Rake For Expenses In A Home Game

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Went to a new game the other day - $1$2 NL. Host was a lawyer-type and I sort of got off to a poor start with the guy when he showed up 15 minutes late to his own game. Two other guys and I set up the table and counted out the chips and cards. Host dude went up to the corner store for some supplies. The cards were old & sticky. Host called to see if anyone wanted anything and someone said to pick up a couple of decks of cards.He came back in a couple of minutes and we started playing. After a bit, the host announced that he was going to rake the next 6 pots for $1 each because he paid $6 for the cards.WTF?!?At first I thought he was joking, but he pulled $1 out of each of the next 6 pots.It wasn't the $ that bugged me it was the idea that he'd be so petty as to actually rake for the price of the cards - which he intended to use in his game next week. If I'd realized he was actually going to rake for the cards, I'd have just tossed him a $5 chip and said - Lets just play. No one in this game really needed the extra buck.We were playing outside and 5 out of 7 of the players were smoking. He went inside and came out with a few disposable lighters which he distributed around the table for the smokers. They were cheap crappy things with the name of his law firm on them and only 2 of them actually worked.I had to ask: "You gonna rake for the lighters too?"Is it just me or should you get things like raking for expenses out of the way before cards fly? Personally when I host I am out anywhere from $50 to $100 in providing munchies, beer, supplies, etc... I just view it as part of the fun of hosting a game. When I am at someone's house and they order a few pizzas, I'll be the first to toss $5 or $10 on the kitchen counter to help pay for something specific like that.

[Vick12 0]

Ummm...whoever hosted this home game and RAKED money to cover the cost of cards should DIAGF...

[bigcoled 1]

In college I played at a guys house where we were either playing 2-4 or 3-6 limit with kill pots, he had a dealer there and raked every pot. They also provided pop, beer, and general snacks like chips and pizza. It was a good game, we had fun, if the players there weren't so bad I wouldnt have played, mostly because I wasn't there for pop and chips. Also the guy that ran the game would give the bad players loans if they busted, to keep the game going.... I dont think he always got paid back...

[Acid_Knight 2]

He's a lawyer and he can't afford decks of cards?

[antistuff 0]

shoot the bastard

[AmScray 355]

Total bullshit.Either you're running a card room, or you're running a home game. One or the other.If a home game wants to ask the guys to each pitch in a couple bucks to cover the beer and chips, whatever. That's how we do it. If the house actually starts raking pots, that's a (presumably illegal, though no one really cares) card room, not a home game.

[FatBurger 0]

I don't mind a rake for a home game (or fee if it's a tournament), if it goes to food/drinks/whatever.But that kind of thing should be taken care of ahead of time, not just made up as you go along. Poker supplies (cards, chips, etc) should be part of hosting it, and should never be charged for in any way - unless you all play together regularly, in which case you should still just chip in outside of the game itself.

[mhoward29 0]

He should have all the supplies like cards, chips, tables and chairs already. The rake should not be charged for this. If he provides drinks and food then a rake is ok if the players know that a rake will be taken before they start the game, imo.Also if there is a full time dealer then a rake should def be taken, plus tips to the dealer. Also, its customary to tip the host of the game like 5-10% if your winner, nothing if your loser. Some places require you to tip the host or you A) Wont be invited back or B) Wont be able to walk. Personally, I like collection pots the best. Every half hour on the clock the dealer pulls X amount of money out of the pot or if there isnt enough in the pot to collect they wait for the next big pot to collect.

[Citizen Erased 0]

You should let people choose whether or not they contribute to expenses, not make them.

[Tugglife2 0]

I can maybe see a poor college student doing that, but a f'in lawyer? Get outta here...

[mhoward29 0]

You should let people choose whether or not they contribute to expenses, not make them.

I dont think thats possible because everyone would say no. But as long as people know they are going to be raked before they play they can choose weather to play or not.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

shoot the bastard

Yeah. Now I guess I know why NOT to carry to a Home Game.

