1-5, 2-5 stud: an indecent rake?

[Marco Trevix]

Hi all.
Recently I played stud at Harrah's East Chicago and at Ameristar Casino in Saint LOuis (exactly is in Saint CHarles, 10 miles from Saint LOuis) during my second trip in US.
My impression is that the rake is too high to get a decent winning session (in comparison with hold'em games).

My question: playing these games is either a real choose or a necessity (no other higher tables available or a small bankroll, etc) ?

Thanks for any response

Marco

BTW: Ameristar poker room in Saint Louis is very nice! EAst Chicago Harrah's gave me a sense of sadness...

[Andy B]

What is the rake in these games? I mention this frequently, but I have played in a $2/4 stud game with a $.50 ante and a $1. The rake was 10% to a max of $4.50, there was a $1 jackpot drop, and I used to tip $1. I beat the game for about $7/hr. An exhorbitant rake alone does not necessarily make a game unbeatable. You do have to be a much better player than your opponents to overcome a high rake, though.

The rake in the Harrah's game is higher -- $4 plus $1 jackpot drop. If you were able to beat a 2-4 game structured as you say for 1.75 bb hr., I think that's a tremendous result. You would need several really awful opponents plus regular visiting maniacs to sustain this IMHO.

That said, I do think a structured game favors a better player. It lets you ram and jam on the cheap streets for information and to take control of the hand, then you can keep going if you hit, slowdown if you're not sure or fold if your hand goes south. In spread limit, you can be raised the max limiting our chances to call when you are a little behind early hoping to catch up and outplay on later streets. Good low spread limit players (Like sitting bull) seem to often use partial bets early to create a limit game type of structure.

[Marco Trevix]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the rake of Ameristar Casino: 2-5 limit with no ante, $1 bring-in the rake is 10% max $5. Adding the tip to the rake....how is it possible to beat these games? Moreover hold'em 6-12 games have a 10% rake max $4!! Are stud players considered as the best poker donators?

Marco

[Andy B]

Stud is slower, so many rooms rake more in stud games to make up for it. Even with the dollar difference, that room is making more on the hold'em games than it is on the stud games.

These games are perfectly beatable if the players are bad enough. Hopefully, you can find a passive table where you are the best player by at least a couple of degrees.