Zero Rake Poker

Hork42

I guess this was asked in another thread, but that was in the Ask Dave section, so I thought I'd try to get a general discussion going....

Anyone tried Zero Rake poker? Seems like a neat concept. Instead of taking rake, they charge their members a monthly fee. There's an ad in this month's CPP.

I tried downloading the software and as of 7pm there were only 23 people playing.

They allow non-members to play too, but they take rake for non-members.
Wondering if the non-members and the members play at the same tables... It could explain why the player count is so low because I chose the free one to download just to check it out.

Anyone tried this or know any more about it?

hork.

ScottyZ

Anyone tried this or know any more about it?

I know that this is site is too new and underpopulated for me to try out. But I really like the idea, and I'd probably play there (or somewhere else with a similar idea for the fee structure) if it was more well established.

ScottyZ

BBC Z

Wondering if the non-members and the members play at the same tables... It could explain why the player count is so low because I chose the free one to download just to check it out.

Rake players and non-rake players play at the same tables. The only difference is that at the end of a hand, the non-rake players see a little animation where the rake they would have paid goes back into thier bankroll.

Good idea but I doubt it will ever take off... Rake pays of a lot of things that players have come to expect from poker sites.. Deposit bonuses, Player points, freerolls etc.. And without those things, where are the incentives for the weaker players to leave party and join?

Graham

"Good idea but I doubt it will ever take off... Rake pays of a lot of things that players have come to expect from poker sites.. Deposit bonuses, Player points, freerolls etc.. And without those things, where are the incentives for the weaker players to leave party and join?"


Agreed, and perhaps sites such as Zero Rake wouldn't have these incentives quite as often, but the monthly service fees they collect must allow for bonuses etc as well.

ScottyZ

Good idea but I doubt it will ever take off... Rake pays of a lot of things that players have come to expect from poker sites.. Deposit bonuses, Player points, freerolls etc.. And without those things, where are the incentives for the weaker players to leave party and join?

I get the idea here in that the site will have less money to throw around for marketing purposes. The fact that the site would likely make less money from the players (per capita, and on average) than a raked site would certainly should appeal to any thinking player. Of course, you're right that I generally want to sit at the table with the non-thinking players though. :cool:

I think their idea of a "Rake Meter" is pure marketing genius. Showing the players exactly how much money they would have paid if there was a rake is an excellent way of driving home the true savings of their monthly fee structure.

ScottyZ