I'd like to discuss which sites have the best long term outlook for short hand 5/10 limit. Below is my short list. Are there any others that look better? I'm only interested in sites that:
<ul type="square"> - let me 4-table
- offer rakeback
- work with PT (preferably with a HU display)
- have good traffic and weakish competetion[/list]
Party Poker
I guess it's hard to say whether the games will be as good as they were before the split from the affiliate network. People are claiming the state of the party network 6-max games now (sans party) is pretty rough. This indicates the fish must still be on the Party servers. Rake (at full 6-max tables) has recently increased. It's particularly rough for the 3-6 BB pots which come up a lot in blind defenses and 3-way hands. Rakeback is based on the total rake / number of players.
$20 pot -> $1.00 rake
$30 pot -> $1.50 rake
$40 pot -> $2.00 rake
$50 pot -> $2.50 rake
$60 pot -> $3.00 rake (maximum)
Rakeback @ 25%
Bet on Bet (Poker Room network)
Over time i'm guessing the percentage of professional players will diminish here. Rakeback deals are no longer offered at Bet on Bet and aren't available at Hollywood Poker or Poker Room. Hollywood Poker might bring some neophytes who watch "Celebrity Poker" and Bet on Bet's casino traffic might draw in more. Rake (at full 5-max tables) appears to be quite good compared to other site's short hand tables. Rakeback is based on the percentage of the pot you put in. This seems to favor agressive players who force out other players in early rounds and win pots uncontested.
$20 pot -> $1.00 rake
$30 pot -> $1.00 rake
$40 pot -> $2.00 rake
$50 pot -> $2.00 rake
$60 pot -> $2.00 rake (maximum)
Rakeback @ 35%
Battle Field (Prima Network)
The short hand game quality of prima network is reportedly better than average. The growing number of casinos using this software should maintain a steady stream of novice players. Rake (at full 6-max tables) is the same as Party network. However, Prima calculates rakeback like Bet on Bet, which favors agressive players. Also, much higher rakeback is available than at Party.
$20 pot -> $1.00 rake
$30 pot -> $1.50 rake
$40 pot -> $2.00 rake
$50 pot -> $2.50 rake
$60 pot -> $3.00 rake (maximum)
Rakeback @ 35+%