Why Loose Games Are Important

Winning at poker requires more than just good play; the game must be beatable. Two major elements which determine whether a game is beatable are the nature of the game and the
cost of the rake. Tight games, particularly low limit games, are often not beatable.

When is a game beatable? When it's loose enough to allow the cost of the rake to be overcome. This means having some losers in the game - people who lose enough to pay both for the rake and your profit. In general, a loose player is a losing player and you want loose games.

How do I tell if a game is loose? Watching how many people, on average, see the flop is a
quick and dependable method. An average of five or more is loose.

The popularity of poker has exploded (play has quadrupled since early 2003). The growth
comes mainly from new, inexperienced players and a lot of these players play fast and loose. This helps create beatable games at all levels.

Rake is the second major element affecting "beatability". All money games are raked (a small portion of each pot is taken by the house as the cost of playing). The rake at EmpirePoker is based on the betting limit of the game and the size of the pot. Rake can be as as low as $.50
or $1.00 for very low limit; the max rake (for mid limit and higher limits is $3.00). This is less
than in Las Vegas and other live poker rooms, which also have additional costs for dealer tip and jackpot drop.

The bottom line is that the effective rake percentage is what is important; and lower is better.
The larger the pot, the lower the effective rake percentage. Loose games, and higher limit games, put more money in the pot.

Note: as the limits go up, the requirements for 5 or more players seeing the flop can be eased.