Let's say I'm sitting at a 2/5 table 200BBs deep, with players that mostly have at least 150BB. Say there's a few limps to me in CO, and I have something like 8d9d. Or 77.

I could either: (a) overlimp with good IO hands, (b) raise to like $20-25 to try to build up a pot and steal BTN, (c) raise to like $40 to try to steal limps, steal BTN, and get it HU (in this case, we can't really rely on IOs - we're relying on manipulating our perceived range, and being very disguised when we hit).

My question is: how much does the rake cap (suppose it's 10% up to $5 + $1 BBJ; no flop, no drop) affect our decision?
A huge problem I have with limped pots is it's rare that three streets of bets get called, which means we're often paying 10% or close to that on the pots we win. OTOH, if we raise and get it three ways, we get to play the hand rake free for each new bet.
Another issue with limped pots is that people tend to bet flops much closer to pot, and sometimes over pot which makes it harder for us to get odds on a call for an IO hand like suited-connectors, even if we expect some IOs.
Big downside to raising is 3bet squeezers and such...

I'd imagine that the rake plays an even more important effect at 1/2.

Thoughts?

Raising just to inflate the pot over the rake isn't worth it. The small gain you get in profits is offset by the extra risk you are taking seeing more flops with bad hands. With suited connectors or medium-low pocket pairs it should be a mix of raises and calls, depending on conditions and more limps then calls. It is another good reason to not open limp in LP but you shouldn't be doing that anyways.

It does make a small difference when you do see a very small pot. If the pot is <$20 then what the rake is taking is a significant part of the pot. Bet sizing really needs to be adjusted to the size of the pot with the rake taken out. If you don't account for this you will bet too much relative to the size of the pot and risk to much calling.

I have not had to deal with it but the one time I can see where it would make a difference is where the house takes a fixed rake. This is often a fixed $5. In a small pot the house could be taking more then 25% of the pot. In this situation going a little out of your way to avoid small pots seems like a good idea. Don't limp behind if it's going to be a 4 way pot unless there is a whale you want to exploit. Fold the SB when it's short unless your hand is good enough to raise.

I just call with 77 & set-mine. That way I can afford a raise to $20/25 from the Blinds/Button, when the stacks are big enough.

As for raising to overcome the rake with 98s - you raise to $20 pre, get two callers; you've maxed out the rake & have 9 high.

I'm not saying raising with 98s in the CO is not profitable against the right players, when you have the right image, but I wouldn't do it just to overcome the rake.

I do not consider the rake for individual hands. I do consider it for sitting in the game or not.

If you're not raising 98dd from the CO in a deep game then you're playing too tight. The only way I'm limping is if the button calls raises with 70% of hands, so we know that we won't have position postflop.

/thread.