jontm;311286 wroteI've never really understood the whole concept of "beating the rake"
Yes, it cuts into profits, but so does 40% income tax for the working regs.
Gambling winnings in Canada are not taxable (even for 'pros'). It's not about cutting into your profits, it's about whether or not the game is +EV. $14 rake @ 2/5 means the game is flatly unbeatable. You're paying approximately $50 an hour in rake.
When you're playing 2/5 you will often win $1000+ pots. So it may seem like $14 is negligible. But then again you will often lose $1000+ pots. At the end of the day, if you are REALLY GOOD AT POKER (top 5%) you might be able to beat your typical 2/5 game for 30-40 per hour at $5/ hand rake. Add another $37 in rake on top of that and you're suddenly risking a whole lot of money to have an hourly rate that is less than the pimply faced kid who works at McDonalds. Not to mention now the room is taking $500 / hr off the table instead of $100. This kills the action and drives players home broke fast.
If you want to be a sucker, be my guest, but I for one despise negative EV gambling and have nothing but contempt for people who engage in it.