Is the rake just an excuse for bad play?

[formula72]

I often hear how HU 3-6 limit is nearly unbeatable due to the rake, and how people say that only after 1000 hands the rake sucks 1 billion dollars from the table and so on.

Now after some basic math...

HU limit 3-6,
average pot size=$15
rake .50
=30 to 1 pot to rake ratio.

Live 15-30
average pot size $180 (approx)
rake $5 + $1 tip
=30 to 1 pot to rake ratio

And since heads up allows you to exploit your opponents weakneses even morer than in a full ring, why is this game getting succh a bad rap from the rake or am I just talking to the wrong people.

Agrees and insults both welcome

[tmcdmck]

average profit margin per hand you actually get involved in (and so pay rake on) is lower HU.

[pzhon]

If $0.50 is raked from each heads-up pot, your share is $0.25/hand, $25/100, or 4.2 BB/100. You need to beat par by 4.2 BB/100 to win. If your average opponent loses 8.3 BB/100, you break even.

If $6 is raked from each $15-$30 hand, 8-handed, your share is $0.75/hand, $75/100, or 2.5 BB/100. If your average opponent loses 3 BB/100 (rake + 0.5 BB/100), then you win 1 BB/100.