Dear Abby Offers Poker Advice

Filed in archive Poker on December 6, 2004

Not content with helping people of their personal problems, America's top agony aunt, Dear Abby, is now taking up poker issues

DEAR abby: My friend.. frequently host "poker nights" and invite quite a few other friend...

Since ... is presently unemployed, she has instituted a new policy for the games: Everyone must donate a percentage of their winnings to the house. This has offended quite a few of us. We have offered to bring snacks, etc., but the donation rule stands.

How can we confront her without coming across as rude? -- CONCERNED IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR CONCERNED: Why are you worried about offending someone who is extorting money from you? I don't know how many people participate in these ''poker nights,'' but with a percentage of every hand going to the house, Wilma must be making a tidy sum. It shouldn't be necessary to ''confront her.'' If I were you, I'd alternate hosting these games among the participants.

And this house rake, of course, is the business model of many an online poker site