[Citizen Erased 0]

I dont think thats possible because everyone would say no. But as long as people know they are going to be raked before they play they can choose weather to play or not.

I guess the people I play with are nicer than those you play with lolStill, I know where you're coming from, and definitely agree that they should know what to expect before they arrive.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

I guess the people I play with are nicer than those you play with lolStill, I know where you're coming from, and definitely agree that they should know what to expect before they arrive.

Yeah, I have no problem with paying my share of the munchies. But for some friggin lawyer to rake for cards just sort of bugged me. If you can't affrord cards, then you can't afford to host. Is he going to rake for the electric bill next - or the gas he burnt to go to the corner store?

[Bad Muscle 0]

ask him if all of his clients are jewish to

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Ummm...whoever hosted this home game and RAKED money to cover the cost of cards should DIAGF...

"Die in a Giant Fire"?

[Nopair3high 0]

OP - Yea, that's pretty lame. Nit raking the pot for the price of cards. I say if you don't want to pay a little bit for good cards and decent chips, you shouldn't be hosting a game. My worst experience with a home game rake happened last week. My friend told me to come play in this game, he said it usually had about 9 or 10 people and was a 50c/1 NL cash game and that they did take a rake because the guy used a dealer and also bought some pizza and other things for the group, which is fine by me. Except when I get up there, only 6 people total showed, we played 5 handed for a while, his so called dealer was his friend who:1. Had to be explained how to deal 7 card stud, then mis-dealt the game 4 times throughout the night, also mis-dealt holdem twice, omaha twice. Took too much rake on 3 different hands, that I caught him on, who knows how many hands he screwed us on. 2. looked at peoples holes cards from the muck when people folded. 3. rabbit hunt every hand regardless of whether the players asked for it or not.Not to mention the fact that every single player except me bought in for $40 or $50, which meant all total for the first hour of the night there was only $350 on the table without a reduced rake (10%), so the dealer was taking $3 or $4 off the table every hand, and people were also tipping him. So the table was losing basically $5 a hand. It was ridiculous, I will never play there again and wouldn't have that time if I hadn't gone with my friend and drove an hour to do it. My thoughts on a rake: Take one if you are providing food/beverages above what people could easily bring for themselves... ie. ordering pizza or if you're providing the alcohol. Don't take a rake or take a reduced rake if you cannot get enough players to fill out a table. If you are taking a rake to pay a dealer, let the players know that up front so they can decide appropriate tipping for the dealer, and for the love of god if you're going to actually provide a dealer they need to act professionally. Sorry.. promise my tips go down when I have to tell the dealer not to look at my hole cards every time I fold.

[mhoward29 0]

There was a pretty sweet home game in the area I grew up and lived in until I was 22. It was usually a 6-12LHE kill game with over buttons but on Friday and Saturday night they would spread 6-12LHE kill with overs and either 1-3NL or 2-5NL. The guy who hosted was retired and he did it to keep himself busy. He had a building seperate from his house and it was nice. It was one big room, but it had a full kitchen and bar, two bathrooms, a lounge area (with nice couches, recliners and two flat screens), hardwood floors through out and three nice tables with dealer boxes in them and he had the really comfortable chairs like the Venitain.He hired three really good dealers from the local casino that wanted to quit anyway. He gave them a cut from the rake plus tips. For LHE he only charged $1 if there was $20 in the pot, $2 if there was $40 in the pot and $3 if there was $60 in the pot. Max rake was $3. For NL it was 10% up to $3 max. For both LHE and NL there had to be a flop for the rake to be taken. Also the SB and BB were allowed to chop if they got a walk. Some casino's now dont allow that.It was a pretty sweet set-up. He would make full dinners for the players, italian one night, bbq the next, etc... And he had a full bar and the dealer who was not dealing at the time would bartend or the owner himself would do it. We never had to worry about the cops because a couple of local cops did play in the game on their off time. They said as long as there are no complaints from neighbors they didnt care. And if you were on tilt he had an inground pool you could take a swim in. If you were a regular the pool was open to you, 24hrs a day, even if there was no game going.It was a sweet set-up and everyone always tipped if they were winner at the end of the night because the service and ammenities (sp) were so nice. Also, the games were very juicy, there were only 3 or 4 good players in all the games combined.

