[Andy B]

Back when, I believe that Vegas rooms raked $3 for low-limit games and $2 for higher-limit games. The low-limit games tend to be populated by tourists who play slower and don't really notice the rake as much. The bigger games will have more local pros/nits. They play faster and will whine more about the rake. I'm guessing both games were approximately equally as profitable for the casinos.

Before the increase, Canterbury's games all had a maximum rake of $4, except for the smallest stud games--$4/8 and below--which had a rake of $4.50. Stud games move slower, and the $.50 chips just happened to be in circulation in those games.