High Rake Adjustments (1 Viewer)

[ontheriver51]

Obviously finding games with small to no rake is ideal, but If if you are going to play in a game with rake of 10% (5BB cap) what are some deviations from traditional strategy that can help avoid getting wrecked by the rake?

Obvious first one is to avoid small pots as the rake is a larger % of the pot, but anything else?

 

[BamaT8ter]

For me, it's all about minimizing the heavily rakes pots. Some things that occur to me are:

1. Don't buy short
2. Don't stay at the table if a large percentage of players are buying short
3. If it's "no flop no drop," winning preflop is better than post-flop. Also, chop unraised pots in the blinds.
4. Play fewer hands, and adjust toward preflop holdings that can flop big-pot hands.

 

[Machine]

I like to fade the rake by asking for alcohol, high end food and ice cream. Suggest coffee runs to Starbucks, or desert from a local place.

Seriously if all they offer is some shitty pizza and water, I don't need to play that badly.

 

[Rhodeman77]

The stacks need to be deep to overcome a high rake game as mentioned. You can’t be the only person with a 500bb stack, most need to as well.

Also pay attention to when the rebuys slowdown/stop. Once this happens it’s time to get out since no new money is coming in. The rake will devour the stacks on the table.

 

[Mojo1312]

Obviously finding games with small to no rake is ideal, but If if you are going to play in a game with rake of 10% (5BB cap) what are some deviations from traditional strategy that can help avoid getting wrecked by the rake?

Obvious first one is to avoid small pots as the rake is a larger % of the pot, but anything else?

Start a home game.

 

[mdt11]

More squeezing and three-betting to build pots or take it down pre (assuming no flop/no drop structure), with a tighter range weighted toward hands that can make the nuts. Offsuit broadways and aces get thrown in the trash while suited aces/kings and suited connectors get played more aggressively.

 

[JustinInMN]

You need to pick starting hands that will overcome the rake, so you do have to fold marginal connectors and one-gaps preflop that might show a profit in an unraked game.

Otherwise, you probably need to just push yourself stakes wise so the rake is smaller relative to the size of the pots you are playing.

 

[WideRange]

A corollary to what other folks have said - if the rake is high, coming to a game in the middle / towards then end when there’s more cash on the table is a way to practically play higher effective stack poker.

Also - one thing that may be obvious but worth mentioning - when you track your win/loss rate for each session, make sure to note / differentiate the rake somewhere!