[psujohn 0]

I really wish the law would allow small "clubs" like this to operate legally. Really they'd be the best places to play. I don't need a giant full sized full service casino but a small local room that had a regular game going most afternoon/evenings would be fantastic.As for raking for cards .... If you're a regular in the game buy a setup or two of copags on eBay and donate them. But yeah the guy is a huge life nit to rake $6 for cards that he's going to keep for himself anyway.I go to a regular home game and they guy has made it BYOB (which I can totally agree with), on the off chance that we order pizza people eating chip in. He's bought the cards, table top and chips and never asked anyone to chip in for it. Being a reg though I'd happily add supplies as needed.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

I really wish the law would allow small "clubs" like this to operate legally. Really they'd be the best places to play. I don't need a giant full sized full service casino but a small local room that had a regular game going most afternoon/evenings would be fantastic.As for raking for cards .... If you're a regular in the game buy a setup or two of copags on eBay and donate them. But yeah the guy is a huge life nit to rake $6 for cards that he's going to keep for himself anyway.I go to a regular home game and they guy has made it BYOB (which I can totally agree with), on the off chance that we order pizza people eating chip in. He's bought the cards, table top and chips and never asked anyone to chip in for it. Being a reg though I'd happily add supplies as needed.

I'm not so sure. The Club described by mhoward sounds like it was at some guy's house. I would not be too cool with my neighbor setting up an operation like the one described.

[rivergirl 2]

when we used to have home games (ours were more of a fun thing than anything), we would alternate houses, always byob and nobody would ever take a rake. We used to order food or go on runs through drive thrus

[psujohn 0]

I'm not so sure. The Club described by mhoward sounds like it was at some guy's house. I would not be too cool with my neighbor setting up an operation like the one described.

Yeah but from the description (separate building out back) it sounds like it wasn't in a densely populated area.Ideally I'd love to see these in small storefronts. Or in the "backroom" at a bar/restaurant. I dunno I'm sure there are issues but unless you believe gambling is morally evil and the government should legislate morality I don't see why cardrooms can't be legal.

[mhoward29 0]

I'm not so sure. The Club described by mhoward sounds like it was at some guy's house. I would not be too cool with my neighbor setting up an operation like the one described.

I totally understand what you mean. I would not want this in my neighborhood either. But in my specific example the guys property is outside of town in the middle of no where. He owns alot of acreage and his house is in the middle of it. Thats why when the cops said as long as no neighbors complained he knew he didnt have to worry about it.Edit: Really the only thing you had to worry about was the place getting robbed. Not to open up another can of worms, but Im 99% sure the owner was packing heavy. But TBH I was glad that he was.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Yeah but from the description (separate building out back) it sounds like it wasn't in a densely populated area.Ideally I'd love to see these in small storefronts. Or in the "backroom" at a bar/restaurant. I dunno I'm sure there are issues but unless you believe gambling is morally evil and the government should legislate morality I don't see why cardrooms can't be legal.

Any number of laws that legislate individual behavior in order to "save" that individual can be debated. Seatbelt laws for example. I think there are some reasonable arguments for prohibiting Card Rooms that are not entirely morality based.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

I totally understand what you mean. I would not want this in my neighborhood either. But in my specific example the guys property is outside of town in the middle of no where. He owns alot of acreage and his house is in the middle of it. Thats why when the cops said as long as no neighbors complained he knew he didnt have to worry about it.Edit: Really the only thing you had to worry about was the place getting robbed. Not to open up another can of worms, but Im 99% sure the owner was packing heavy. But TBH I was glad that he was.

Then not that big of a deal from a neighbor perspective. I'd also be a little worried about getting rolled. But there have been stories of people being followed home from the "real" casinos here in Detroit and getting rolled.