can anyone explain this difference between 1/1 and 1/2. at 1/1 you pay $2 per orbit, so if you played 0 hands you get 50 hands. at 1/2 you pay $3 per orbit, so if you play 0 hands you see 66 hands. My question is, since we are seeing quite a few less hands for our money, and experiencing a higher rake, is 1/1 a profitable game?

The bb size is way less important than stack size and average preflop pot size. If its 1/1 but stacks are around 150 and preflop raises to 10 get 3 callers then this is no different from my 1/2 game which is mucho profitable. If everyone buys in for 50-100 and raises to 5 get a lot of respect then it may be tough.

It's venue dependent and depends on who plays there. At these levels, you have a whole bunch of rec-fish who don't understand the first thing about odds and probability. At a 1/2 game, there's $3.00 up for grabs. If you minraise, you're laying four to win three, and would need to succeed 4/7, or just a bit more than half the time to break even immediately. If you can steal more often, you show an immediate profit.

When was the last time your $4.00 bet got any respect?

These rec-fish raise a lot bigger than they should, and you have to follow their lead if you want to narrow the field, build bigger pots you expect to win, &c. Theoretically, a 1/1 game should play tighter than a 1/2, but that's seldom the case, unless the 1/1 is a "courtesy" game with a hideous rake that's offered for the real scared little fishies. These rec-players aren't thinking in these terms at all, and they never do.

As a rule, imo, 1/1 isn't very profitable, and not because of rake.

Most 1/1 games I've played have like a $60 buy-in, so there's often way fewer bb's on the table. Also, the type of players you usually find on the table matter: typically OMC's or total newbs who likely won't go far in the hand without a nuttish holding, with just enough stations to keep you from wanting to make moves.

If you want to kill a few hours playing without much risk, 1/1 is fine, but if you're thinking in terms of profit, step up.