Playing live poker whilst disabled
Weird question, hopefully you guys can help:
I have a spinal-cord injury, so I'm a wheelchair user with very limited hand function. I have played a bunch of poker online, and I'm going to Vegas for a stag do later this year. Is there any way I could play live poker in Vegas?
I would need someone to show me my cards and handle my chips. Would any poker rooms even allow this? Am I just going to get relentlessly angled? Will it just be a pain in the ass for everyone involved?
If it is possible, how do I go about communicating with the poker room and getting it set up in a way that works?
Let me know you think.
Cheers
3 Replies
you should be able to play. call a Vegas poker room you would like to play at and see if they could help with accommodations.
you can find phone numbers on pokeratlas and the bravo apps
I, too, think you will be able to play. They let a blind person play in WSOP with someone telling him his cards and the board. I've played with several people in wheelchairs -- they can definitely make room. One of my poker-playing buddies is in a wheelchair, and he makes several trips to Vegas -- although I think he's more addicted to pit games. I've never seen a player not give up their seat for someone in a wheelchair (although I'm sure they are out there, unfortunately).
One thing that's tough in Vegas is getting around on the Strip in a wheelchair. So often the elevators (outside to cross roads) are closed and you end up going a long way around to get to another elevator. I know this because of traveling with people on scooters. It was a bit of a nightmare. Maybe have someone scope out the elevators on foot before you head out -- or maybe there is someplace online that shows which elevators are working -- would be a great resource. (It was worse for us because we had multiple scooters and they take only three at a time.)
Agree with calling ahead just in case. Get the Bravo app and Poker Atlas to contact poker rooms directly.
Good luck and have fun!
I don't think you will have any issue. I remember one year at the WSOP there was a guy in a wheelchair and there was a helper there to show them the cards.
I would call the poker room that you want to play in and ask them what their specific policy is.
