Less rake, but usually stronger players, of course dependent on which home game.

So the home games have less rake?
And the stronger players?

huh, not what I was expecting...

Because a lot of home games have play like this:

[Click here to read the First Post] Regular game just cancelled because host doesn't understand cash game strategy (Multi-page thread 1 2 3 4 5 6)

I just thought that the casinos had lower rake, but am not experienced enough to know what to look for in different private games. Didnt know if it is worth my time going to all these games I get invited to or just go play in a casino.

If you have the time, bankroll, and inclination, you should try all of them and see which games are the softest.

I would guess that the casino will have the lower rake and the softest player pool, but if you can find a home game you can crush, it can be a steady source of income.

FAIL!

A friend of mine was staked this week in a $25/50 game in nashville. They were buying in for 5k to 10k! Armed guards walked you to your car. Nuts. Old men yelling at each other and dealers. Hilarious stories!

Just thought I'd share a story of me living vicariously through a baller. Especially for us little home game players.

Well, in my neck of the woods, the nearest casino is a 90 minute drive, so travel is a factor in favour of underground clubs. Rake, however, is usually higher.

I've been living off of Underground games for a year and a half now and the rake hasn't effected me too noticeably. All the games I go to are 1/2 and 1/3 with 10% rake with $10Cap-Uncapped with High Hand and BBJ pulls up to $5. My strategy is to hit and run as all of these players at these games are complete degenerates.

Interesting. Do you mind telling us what your poker income has been at these stakes? I always thought you'd have to play bigger to make a living.

And have you ever gotten flack for hitting and running?

I'll send you a PM.

The only times people really seem to care is if I win a High Hand and leave. However some games are starting to put rules in place that if you participate or win the high hand you have to stay for a certain amount of time longer.

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I'm also curious to know if other games are doing this at other places or not...Lately games have been starting to say they saying they are having a $500 High Hand at 9pm if you are there by 8pm for example. Now sometimes games don't start until 9pm, but they are allowing all the players that start the game at 9pm even if they walk in at 9pm to be in the high hand. And then houses will push that high hand back to 10pm so everyone is on the table for an hour first.

Also, the most frustrating thing houses are starting to do is that they will do that early High Hand at the start of the game, but they won't do another High Hand until the house takes back whatever they gave out in the advertised high hand. So if they do a $500 high hand at 9pm, the house will need to rake $500 in High Hand money on top of rake before we actually start doing a high hand. Or they will do the $500 high hand at 9pm and do a 2nd advertized High Hand at 2am and take the $500 out of that high hand money and whatever is left is what is in the High Hand.

Also is it normal to put baby powder/foot power(not sure which) on a deck of cards before the game? What does it do?

I hope you follow what I'm trying to say.

We don't have any around here (that I play in at least) that do a high hand, but we had a few that did freerolls. All of them required that you be there for a certain amount of time to qualify for the them. It essentially ensures that those benefiting from it are those who paid the rake to fund it.

As plastic cards get older, they start to stick together, which gets really annoying if you're dealing. The baby powder keeps that from happening.

I know some of the game around here have switched from a couple of high hand jackpots to hourly freerolls, which pay less money. But it keeps people in their seats better, I would guess.

That is what I mean by High Hands. My general area just calls them High Hands. Everyone's hand is dealt face up and who ever wins is what gets the High Hand money.

I see. The old high hand jackpot was awarded to the highest made hand shown, whether or not there was a showdown. It was marked on a white board until a specific time. If you won it, you had to stick around until that time, but what was the incentive for others, especially if it was quads or aces full? With the freeroll, everyone has a chance every hour for $50 or $75. A better approach, for sure.

Hello all,

So I originally posted this question in the home game forum (naively thinking that a home game and raked game are one in the same. . . my bad)

For those of you who do play in raked games. . . .

• I am interested to find out what type of things would draw you to come play at a raked home game (either Hold'em or PLO)
• What things stand out and what things will make you not come back. . .
• What are some features about the games you currently play in that you love and things that you hate. . .
• What do players want at their local raked game???

Thanks for your insight

thanks for moving the discussion.

I have no use for underground games as a profit machine for the hosts, especially in places like I'm used to where good casino games are available nearby. I suppose a location that doesn't have professional games or the rake there is outrageous are a less clear.

