# Poker Advice Needed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732 "2003-09-30T17:42:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/1 "2003-09-30T17:42:28Z")
I am hoping Maureen or Sam Stone do vanity searches and someone can help me out with a poker dilemma. I have played poker since I was little and my dad beat me down and took all of my pennies. After I moved back to the Washington DC area I lost my regular game and have not been able to play since. Frankly I am desperate. None of my friends here play and I miss it. I play to win, but the social aspect is more important so online really isn’t an option. I met with about twenty other players through [meetup.com](http://meetup.com). I have emailed to set up games that never quite happened. A lot of people seem to show up with the intention of setting up a game, but never get around to actually playing one. So I got an email from a casual acquaintance inviting me to a regular game on Friday nights. Great. They play two casino sized tables with a 3/6 game of hold em’ on one and a 2/4 (or 1/2) dealer’s choice on the other. There are typically close to ten players at each table. The house provides drinks, snacks, a dealer and takes a 10% rake from each pot, with a maximum rake of $3. This is beginning to sound less like a friendly neighborhood game and more like a for profit enterprise. Now in theory I have no problem with a rake. I have trouble though gauging the cost to me of losing 10% each hand. Is this even worth playing? Is 10% fairly standard, or am I right in thinking that is a bit of a high price to pay? I am trying to weigh my desire to get off my butt and actually start playing again with my desire to have a chance of coming out with more money than I started. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/2 "2003-09-30T19:41:35Z")
10% seems high. I play at casinos and that’s higher than what they usually rake (in my experience). Most casinos that I’ve been to (at 3-6 tables) drop between $2 and $4 per hand which amounts to less than 10%. So for a purported home game I’d say that’s a little suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Sly\_Smiley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sly\_Smiley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sly_Smiley)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/3 "2003-09-30T19:55:48Z")
I think that rake is on par with the 2-4 at Foxwoods. And it is nice to have a designated dealer. I’d just watch carefully and make sure the rake is being done correctly. On the other hand, I prefer a nice, casual home game with friends I can trust. A format I enjoy is no-limit hold-'em with a fixed buy-in (each player puts in $5 and gets an equal stack of chips; you play no-limit until one person has them all). The $20 I’ll drop in an evening is well worth the entertainment value. If you’re having trouble getting your friends to play, just hold a screening of Rounders and let nature take its course… Sly Smiley Can I check and raise at this table? Oh good, I check. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/4 "2003-10-02T20:03:56Z")
Bump… anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/5 "2003-10-02T20:46:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fruitbat \* > **This is beginning to sound less like a friendly neighborhood game and more like a for profit enterprise.** Was my first thought. But, if you really want to play, and $3 out of a winning pot doesn’t bother you, then play. My once a month, “friendly” game has a buy in also; a rake is usually to cover costs you just don’t see at a friendly table. Up to you, but if there’s a card room around anywhere, you might want to consider that as an alternative. If you’re going to pay the 10% anyway, and these people are more acquaintances than friends, which is what it sounds like. It’s really a question of where you’re more comfortable. Hey, **Sly**! Welcome to the boards. Foxwoods has a 2/4 table? Truly? Cool…that may come in useful. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/6 "2003-10-02T20:54:59Z")
Thank you everyone for the advice. I am going to go and be a bit wary. Given how badly I want to start playing again I kind of knew I would go no matter what. If I had a casino or card room near here I would go there, so at least this isn’t any worse. ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-advice-needed/204732/7 "2003-10-02T21:07:30Z")
I played in the Mirage in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and I believe the rakes were 10% up to a max of (if I remember correctly) $4. However, the Mirage is known as one of the more expensive places to play low-limit hold 'em in Vegas. [Here](http://www.robohoo.com/poker_33.html) is a link on whether the rake can be beat in low limit games. They use the example of 10% up to $4 for casino games, and 5% in online games. Their conclusion is that the more appropriate question is whether you can beat the rake at _this particular table_, but they raise some interesting points to think about. For my money, **Maureen** ’s advice is right on. You’ve got to be comfortable with the game or it’s not worth it . . . unless you win a lot of money. If you decide to play, good luck. I hope you come back rich.