Question of the Day - 10 August 2020

I've played in several rooms but I don't remember a single one where smoking took place at the poker table. There was no ban in place, players simply took a smoke break away from the table.  On the other hand drinking and eating always took place at the table unless one wanted a sit down meal in which case took a break from the table with chips in place and paid the missed time upon return.
Personally, with dividers and masks required, I would wear gloves as well due to chips and cards could transmit the virus if anyone sitting in the game was a carrier of the virus and not showing symptoms.  However, I would prefer to just wait until the virus was no longer a concern before playing poker again and dividers where taken down and masks no longer required.

I always thought that, due to the difficulty in selecting a table or chair, smoking was outright banned in poker rooms.

Eating, on the other hand, has always been allowed at poker in the interest of keeping tables full. However, I understand why that would change now in the days of C-19.

Do the casinos make much profit from having poker tables? Since the players win money from each other the casino only gets a small amount from each pot, right? Poker ties up a paid employee at each table dealing the game and the casino has to give up floor space that could be used for slot machines and other table games that earn the casino more money. So, is poker offered just to attract customers that might spend money elsewhere in the property, or does poker earn the casino big money?

The RAKE (the amount taken by the house on each pot) varies from 2.5% to 10%. In comparison slot machines average a 96.5 payout or about 2.5% take as well. Although it always seems like they take more. Blackjack is theoretically has a 1.5% house advantage although if you read the quarterly strip stats they take in over 7% through poor play and bad luck. In terms of outright $$ - poker tends to keep their tables full and have higher pots than a $10-$25 BJ table. If dealers are making min wage ~15/hr (likely less). The table needs to generate $600/hr at 2.5% rake to break even. With 6 people playing this is easily achieved in just a few min. Poker players tend to spend longer times at the table than other games - so peripheral play by spouses etc add to the overall take. 

I can’t remember the last time I played poker in a room that allowed smoking.  Most of them make players at least step outside the room or railing to smoke if indoor smoking is allowed.

Typically poker rooms take 10% off he pot up to a maximum of something typically around $5.  I think some of the higher limit games they may charge each player an hourly fee to play.  20-30 hands per hour is pretty typical so the table would bring in $100+ an hour typically.

and played at South Point, which even had tournaments. I had predicted that tournaments would be a long time returning, and I'm glad to be wrong about that. The biggest we entered had 80 players at 16 tables.
No plexiglass barriers; five players max per table; hand sanitizer stations everywhere; masks required--as throughout Nevada; drinking allowed, but ordering through the cocktail server only. 
Most restaurants and even the hot dog cart were open. Snacking was allowed on break at the rail, and at machines on the floor; but not in the poker room itself, even at vacant tables. Whenever anyone went out or changed tables, everything was scrubbed down. 
Mask fashions varied greatly, and many went further than that: gloves, face-shields, and even a tyvek suit or two. The latrines were very clean.
Orleans poker room was also open, but had no tournaments at that time.
I was actually more concerned about breaking down in the desert at 110+ degrees, than about the virus.

The chips are passed back and forth from one player to another (with the dealer as intermediary). They aren't sanitized. Ditto the cards. It isn't safe.

If you can manage to avoid touching your face or eyes and sanitizer/wash your hands when you get up from the table the risk would be pretty low but not zero.  I’ll fold for the time being...

Only play where there are barriers between players. Wear a mask, wear gloves, bring your own hand sanitizer, do not touch your face (the hardest part).  And do not smoke.  If you feel safe to go to Vegas to begin with, then these precautions should work.  But nothing is bullet proof.  Make sure you sanitize the toilet seats before using, too.