In a raked home game should the host play? (1 Viewer)

[upNdown]

These sound fanfuckingtastic.

They do sound like some top notch sandwiches.

 

[CraigT78]

These sound fanfuckingtastic.

Off a 7/11 style roller, topped with some relish and mustard? Confirmed fanfuckingtastic!

They do sound like some top notch sandwiches.

Still not a sandwich.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Judging by your earlier post, you seem to loathe home games where there is a rake, and to suggest that there is no such thing as a raked home game is a misnomer.

Case in point. Years ago I played in a rake free home game. Two months into the weekly game, the host told everyone that he had to charge us $20 a week to play. He explained that the Father of the owner of the house he lived in told his son that he should be getting a cut from any game where money is involved. The sum that the son decided on was $20. You can imagine how this went over. Ultimately, everyone decided the best way to raise the $20 was to take a $1 rake from every pot that hit $20, ending the rake as soon as the $20 had been collected.

In fairness to the owner's son, he allowed the host to change the dining room into a poker room. We had comfy chairs, a nice poker table, a bathroom down the hall, and a refrigerator for beverages a few feet from the table. He also had a great location with plenty of parking. Collectively, we could have all taken the position that we would not support his home game because a rake would turn it into an illegal card room.

What I find disturbing about your statement is that it nullifies the two primary reasons why people play poker. One, for the social aspect of the game, which a casino cannot match, and two, the chance for profit, which you are more likely to gain from playing in a game that contains recreational players. (Worth noting, the rake casinos impose is usually greater than underground games with dedicated dealers.)

I changed jobs two months ago which has allowed me to play in a regular home game again. These players are super sticky. They won't lay down their hands if they have a draw - they have a hard time folding top pair or a straight when there is three suited cards on the board. My win rate is $35 an hour, despite my playing looser the last two sessions. So far, this has been the most profitable game I have ever played in.

Now hypothetically speaking, I would absolutely continue to play in this game if the host announced that he was going to impose a $1 rake like the one above, capped at $20 per evening, to go towards a poker table and comfortable chairs so we didn't have to play on two cheap card tables butted together with wood seats.

To specifically address your point on a player making a profit from hosting. Would you not play in a weekly 18 to 20 player $50 one hour re-buy tournament where the host takes $75 from the prize pool and holds a rake free $1/$2 game for players who bust out? (The host seldom makes it to the final table, and he rarely re-buys, so technically, the house is making a profit, albeit a small one.)

I appreciate the fact that you have principles, but seriously, don't you think you are limiting yourself from potentially enjoying the game on another level, while opening yourself up to one that could also be quite profitable?

If I played in a friendly game that decided they needed a rake to cover tables/chairs/etc. I would need to seriously reconsider how much I liked this particular friend. Are they giving me a cut of the rake if I have to drive really far to get to the game? Do I get a cut of rake if I bring Girl Scout cookies for players to munch on? If a game is friendly (i.e. a home game) friends lay out certain expenses for their friends. If I had a friend that measured my friendship in dollars and cents - well they're not a true friend at all.

If I'm not playing with friends, I may as well be in a casino. The "cost savings" of an underground room vs a casino does not compare to losing my job because I was arrested for illegal gambling (a violation on my "morality clause" in my contract). If local jurisdiction calls a raked home game "illegal" (basically every jurisdiction) I have to seriously reconsider attending if there is a rake.

 

[Mojo1312]

Thankfully, I don't have your scruples.