beatable rake % ?

[RBDB44]

At the local casino hold'em 2-4 game, the the average rake is about $3 per hand. (It is a max of 4 at $40) This is an avg of 1.5 SB per hand. I noticed the rake % was significantly less at higher stakes.
Is this beatable? if so, what could a good player expect to make?
also would I be better off playing online in order to reduce the rake %?

[Andy B]

I can't beat $2/4 hold'em, but I used to play in a $2/4 stud game that had a 10% rake capped at $4.50 and a $1 jackpot drop. I also tipped a dollar on most pots I won. I beat the game for about $7/hr.

The most important factor in the beatability of a game is the difference in skill level between you and your opponents. If you aren't a lot better than your opponents, you're not going to be able to beat a high-rake game. The rake does eat into your profits significantly, but there should be enough left after the house gets it share for you to be able to get your share.

I've never played on-line for money, but my understanding is that the quality of play on-line is somewhat higher than it is in B&M card rooms. You may find that on-line games are harder to beat in spite of a lower rake.