It is often times hard to come up with an idea for a column. Sometimes
we write about things that for the most part do not help Poker. On the
other hand, there have been many, many informative columns that both
help to better Poker in the general sense, and also help many of the
individual players.
Where this particular column fits in is anybody's guess, you all will have
to let me know.
One of my wife's complaints against me is she says, " I don't know when
you are being serious or when you are making a joke." I always tell her
to look into my eyes. If there's a little gleam of mischief in them, I'm
trying to be funny.
So if your like my wife and you read this column and wonder if I am
trying to be funny or serious, let me assure you there is no gleam of
mischief in my eyes. I am being totally serious and believe what I have
to say is important.
I am being as kind as I can when I say that, "our hygienic manners in
the poker world are terrible." It seems almost every place you go there
is a sign in the men's, and I guess the ladies room also, that says
something like, "Employees must wash their hands with soap and water
before returning to work." Sometimes the sign goes even further and
suggests that they use warm water to wash them. It is also, at least
here in Southern California, repeated in Spanish. In case you don't
understand Spanish it's the sign that says, "Empleados favor de lavarse
las manos antes de regresar a su trabajo."
Now for the sake of argument, let me ask you, if washing your hands for
employees is important enough to warrant a sign in virtually every
washroom in every poker room or casino, why is it not just as important
for the players to do the same. They basically are doing the same thing
as some of the employees like the dealers-- handling the cards and the
chips.
Let me first assure you that I have no complaints against the employees
of any poker room or casino. I have never seen an employee in any of
these establishments not wash his hands after using the men's room.
But, and here is the whole point of the column, I cannot say the same
thing about the players whom I have watched come in and out of the
men's room. I have seen many, many players who can't miss a hand.
They whiz out of the men's room, never even coming close to the basins
to watch their hands. That, plainly put, creates an unsanitary
environment for anyone with which these people come into contact.
Many times I am in the same game or end up later being in the same
game with these same people. It's obvious that these players will
eventually be handling all the cards and many of the chips. Then guess
what? Lucky us get to handle them too. Do you think maybe just a few
germs and bacteria may be passing back and forth?
I'm sure there will be some who will say, "What a nitpicker!" Maybe
that would be justified, if it took some long, length of time to do the
hygienic thing and wash your hands. The truth is it takes only 15 to 20
seconds to do a good job of washing and drying your hands. It's not
like your scrubbing for surgery. Just a little warm water, a little soap, a
little more water, grab a paper towel, dry and then start running.
If you consider that the average hand in poker takes approximately one
minute, you are actually only losing one third of a hand. You might also
look at it like this. If you do miss a hand, it might just be the one where
you pick up second best hand and lose a bunch of chips.
Wouldn't it be nice to see a sign in every men's and ladies room in the
poker world, saying something like? "All employees and players must
wash their hands with soap and warm water after using this facility."
Lastly, a suggestion to everyone who plays poker. When your session
is over, take a couple of minutes to go into the men's or ladies room and
you guessed it, wash'em again. It might even keep your wife, and/or
kids, from catching that "bug" that 's going around.
For what it's worth ...
we write about things that for the most part do not help Poker. On the
other hand, there have been many, many informative columns that both
help to better Poker in the general sense, and also help many of the
individual players.
Where this particular column fits in is anybody's guess, you all will have
to let me know.
One of my wife's complaints against me is she says, " I don't know when
you are being serious or when you are making a joke." I always tell her
to look into my eyes. If there's a little gleam of mischief in them, I'm
trying to be funny.
So if your like my wife and you read this column and wonder if I am
trying to be funny or serious, let me assure you there is no gleam of
mischief in my eyes. I am being totally serious and believe what I have
to say is important.
I am being as kind as I can when I say that, "our hygienic manners in
the poker world are terrible." It seems almost every place you go there
is a sign in the men's, and I guess the ladies room also, that says
something like, "Employees must wash their hands with soap and water
before returning to work." Sometimes the sign goes even further and
suggests that they use warm water to wash them. It is also, at least
here in Southern California, repeated in Spanish. In case you don't
understand Spanish it's the sign that says, "Empleados favor de lavarse
las manos antes de regresar a su trabajo."
Now for the sake of argument, let me ask you, if washing your hands for
employees is important enough to warrant a sign in virtually every
washroom in every poker room or casino, why is it not just as important
for the players to do the same. They basically are doing the same thing
as some of the employees like the dealers-- handling the cards and the
chips.
Let me first assure you that I have no complaints against the employees
of any poker room or casino. I have never seen an employee in any of
these establishments not wash his hands after using the men's room.
But, and here is the whole point of the column, I cannot say the same
thing about the players whom I have watched come in and out of the
men's room. I have seen many, many players who can't miss a hand.
They whiz out of the men's room, never even coming close to the basins
to watch their hands. That, plainly put, creates an unsanitary
environment for anyone with which these people come into contact.
Many times I am in the same game or end up later being in the same
game with these same people. It's obvious that these players will
eventually be handling all the cards and many of the chips. Then guess
what? Lucky us get to handle them too. Do you think maybe just a few
germs and bacteria may be passing back and forth?
I'm sure there will be some who will say, "What a nitpicker!" Maybe
that would be justified, if it took some long, length of time to do the
hygienic thing and wash your hands. The truth is it takes only 15 to 20
seconds to do a good job of washing and drying your hands. It's not
like your scrubbing for surgery. Just a little warm water, a little soap, a
little more water, grab a paper towel, dry and then start running.
If you consider that the average hand in poker takes approximately one
minute, you are actually only losing one third of a hand. You might also
look at it like this. If you do miss a hand, it might just be the one where
you pick up second best hand and lose a bunch of chips.
Wouldn't it be nice to see a sign in every men's and ladies room in the
poker world, saying something like? "All employees and players must
wash their hands with soap and warm water after using this facility."
Lastly, a suggestion to everyone who plays poker. When your session
is over, take a couple of minutes to go into the men's or ladies room and
you guessed it, wash'em again. It might even keep your wife, and/or
kids, from catching that "bug" that 's going around.
For what it's worth ...
Soap and Warm Water
By Vince Burgio
By Vince Burgio
