Doesn't the house take a percentage of the pot ("rake", isn't it called?).

Not a poker player, just thought that was a thing.

Depends on where you play. For some the house is a literal house not a casino, and thus no rake.

Yes. The person you are responding to doesn't quite understand the comment they are responding to :) The rake can turn a breakeven or even winning player into a losing player. That's what we mean.

Sorry, that is fair enough, he is describing a casino. I never played in Vegas during the hold 'em boom, but went to plenty of houses where there wasn't really a rake.