[mfringel]

The typical big-casino rake isn't that large. From memory (it has been 2 years since I've physically been in a poker room), the typical rake at a full 9-player table at the Encore (Everett, MA, USA) worked out to ~$12-15/hour per person.

For a professional dealer, good chips, and a continuous flow of players, that seems like a pretty fair price to pay.

[listenallyall]

If all the players sit down with $1000 and play for 5 hours, the casino will have taken approx. 6% of the total bankroll. It's not about what is fair, it's whether you are actually skilled enough to beat the other players AND the rake over the long term. Most people can't.