thats not really on point. He's talking about games for people who want to play 6 handed. And a casino will make more rake on two 6 handed games with a reduced rake then they will make with one 10 handed game and a dead spread.

Almost all casinos where I have ever played do reduce the rake (or even the time charge, which really makes no sense as pointed out above) at 6 handed or less, and people still don't want to play. Rake is not the reason in the least.

Again if the players wanted 6 handed the casinos wouldn't feel they had to reduce the rake for a 6 handed game. they reduce the rake to keep people playing who don't want to play 6 handed.

The reality is that if there was actually big enough demand part of the structure would be a lower-rake demanded by the players. Like I said though the logistics just make this unrealistic to ever take place. Maybe someday with one of the automated dealer tables somewhere or something.

Really? do the 6 handed players online get a lower rake? (I don't know but I would be surprised to hear that they did)

Consider it from the Casino's point of view.

It is more HPH so rake could be higher but it's also a headache.

Suppose the room has 15 tables, they are all full and 1 of those is devoted to 6 player max playing 1/2 NL. They also have a list for 1/2 NL. What do they tell the players on that list?

"Yes sir I know there are 3 empty seats at that table but those players want to play short handed so you'll have to wait. No, wait, don't leave..."

Add to it the majority of players want to play full tables as the comments ITT indicate.

I hear players refuse to start a high limit game every day because they don't have at least 7 or 8 players.

I don't think it's about rake, I think it's about logistics and what the majority of players prefer to play.

On this forum there are obviously enough people that say "why don't B&M's have 6 max", but reality is that there aren't enough "I'll play anyone short handed" players " (like Pope) in any single B&M room to create enough demand to consistently run 6 max tables.

I think a 6 max table would do adequate for the house at a $2 rake. The question is, would you convert enough full ring players to play 6 max with that rake? If the Venetian tried it, obviously the answer is no.

True internet players that prefer 6 max aren't going to start playing B&M full time just because there is now 6 max. They would just find that they were playing against other internet players, not tourists. If they wanted to play against other internet players, they could just stay home.

Compared to a full table $4 rake? Are they going to play twice the number of hands?

In our room, 1/2 doesn't pull the max every hand. I drop 1 and 2 dollars often at 1/2. The 4/8 game probably pulls max much more often.

A 6 player table probably will drop the max every hand and they will deal more hands. It could be comparative at least.

If you play late at night/early morning and are lucky you can play shorthanded as in 6-8 players. Anything less than 9 is good for me I hate casinos who cram 10 people around a table!!! BLAHH!!

Or you could learn other games:

Stud and mix games are usually 8 handed max
draw games are like what? 6 handed?

The obvious answers is mutlifaceted.

Several rooms have tried to spread 6 max games because of what was an apparent demand. Each time these tables were miserable failures. Why? No one played. Why not? Well:

1. Typical B&M players don't like playing short handed because they have to pay the blinds more often and are missing out on their "free hands." These NITs huff and puff when a table goes to 8 handed, the list is 2 names long and 30 seconds pass before a name is called to fill the seat.

2. The internet kids who are the ones leading the charge in demand for 6 max games come once or twice and realize they have no HUD, no PT3, no PTR, and "OMG WTF I can't play 1726476312670610764 tables and my hourly rate is getting crushed." So they stay at home and play online except for that semi annual trip to Vegas or AC where they bitch about not being able to find a 6 max table.

You might be surprised how many "typical B&M players" know that a nine handed game is much different from a 6/5 handed one. They know that their game is tailored to 9/10 handed and they know that they are at a disadvantage against "short table sharks".

I might be happy to sit with at a 9 handed table that only has 6 players. 5 players who are a bit uncomfortable playing short, and myself.
I would not like to sit at a 6 max table against players who play it all the time.

I'm not talking about a player that understands his/her game and what it's tailored for. I'm talking about the old NIT who doesn't raise AK because "it's a drawing hand", the guy who thinks the $4 rake is way too high, the guy who screams for the floor to fill an empty seat 20 seconds after it's been cleared. Basically the miserable farts who infest so many poker rooms.