Security is a big deal in this sort of game. I'd really need to trust the host to control the invite list, location of the game, and stakes so that I didn't feel I was risking too much just by showing up. It's a steep slippery slope to "just go to a casino".

The lower the stakes, the less of a factor that is.

Getting robbed at one of these games is my biggest concern. I know of one game where the host has to ring you into the building. Not fool proof, of course, but better than thugs breaking down the front door, or at the very least, the pizza guy seeing what is going on when the door is opened.

In New York City, most if not all 1/2 games are 10% capped at $15. It's just insane. I prefer to drive 1 hour and 20 minutes to Parx or 2 hours to Borgata for cash.

I do not currently play in raked games outside of the casinos, but hypothetically, I'd answer with:

I'd play in these game if I felt safe, if the game offered things I couldn't regularly play (PLO, for example), if the game offered amenities or treatment that I didn't get at the casino, or the rake were better.

One room in town here (when it first opened, and the legal state of raked games in AZ was fresher) offered, essentially, a gofer tending to the game. He'd run to convenience stores, fast food, pick up dinner, all on the club's dime -- since the club's rake certainly covered it. Feeling like I was well treated goes far for me. I want to at least pretend I'm getting my money's worth.

Merely having a game isn't enough of a draw for me. I want a good game

I run a raked 1/2 game three times a week, and I'm doing pretty good, usually have a full table during the week and two tables on Saturday nights. The games are in my house which is set back from the street, plenty of parking, clean room, security cameras, a casino-quality main table (cost me $1,600), professional dealers... the whole nine yards. Most of players buy-in for between $100-200. Another guy next town over runs games on all the same nights (because he's personally attacking my games) in a gross, dirty warehouse with fruit flies and no bathroom. He once got into a fist-fight with his dealer right in front of everybody. He has twice in the last six months given out IOU's to players cashing out, because he put so many players in on credit that he didn't have the cash to pay out players cashing out. Finally, he's been arrested for sexually molesting his 4.5-year-old daughter and wears a security bracelet on his ankle as part of his arraignment.

And yet, he runs 1-2 tables a night, just like me. And his players come to the table with $1,000+ in their pockets, whereas my players often come with one buy-in. My table regularly has roughly $2-3K in play, whereas he regularly has $5K+. My question is how do I get players with $1,000+ pockets to my game when they are fine playing with this dirtbag?

I moved this to the club thread.

Interesting topic. Why do you think people prefer his game? It sounds really sketchy, yet he is pulling in the higher rollers.

Is it really that hard to figure out? Money follows money.

If your players are bringing $200 to a 1/2 game, your game is going to be pretty unbeatable. The house/dealer/game girl (if you have one) are going to eat up anyone's ability to profit.

Also, there is no need to trash talk the other game, IMO. If the guy truly is a douche bag than eventually I'm sure that will work itself out. My guess is that you are making the other game out to be worse than it is and are jealous you can't compete.

If you personally know a couple players with bigger bankrolls that play at the other game, do something to invite them other. There are numerous things, but offer a personal invitation with a $100 credit or something for their first time. If they see your environment is actually better and you aren't clueless about providing a good product they will help recruit others.

I never said I'm not competing. In fact, I'm actually doing better than him. I've come to rely on the 1-3 people who will leave his games when they break early and come to my game after midnight. We joke about it. And no, I'm not exaggerating on his ****ty place. It was previously leased by a cabinet maker, so you can imagine the saw dust which has never been cleaned. People who go to both games still complain about the flies (I haven't been there since the summer). The dealer he got into the fight with now deals for me, and the dent in the wall that he made when he threw my dealer into it is still there.

I know all about putting out a quality product. My place is clean, safe and secure, and I have a large, loyal set of players which grows more every week. My only complaint is that the players I am attracting are the type to make their $200-300 last as long as they can, and the players he's attracting are willing to go much deeper into the game. Lots of my players, if they have two bad nights, they're done for the month. He's got guys who will drop 2 grand in a night and be back the next week. Even if the answer is as simple as "money follows money," how do I get the money on the table to attract the money? At least, without going broke myself or handing out IOU's like he does. Because once I do that, I can name 10+ people off the top of my head who will never come to my game again.

You are asking a question I don't think we can answer. A worse game has the players you want. Why don't they come to your game? I'm not sure we would know that. It must be something. Can you think of some reasons?