$1-$5 Seven Card Stud

As I lost money playing the $4/$8 and $6/$12 hold 'em games, I found that I could lose my money at a much slower rate playing the spread limit $1-$5 stud game. It was also easier at the time to get a seat at a stud game that it was for hold 'em. I probably shouldn't have been playing stud as I really didn't know what I was doing. Sure, I knew how to play, but I wasn't keeping track of the up cards and found myself chasing a bit too much. What I really learned by playing stud was that the rake at casinos can make the smaller games unprofitable. After paying the rake and tipping the dealer $1 (you should always tip your dealer), I would lose a significant portion of the pot. This is why many people say you should not play the $2/$4 limit games in Las Vegas as you'll never beat the rake in the long run.