-contact treatments on the platform is growing hourly. Eyebrow threading and waxing came back strongest +794 per cent vs. pre lockdown as everyone looks to tame their unruly brows."

Also popular are eyelash extensions, which have had a 698 per cent increase compared to pre-lockdown, and eyebrow and eyelash tinting is also showing strong signs of recovery  with a rise of 456 per cent compared to before lockdown.

Bowling alleys will similarly welcome customers back to their lanes this weekend, but with one of the game’s best-recognised traditions outlawed by new public health measures.

Now, instead of the bespoke shoes offered to customers by the venue, the public will be asked to bring their own pair instead.

One bowling alley in the capital warned that there were, however, some caveats to the footwear requirements, saying on its website: “No open toes, heels or wedges please.”