ES
I have very mixed feelings on Encore Boston. On the plus side, the equipment is top notch. They have some of the best chips, chairs and tables I've ever used, and the room is just gorgeous. Furthermore, the bathrooms are the cleanest I've seen in a poker room, and it is a very safe place to play.
But the rake is egregiously high; there is no other way to say it. The staff knows it (and they know it's ridiculous too), but it isn't their call. The floors are generally great, the dealers are mostly solid (with a few outstanding ones), and I think the staff genuinely wants to create a good experience for the players. But, the honest truth is that Encore Boston Harbor doesn't want a poker room (but are forced to maintain one), and that shines through in all of their policies.
Regardless, 5/10 is still beatable for the best players, as is 2/5 -- despite 13/half time and 10+1 rake, respectively. I don't think 1/3 here can be beaten long term in all but the most blown out games, though. If I were to give one piece of advice to staff (as a for-profit semi reg who plays around 10-15 hours a week), I think I'd request that tables 5 and 6 always be reserved for the 5/10 game. I'm fairly sure that a 5/10 will earn more money for the house in rake/time than a very slow 1/3 game where pot size doesn't always cause the rake to be capped. I really think it's a win-win for encore and the player pool.
