what do you think about this rake?

crackerjack · #1 03-28-2007, 11:10 AM

I play in a weekly home tournament at a local bar for the past 3 years. It has branched out into cash games almost every night. They have poker tables, KEM cards, chips all the bells and whistles to make it the place to play.

Out local bar has already had a warning from the liquor inspector, but decided to continue to play anyway. I live in Northern Ontario, Canada by the way.

For the past year or so, the owners (as well as many other players) have said to the other players to buy a drink once in a while. They have said that they do not have to buy alcohol, but even just a pop or a bag of chips and quit asking for a glass of tap water with ice.

I agree with the owners here. I don't think this should be like a rec room with a waitress for them. The bar is risking their liquor license for these guys to play and all they ask in return is for some people to buy a drink once in a while or tip the waitress at the end of the night when she stays 2 hours past closing time.

There are guys who literally sit there for 5 hours and order nothing. Not even a bag of chips. But there are other gus who drink all the time and eat there all the time.

So a bunch of decided to do this every night.

Every night when someone buys chips, they get $3 less from their stack. So if you buy $20, you get $17 back or if you buy $200 you get $197 back... and you have to donate $3 once per night. This is non-negotiable.

We give $1 of that money to the waitress and $2 to the bar. The bar has stated that they don't really want the cash, all they want is for the guys to buy a pop or a beer once in a while so they aren't risking their liquor license for a rec room for a bunch of degenerates... but of course, nobody still buys anything... other than a few guys.
It is generally the same guys for the cash games eveyr night.

What are your thoughts on this?
Does this look o.k. or not cool at all?

Thanks for your comments

crackerjack · #2 03-28-2007, 11:39 AM

I would also just like to state, that this new rake system was in no way implemented by the bar. This was done by the players and players only. The bar has never once tryied to start a rake.

psandman · #3 03-28-2007, 12:11 PM

I think its not a home tournament if its in a bar . . unless you live in a bar.

If I wa sthe bar owner there is no way i would risk my liquor license for you guys and I doubt I would do it for the profit on a couple glasses of pop. So if your going to continue doing this why don't you take a bunch of money from your players up front and order pitchers of beer and soda and a whole bunch of chips so that you don't have wait for inidivuals to do it.

cuadpi · #4 03-28-2007, 12:35 PM

I agree with psandman. Another way to do it would be to have a two drink minimum (or 1 or 4, depending on what would make the bar most comfortable). Then if they want to play, they have to buy a drink. You could still do a $1-3 "rake" for the waitress, if you wanted; but that would probably just depend on if the guys who would not normally buy drinks tipped her.

DavidNB · #5 03-28-2007, 03:56 PM

Kill the rake, a bad idea, very bad could get the owner introuble. Encourage guys to try to buy something during the night. Not everyone will but if most do it, it will work out. Giving money to the waitress and/or owner is asking for trouble.

Not everyone dringks so its hard to force the issue. The heavy drinker swill make up for the ones that don't drink.

Death Valley · #6 03-28-2007, 05:39 PM

What a bunch of cheap pricks

pfapfap · #7 03-28-2007, 06:24 PM

Put out a tip jar.

Problem solved.

Lottery Larry · #8 03-28-2007, 10:26 PM

I don't think that this will fly with the law- just because you SAID the players did this on their own, they won't believe it.

And most of the group sounds like tightwad ahole MORONS....

The bar owner shouldn't risk it IMO. Hopefully it holds up for you, or you can come up with another venue if not.