compuease;222307 wroteI certainly don't claim the rake is irrelevant.. However it is irrelevant to how I play a hand once I'm in it.
For me the rake is a huge factor in how I play.
For instance If you're at Senca 1/2NL,
If you bet $10 preflop, and get one caller,
The rake is $3+1(jackpot)+$1 (tip)
That mean's you're betting $10 to win $5-8 (depending on the blinds).
Very few hands are profitable if the rake takes up to 50% of your profit.
1/2NL regulars pay about $30,000 a year in rake.