Cash Game... newbee question

I have seen on TV when a player is put "on the clock" for slow play. Ordinarily, with a full table, in a cash game, approximately how many hands per-hour should be dealt? I would think a casino and/or poker room would want fast play because it translates in to more rakes? Thanks.

YMMV. Depends on the game (Hold em vs omaha vs etc.). Full Table of 9/10, cash game:

In hold em I normally find we are in the 30-40 range.

Electronic tables (like those by Poker Pro in Cherokee, NC) add about 15-35% per hour.

I find the slower the game the dumber the players. They don't instinctively know what to do so they play bad.

Yeah, the casino would prefer faster action for more rakes, but they will not call the clock on their own. At most, the dealer will simply make sure the player knows the action is on him.

Calling the clock is considered bad etiquette so it should be used sparingly. Also, once you call the clock, expect that player to call the clock on you within the next couple hands. It can degrade into a real immature pissing war.

Calling the clock is generally seen more often in a tournament, because the blinds clock is also ticking.


Yeah, 30-40 hands per hour for a full table is about right.

Quote: Riva

I have seen on TV when a player is put "on the clock" for slow play. Ordinarily, with a full table, in a cash game, approximately how many hands per-hour should be dealt? I would think a casino and/or poker room would want fast play because it translates in to more rakes? Thanks.

A good holdem dealer can do about 40 hands per hour. A good Omaha dealer can do about 30 hands per hour. A good very stud hi-lo dealer can do 35.

A good dealer prods the players to act.

Also note, calling the clock is never done by anyone other than players. And yeah, it should be done sparingly.

30-40 per hour sounds right for holdem. But if you're looking for a target for your charity gaming, I would be thrilled with 30.

Quote: tringlomane

Also note, calling the clock is never done by anyone other than players. And yeah, it should be done sparingly.

30-40 per hour sounds right for holdem. But if you're looking for a target for your charity gaming, I would be thrilled with 30.

I agree.. I am building my pro-forma on 20-30 hands per-hour. So. what can the house expect to "earn" (from rakes) taking, on average, 25 hands per hour?

Quote: Riva

I agree.. I am building my pro-forma on 20-30 hands per-hour. So. what can the house expect to "earn" (from rakes) taking, on average, 25 hands per hour?

In your previous posts it seems your payouts are quite low so you could probably get away with a rake of say 10% up to a max of $6 to $8. In Vegas (and most of the country) your rake is generally 10% up to $4 per pot.

So, for 25 hands in Vegas you can expect to earn MAXIMUM 25*$4 = $100 per hour.
If you have a higher rake, say MAXIMUM $6, it would be 25*$6 = $150 per hour.

You could employ shills and encourage "tips" for the charity to pump up the take. You could also take a "jackpot" drop for a high hand, or bad beat that would take 50% of the amount collected (the other half going to the house).

Riva, what games and at what limits do you offer. We can help you build a rake structure which is simple (something I
m sure is crucial for you) and reasonable. But that structure must consider the game and the stakes (and the players, are 6 hands seeing the river or 2?).

Also do you want any sort of payouts for high hands, bad beats, or cracked aces? I think you would since you can rake more for that and have rather low payback on that which most players won't have any clue how much you are holding. However that can bring some extra variance into your night, but no more than an extra roulette wheel or two would (with a similar amount of profit).

Yeah, $4 or $5 is a standard max rake (plus $1 or $2 for bad beats or other promos) at legitimate poker rooms.

I know of an underground room near me that has a max rake of $10. The max on the cruise I took was $15!

So a legitimate charity game can easily get a $10 max rake.