Hi Gil,

I think one thing that many poker players don't realize about the house take of 10%, or the "rake" on each hand, is how it can really eat into the player's stakes. A good dealer should be able to average 30 hands an hour. The max rake in a small limit game is $3.50 in most places. Say you have 7 people who buy into a game of 1-4 7-stud for $100 each, total money on the table, $700. Figure that the average rake won't be the max, so let's say it's an average of $2 a hand. The action ends up being pretty even for everyone playing, so all 7 players are still in after 6 hours. $2 X 30 hands/hour X 6 hours is $360 dropped. The original $700 that the players started with is now $340. When the action is even, everyone winning with about the same frequency, they all lose! I'd like to see a lower rake, but knowing that the game isn't dealt in many places because management already doesn't think poker generates enough revenue for the space it takes up in a casino, it won't happen.

Bob