Another rake thread: 5% $20 max.

[Arito]

I have asked you all how you felt about a 5%, max $7,50 rake a while ago, and most said it was horrible. I agree, primarily because the host doesn't really offer anything in return. So I have been branching out, looking for other games and found some.

These games (1/2 NLHE) both have a 5%, max $20 rake. This is way worse than the previous home game I visited but there is a big difference. Here, there are a lot of fish. There are a couple of fish that don't really know how to play well, but are decent enough to fold top pair against heat, and there are some that will call down any pair all the way.

Also, this game offers free drinks (anything) and food (the one time I've gone it was sandwiches but I heard they order pizza or something if you want it). They also offer dealers, but they are rather inexperienced ones (friends from the neighborhood) so that's not that big of an advantage.

The thing I'm wondering is, is this rake even beatable? There is no doubt that I, and the friend that introduced me, are the best players there (by FAR) and really should crush this game. But the host admits to raking between $800 and $1400 on any given night (the game only runs in the weekend though). I would be playing here solely for the EV, my old home game was more fun.

(Disclaimer: Dollars are actually euros so the amounts are x 1,35 but it shouldn't matter much.)

[FireStorm]

With all due respect, this shouldn't even be a question. Please, for the love of God, don't play in this game. 1/2 NL is norotious for big, overplayed pots in home games, meaning you will get plenty of sessionss where the rake is routinely $8-$12. You can't beat this. That's before we even get to the part where rake will easily reach the $20 mark simply by two full-buyin stacks getting it AI p/f.

$800-$1400 is obscene for 1/2 NL. If you had a juicy game where $4000 worth of buy in's hit the felt by nights end, even $1000 would be 25% of what's on the table. Find a better game.

[Lottery Larry]

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I have asked you all how you felt about a 5%, max $7,50 rake
These games (1/2 NLHE) both have a 5%, max $20 rake.

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You really DIDN'T just ask this question, did you?

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But the host admits to raking between $800 and $1400 on any given night (the game only runs in the weekend though)

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1) Fish get lucky sometimes too. Do you want to spot a $800 hole?

2) Don't encourage the greedy host's behavior. Do not play there, tell others about the horrible rake. I can't imagine ANY underground game conditions that would make it worth losing $500 off of the table a night, much less the figures that your host quoted.

[ncpokeresq]

The answer depends on just how bad the players are and how deep the stacks. In theory, it could happen, but it seems unlikely because the fish will either improve or go broke. If they improve, the game likely will not be beatable, in part because improving will involve playing tighter because of the rake.

[NaobisDad]

Most of the players in that game are exceptionally bad. It's almost tear jerkingly painful to watch them play.

But idd, the rake is horrible. And when the host told us about him collecting up to €1400 a night, that really got me thinking as well. That is 7 full buy ins he 's raking on a regular night.

But then again, he said that he rakes those amounts on the nights the biggest fish play. And with people dropping 5k on a night there, there's a lot of money moving around the table on a night. A LOT.

I'm curious to see what other people think. YOu and Barney should drop by, we can work this out in an analysis session

[holdem2000]

Say it's a 10-handed game taking out $1400 over the course of about 6 hours. In terms of a time-charge sitting in the game has a fee of under $24/hour, and probably even less if you're a tighter-than-average player in the game.

In a normal casino 1/2nl game I've heard $18/hour as normalish for a good player... seems to me that with your rake structure such a player would break even in a casino game, and in your super-fishy game show a slight profit. Probably much less profit than you can find in other homegames, but some profit.

[AndyInDetroit]

Go back to the Chinese restaurant. Or better yet, start your own game.