[psandman]

First of all you need to understand how the rake is taken.

Even if the rake at Paris was $6 (and it is $5 but there is a $1 jackpot drop taken as well) that doesn't mean that the two players calling are playing for nothing.

In fact the rake is 10% of the pot up to the maximum of $5.

So if the two blinds in a $3-$6 play, the small blind completes and the BB checks -- the rake is $0 (zero)when the total pot gets to be $10 they take $1 for the rake (and $1 for the jackpot). The pot can not be at zero at that point.