Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu want Ike Haxton to take off the N95 mask

[Dan Druff]

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More people are on Ike's side than Hellmuth's, but there are a fair number of people who agree with Hellmuth, including me.

While surgical-type masks were allowed at poker tournaments pre-COVID, I believe the giant N95 ones worn by Haxton would have been against the rules -- and if they weren't, they should have been.

Playing in the casino has always carried some risks, especially catching viruses. If you can't handle that, don't play. Facial tells are a part of the game at the higher limits, where you're less likely to find blatant strategical errors to exploit. You should not be able to cover a large portion of your face with a mask.

Someone brought up in Ike's defense that there are players who cover their entire face with a hoodie. I agree that should be banned, as well.

Others brought up that maybe Ike has some kind of health issue requiring the masking. I countered with the fact that Ike didn't wear a mask until 2 years ago, and he was fine playing without one for all of the 2010s. Furthermore, he has never once claimed to have an unusual health issue to where COVID would be a threat to him at age 38.

I don't care if Ike wears a mask. If I saw him at the store or in a restaurant with that mask, I would think it's weird, but I wouldn't hold it against him. But should he be covering most of his face at high roller events, where it's an edge to him to do so? No. He should take it off, or stay home.

[Dan Druff]

Look at movies and TV shows made in 2021, after the complete COVID shutdown ended.

Did you see those actors with masks when you watched those movies and shows?

Obviously not.

Why? Because it would have looked ridiculous.

Were they taking a COVID risk? Yes, especially before the vaccine was available.

Was it a huge risk? For those under 40, there was a tiny risk, and there was small risk for those 40-65. But they took this risk because it was the only practical way to do to their jobs. Their full faces had to be seen.

Now in 2024, with COVID being like the flu, there should be no reason to allow people to cover their faces with N95s at high buyin tournaments. Much like the actors on TV, if that extremely tiny risk is too much, he can always stay home and let someone else play for the big money.

[country978]

Ike is a snowflake. He wears a mask to a poker game then gets all offended when people call him out and make fun of him.

He started wearing the mask 2 years ago so it obviously has nothing to do with covid.

[Dan Druff]

Ike is a snowflake. He wears a mask to a poker game then gets all offended when people call him out and make fun of him.

He started wearing the mask 2 years ago so it obviously has nothing to do with covid.

I understand the argument that Ike is a phony who pretends to want COVID protection but in reality just wants an edge at these high stakes events.

I actually don't think so. I don't like Ike Haxton, and I don't agree with his politics, but I don't believe he's a cheater, angler, or a dishonest guy. He's just... as you said... a left wing snowflake. He's the same guy who got poker players to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund in 2020, which ended up using the money to bail out pedos and serial rapists.

I believe it's what I said in my tweet. Ike swallowed the left wing propaganda about COVID being an endless danger (ignoring how much milder it became in 2022 and beyond), and also enjoys triggering right wingers when he wears his mask in winners photos. Therefore, he loves wearing it both to protect from (nonexistent) COVID danger AND to anger MAGA. Win-win for him. And then it becomes win-win-win, as he also gets a poker edge from it.

So I don't think this is an angle, but I'm sure he doesn't mind the edge which comes with it.

[NickyPipes]

Pretty weird to see this is the modern poker world

[Texter]

If I looked like an old lesbian woman I’d cover my face too.

[nunbeater]

I mean looking at the comments triggering MAGA is definitely +EV

[Orko]

IDK if Haxton is wearing it to gain an edge but I don't see how they can force him.
anyhow
These anti mask retards, I swear.

Why can't we be like Asia, if you want to wear a mask go for it. If you wear one in America all the right wing dum dums will be snickering.
To the point it's a taboo to wear a mask. Is it any wonder the USA topped the world in covid deaths, no other country even came close.


Then these right wing retards have the nerve to trot out studies that "prove" masks don't work.
Everyone saw it, 80% of the people were wearing some crappy homemade mask. There was no serious enforcement.

