"When there is no ante and also a rake, the pots you are fighting for are somewhat small. This is usually the case in low-stakes cash games where rake is taken out of each pot, and the impact is quite large pertaining to which hands you can defend from the big blind."
"Suppose the cutoff raises to 2.75 big blinds out of their 100 big blind stack and everyone folds to you in the big blind. With no ante and a rake, assuming your opponent plays well, you can only defend with 28% of hands. Compare that to a tournament with a 1 big blind ante and a no rake, where you can defend with 76% of hands!"
"In both of these ranges, you should three-bet (reraise) with your best hands as well as a smattering of your suited connectors. If you only three-bet with your best hands, you will be easy to play against because it will be obvious to your opponent that you have a premium holding when you three-bet."
Poker strategy must adapt to game structure, particularly regarding ante and rake configurations. In low-stakes cash games with no ante and rake, the big blind can only profitably defend approximately 28% of hands against a cutoff raise, compared to 76% in tournaments with antes and no rake. Most players defend too wide from the big blind, creating long-term losses. Effective strategy requires three-betting premium hands mixed with suited connectors to avoid predictability. Small blind play also changes dramatically with rake present, where players should only three-bet or fold rather than call.
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