where should I play on friday nights.

I prefer games which charge fees every half hour vs games which rake each hand. The half hour fee games are typically higher stakes games though. The reason I prefer the half hour fee games is because I have a wide opening range (I don't ever limp). So I am not paying a fee each hand I win. It also means in general players will be looser.

In your situation I guess I would try out both places a bit. If the tight $25 fee game is tough to win at then I probably wouldn't play there (though I play tournaments mostly so I would likely play the tournament and then the cash game...). Playing in games with a lot of action and drunk players will likely be more profitable.

If they were both near the same location I would play in the first one with a bigger player pool and more games, but I don't think it's worth an extra hour's drive so I would just play at the one in town.

Yuck. Those are terrible options. Any good home games? I prefer time rake, but the game sounds terrible. However, an hour is a long way, especially if you plan to stay late, but the rake isn't that bad and might be worth the action/drunk players and bigger games.

Maybe switch it up for a while and see which you really prefer?

FWIW, If I have an hour's+ drive and plan to stay late, I take my camper 😉

If it's a decent game, then most pots will be a $6 drop ($60 pot). At about 25 hands an hour, that's $150 off the table per hour, plus tips. 9 handed games, at $10 per player, per hour is $90 off the table per hour.

Strange as it may seem, the less money coming off the table, the tighter the game - I do better in looser games, so I would go for the $6/pot game, even if it's a further drive.

I've recently played the Mohegan Sun 5/10 NL game a couple of times. Its a half hour fee. The game is incredibly loose and aggressive.

Last weekend I was in CA and played a tournament at Bay 101. After I bounced I played cash games for a wile. The 2/3/5 NL game was full so I played the 2/3/5/20 NL game where the $20 was a mandatory straddle UTG. Again they charged a half hour fee (like $11) and again the game was crazy loose.

Back in the 20/40 LHE day at the Borgota where they charged a half hour fee the table was actually pretty tight which in a LHE game made it a good place to be loose aggressive. It was a tough game though...

On a Friday I would lean towards the casino. A bigger chance at weaker Players and I always would rather play in a game of unknowns than Regs. The game you are describing seems pretty bad for my game and I would probably just get picked off by a slow play.

I lean towards a better game than trying to micromanage rake. Obv if you feel the games have equal opportunity then you can look at other factors .. rake, travel, comfort, hours .. when making your decision to play one place over the other. GL

JayKon,
When you add the $2 the original poster said they have for Promotion/Jackpot it makes the total drop more than double ($150 + 25x2 $50 = $200) vs $90 for the time raked game. That comes out to more than $12 an hour per person. Quite a difference in both the short and long run!
I realize as a longterm Horse Racing employee (and former bettor) that I am more sensitive to rake, and it's effect. However, in the above example, a full time player would pay approximately $24,000 more per year (based on 2,000 hours) in the $6 + $2 rake compared to the time charge. This is a humongous number, especially at the lower to mid-levels (1-3 up to 5-5). This rake, and unfortunately there are places that it is higher, has a devastating effect on every player's (winner or loser) bottom line and also weakens the overall player pool as the winner's win less, the break even players become losers, and the losers become bustouts.
When will poker rooms/casino executives ever realize that less can very often be more in the long run?
Racetrack

I'm surprised that you don't realize that in non-sketchy rooms, close to 100% of the promo drop is returned to the players, usually via high hand promos. Consequently, it's really not a "rake."

These promos also keep the tables filled with loose-passive BINGO players.

Always Fondling,

Yes Sir, I am aware of how the majority (65-75% usually) of the Promo/Jackpot money is returned to the players. For myself, and at the majority of places I have and do play at, the promos (High Hand/Drawings, Football Squares etc.) do not bring in the "Bingo Players" you speak of (and if they do, they tend to leave shortly after the promo time ends), and are usually in the day/at times I rarely play, and of course, the Bad Beat Jackpots are what they are. Regardless, I believe quite strongly that lower rake is better for everyone, including the poker room operators/owners, and that the vast majority of players/management do not realize the overall effect of a large rake. You, and anyone of course are welcome to disagree.
Racetrack

Clearly, there is a sweet spot where the rake is concerned. I was in a game somewhere in Vegas in the '70s where they had a padded chute on the table that the dealer moved the pot over to drop chips into. They were basically raping the players, but then when they were done with one, another would appear. No one could beat that game!

hey, thanks for everyone's Input. It has given me more to think about.

I think I forgot to mention That this cardroom is a mom and pop operation. The husband and wife that own and operate the room are also regular players. Does this seem suspicious? They seem like nice people and I think the game is up and up, but who knows.

The play a bomb pot every half hour. $15 from everyone. This seems like another $30 an hour fee. From what I saw the bomb pot seemed like an action killer. Most pots were won on the flop. Nobody wants to give action here.

hey, thanks for everyone's Input. It has given me more to think about.

I think I forgot to mention That this cardroom is a mom and pop operation. The husband and wife that own and operate the room are also regular players. Does this seem suspicious? They seem like nice people and I think the game is up and up, but who knows.

The play a bomb pot every half hour. $15 from everyone. This seems like another $30 an hour fee. From what I saw the bomb pot seemed like an action killer. Most pots were won on the flop. Nobody wants to give action here.

Go to the first one so you can actually play.