The doctors wearing N95's could be around covid patients all day every day and not catch covid.
rant over

[Dan Druff]

N95 masks do work against COVID, if worn properly.

They are also very big and uncomfortable.

It's simply not worth it to wear one all day, just to prevent a virus which now profiles like the flu.

Now, if Ike wants to be a paranoid weirdo and wear an N95 all day at the age of 38, that's his choice. It doesn't bother me to see people masking. However, this isn't a debate as to whether or not masks work, or whether Ike has a right to wear one.

This is a debate about fairness in a poker tournament, and Hellmuth raises a good point. You shouldn't get to cover half your face at high roller events. It provides an advantage.

In fact, remember WSOP 2021, when vaccination was required, and masking was optional? I only played the Main that year, and came super close to the money, but didn't make it. But I did bring a mask to the event. Why? Was I afraid of catching COVID?

At that point, not really. In fall 2021, the variant was Delta, and the vaccines worked well against it, provided you had one in the prior 3.5 months. I did, so I wasn't concerned.

However, I was concerned about others at the WSOP Main having an edge over me, as some wore masks the entire time, thus concealing their face. I decided to neutralize this edge by wearing a mask only when I entered hands, and then taking it off when the hand was over. People at the table laughed at this, but they understood. I did not pretend the mask was for health reasons. I was very clear that if my opponents were wearing masks during hands, I wanted to wear a mask too, for fairness.

Now that almost nobody wears masks at the WSOP, I do not bring one there.

[sonatine]

i see negreanu is hawking poker courses again via youtube ads.

fascinating.

is one of the lessons 'how to whine like a bitch made clown on the internet'?

because apparently thats where his alpha is these days.

[Dan Druff]

Negreanu is very opinionated, but I like the new version of him. When he got moved to my WSOP Main Day 1 table, he saw me and jokingly asked, "Hey Todd, what are your pronouns?"

I've noticed a number of middle-aged lifelong poker Democrats who have reevaluated their politics in the past 5 years or so. He's definitely one of those former Democrats who were pushed to the right by the woke takeover of the party.

I've actually seen this from a number of players over 45, especially since the 10/7 Hamas attacks.

It's an interesting phenomenon, actually. Trump pushed some former Republicans to the left, due to their hatred of him, and the wokes have pushed some former Democrats rightward. In both cases, people I never thought would shift their politics have done so in the past 5-10 years.

When I become a Democrat, you'll know the apocalypse can't be too far away.

[zealanddonk]

No calls for Negreanu to get rid of his "beard"?

[Texter]

No calls for Negreanu to get rid of his "beard"?

What do you have against Amanda?

[Sloppy Joe]

Remember when this jew was up and coming right around when I was playing seriously.

If he's this sincere about fear of COVID then actually being in the petri dish of a casino is insane, should be holed up and playing online only.

I hated wearing any type of mask and stopped early on, the KN95's were/are suffocating. Wore one in 2020 when there was a three day stretch of forest fires dominating the PNW and it actually helped with breathing.

Would be an insane commitment to trolling peers to do so voluntarily so is prob sincere in his reasoning.

Even being surrounded by the biggest faggot liberals in the country I now see almost no one masking indoors anymore and the handful that do are older.

Up until a few months ago it was common to see mothers and children masking up at outdoor playgrounds but even those people seem to have mellowed.

[SlowRoll]

dnegs seems so lost lately. maybe he should join another cult.

[Sloppy Joe]

dnegs seems so lost lately. maybe he should join another cult.

Guy has attempted to reinvent himself more than bottomset over the years.

Strange person still trying to fill some void.

[NickyPipes]

It is weird to me Dan Negrana married Amanda Leather

I don’t wish to be negative towards anybody or their relationship but I do see it as pathetic

[SlowRoll]

It is weird to me Dan Negrana married Amanda Leather

I don’t wish to be negative towards anybody or their relationship but I do see it as pathetic

Agree, there sure is a lot of history there to dissect.

[Dan Druff]

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