Scouting for the right games is an essential part of long-term poker success, and a case can be made that it’s the most critical decision a player can make. The only way to make any money in poker — outside of a lucky tournament windfall — is by playing in games that are beatable.
From a competition standpoint, the good news is that most low-stakes poker games should produce a setting that’s very beatable for a good player.
These games are absolutely flooded with recreational players who are there for fun and have no interest in folding a hand without first seeing a flop (especially if the combination is suited).
The bad news is that if these games are in a casino, players have to factor in the rake, since the casino must have a way to profit from spreading the games. Rakes have more bite in the lower-stakes games than they do in the big ones.
For example, the lowest stakes usually found in a casino is a $2-$4 limit Texas Hold ‘em game. Most rakes will cap out at around $4 per hand regardless of the stakes, because there’s only so much you can charge for a dealer to sling a hand.
If $4 is taken out of a $40 pot, that’s 10 percent of the profit eaten up by the casino. Most casinos will take out the rake as a percentage, but some will charge a flat rate regardless of the action. That has a direct effect on the profit window.
The golden standard for limit poker success is to average two big bets’ worth of profit every hour (which would be $8 in a $2-$4 game). A player would have to crush the $2-$4 game at a rate of nearly five to six big bets over many hours to overcome the rake for a profit.
Most recreational players don’t have respect for the rake out of ignorance and its hidden nature. This is why you’ll see more $2-$4 stakes limit poker games in Vegas than any other stake or format.
One of the most ridiculous things that has happened to me was in a small $3-$6 limit game. The casino had a bad-beat jackpot — which added $1 to the rake — and took $4 out of every pot, with no exceptions.
I was sitting in the big blind and the action was folded around to the small-blind player. I looked over at him and asked for a chop, so we could both take back our money and avoid the rake. He declined, stating that he had a good hand, and called my big blind to put a whopping $6 in the pot.
I have no idea what the flop was, but I know I was holding a garbage hand with no potential. The small-blind player fired out a bet and I couldn’t contain my laughter as I tossed my cards into the pot. The winning player lost $1 by deciding to play and absorb the rake.
So what’s a player to do? If playing in a casino is your preference, move up the stakes ladder a tad to games like $5-$10 limit, $1-$2 or $2-$5 no-limit. These games lessen the effect of a rake with larger pots, while still being relatively affordable to any bankroll.
It’s a big enough chore in poker to beat the opposition, but it’s important to also beat the hidden elements of the game. The money all spends the same.
Got a poker question or have a comment? Email Chuck at cblount@express-news.net.