What I really hated was when I wouldn't win one pot for a whole hour and I still had to pony up $5 a half.' And if I don't win, I don't pay anything. Me: 'Yeah, that's better than paying 10 percent up to $5 every hand.' Her: 'What, like that $5 every 30 minutes that they used to charge here before they started raking?' Frankly, I'd rather pay a half-hour seat charge than pay a rake.' It does seem like a lot of rooms are going in that direction - or even more. Me: 'Well, I hope they're not charging $5. That conversation will often go like this: They sometimes weigh in with their thoughts about the rake. Usually while I'm interrogating the poor soul, someone else overhears us. They knew the house took something out of the pot, but they really paid no attention regarding how much.

I must have had a hundred conversations that have gone just like that. And I was so happy to have won that I didn't pay attention.' But they usually have a maximum, like 10 percent up to $5. I think 10 percent or something like that.' Do you know what they take out of the pot?' Are they raking the pots or taking a time charge?' Him: 'Oh, I play all over, but my favorite room is definitely the Hard Rock up in Hollywood.' Invariably, our conversation follows a predictable arc - something like this: When I meet someone else who plays poker, one of the first things I want to know is where he plays and what his local card room is like. I travel a lot, visiting poker rooms all around the world - especially in the United States.

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