I also noticed I am being charged an ante every hand + rake? Seems excessive?

Sorry, there has to be some barrier to entry other than buy-in. That is why I suggested keeping it exclusive to members with at least 5 earned merits. What's stopping anyone for paying buy-in for 2-3 accounts? And playing with triple the stack and 6 cards? Do not emphasize on quantity (especially in the early stages) over quality. I can give numerous examples of poker platforms, starting with massive freerolls and finding it hard to sustain. There should be zero tolerance for cheating, and we have to curb every possibility while we can.