Rake structure? (1 Viewer)

Almost definitely depends on the state law, but at least in WA, I believe it to be legal. All players have an equal opportunity to hit something like a bad beat or a high hand, so as long as all the money is fully paid to players with the house taking nothing, I would think it would be legal in most places where social games are legal.
Seems like you could run into potential illegal lottery issues, but for a small home game I'd think the risk would be very low. If you had an otherwise legal club and started running a promo it might be risky though.
 
i host bi-weekly at my house and never take a rake. but i do leave a "tip" jar out by my fridge for anyone who want's to leave anything. most of the time they will tip with extra chips they have when they cash out and ill take that money out the bank and add it to the jar. ill never take a rake due to the fact i never want my game getting shut down or deal with any legal ramifications that might come from doing so. i provide drinks and sometimes my tips will pay for it and some, and other weeks ill come out of pocket but its pretty much comes out to being even, which is all i can ask for. try a TIP jar or add a cover fee if your concerned with expenses. Stay away from rake
 
What makes this interesting is that you are in NC...so it's already illegal. There is the "don't break the law while you are breaking the law" thought that nobody cares you are playing poker (illegal), but if you charge a rake then you are more illegaler mindset. Also, there is no "might as well go to the casino" aspect, because the only NC casino I know of is on the wrong side of the state. For argument's sake, let's just say you might as well rake....the question is how....

The bummer of charging how you do now that's different from raking pots is that you over-charge the losers instead of the winners (everybody pays initial, losers pay again on rebuys). This could also incentivize people to short stack due them paying less rake. The problem with raking every pot is that it's something you have to keep up with all night and will vary from night to night. Also, it means you will probably need a dedicated dealer. And, since you are playing quarters stakes, you will have to rake the shit out of those pots to make up booze and cigars expenses.

In a perfect world, you could go with the tip jar method, or on your honor jar...so that people that are eating and drinking the most tip the most. They are really your consumers, anyways. A guy that brings a couple monsters on his own and plays cards all night not taking any cigars or snacks costs "the game" nothing but the empty seat....why should that guy float the cost of the drunk smoking your cigars?

A game I attend regularly has free sodas, snacks, pizza, hot dogs (with roller, of course) and coffee (no booze allowed). He literally has a pantry full of candy and crap that you are welcome to just grab and eat at your leisure. It's been running for 20 years, and is maintained this way because the people that attend are generous, and winners will leave money on the table after payout to cover the host's costs. It's just unspoken decency by the players that understand what goes in to hostinig this kind of get together. Tough to get everybody on board with this, unless you are lifelong friends.

So pick one of those, and best of luck.
 

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