> The house is taking 8 - 10% rake meaning you have to have a 60% winning percentage just to break even. That's only correct in a constant sized market. In a g

> The house is taking 8 - 10% rake meaning you have to have a 60% winning percentage just to break even. That's only correct in a constant sized market. In a growing market with lots of new money coming in, its much easier to win. When growth stops, it becomes much more difficult. The vast majority of remaining players start losing, only the house (and maybe a couple sharks) can win consistently. Assuming a market in continual decline, eventually everyone loses (except the house). Nate Silver devotes a chapter to this in The Signal and the Noise. He goes through the numbers, anecdotally supported by his experience during the online poker boom.