ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT IS RAKE IN POKER

The poker or pot rake refers to the amount of commission the house or the casino takes to cover the operating costs for handling a poker table.

Generally, the rake structure will vary between casinos, and they are collected in tournaments, with tournament fees levied for those players who buy in.

During a cash game rake, you will see a dealer taking chips out of the pot during most hands, and an online poker room will have dead drop situations which we will discuss in more detail later in this guide.

The rake will be at the discretion of the casino, but there will usually be a predetermined maximum amount.

However, it is at this stage, we should point out that if you see more rake advertised at an online poker site, it doesn’t necessarily mean the game is better. We will also run through the various rake types used at poker tables as well as flesh out the “no flop no drop” rule in more detail.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF POKER RAKE

Online poker sites began to flourish in the 1990s following the advent of the internet, and the rake for cash games was largely by the card rooms in Las Vegas.

At the time, the likes of Caesars and Mirage led the way for having a max rake per game, especially for those playing Texas Hold’Em.

The early online poker rooms started to take more of an interest in high stakes players, and establishing the rake contribution or entry fee for each poker player, and there was inevitably a deposit bonus advertised for a rakeback program.

However, it was Paradise Poker’s Bruce Davidson, who in 2002, changed the rake structure for poker games. He thought it made sense to incentivise those players who contributed the most at a poker table or paid higher tournament fees to be rewarded appropriately for online cash games.

This, in turn, heralded the rise of weighted pot contribution for live games, which assessed the percentage rake for a player versus player game, and assigned the same split for the total rake amount taken by the poker room.

HOW IS THE POKER RAKE CALCULATED?

Raking for casinos will be calculated differently for live cash games compared to tournaments, as with the latter, the poker tournament fee will be higher depending on the calibre of players competing.

Ring game rake in poker rooms, for example, will be calculated as a true percentage for a cash poker game, and they will use a half to even method of rounding.

The pot rake is calculated by using two methods. First of all, you need to take into account the rake percentage, which is usually between 2.5 and 10% of the pot poker rooms, and this is what they will rake per poker game.

And then there is the cap, which is the maximum amount of paid rake from any given pot. You may find online sites that have a higher rake percentage with a lower rake amount, while a room with a low rake percentage may be more expensive to play.

Anyway, in terms of the way casinos calculate rake, the big blinds come into players as this will determine the rake cap and how expensive games are to play.

So, for example, if a 6-handed game was $0.10 per player, with two poker players all in at $10, the pot size would be $20.

If the rake is 5%, then the casino’s rake would be $1, and if the rake for the casino is $1, then there is no risk that the cap would be reached.

We have also used a table to show the schedule for an average rake for live cash games to make things easier to understand.

Stakes/Limit	Rake/Pot	Max Rake
$0.10/$0.20	$0.01/$0.20 in pot	$0.20
$0.25/$0.50	$0.01/$0.20 in pot	$0.40
$0.50/$1.00	$0.01/$0.20 in pot	$0.50

HOW DO ONLINE CASINOS CHARGE RAKE?

Online casinos will have a variable rate for any given poker game, but as mentioned, the rake will usually be set at between 2 to 10% of the overall pot size, and it is at the discretion of the casino as to the lowest rake they will accept.

POKER RAKE TYPES

Depending on the type of poker rakes, this will have an impact on your expected value, and dictate your strategy. So, for example, in high raked games, you will need to be much tighter in all the rake to bolster your chances of winning.

Below, we have run through some of the rake categories, and explain their significance in poker.

DEALT RAKE

With dealt rake, poker players aren’t required to contribute to a rake. Instead, if there has been sufficient tournament buy in, for example, this will raise the prize pool and allow high stakes players to earn more points and access more exclusive online poker deals at a poker site.

The dealt method calculates the rake amount by sharing the total rake between the players that have been dealt a hand at the table. Let’s look at an example of the dealt rake for a No Limit poker game involving six players where the rake is 27%, and final pot is worth $60.

• 5% rake of $60 = $3
• $3 rake divided between six players = $0.5
• 27% rakeback of $0.5 = $0.135

SIMPLE CONTRIBUTED

With contributed rake back, the more you put in, the more you will get back. If you put in the lowest rake for a poker game, the less you will get back. It’s that simple!

So, if you are playing an online poker game where there is a $60 pot in a $100 No Limit poker game with a 30% rakeback, and as an entry fee, you have wagered $25 into the pot, the rakeback would be worked out as follows:

• 5% rake of $25 = $1.25
• 30% rakeback of $1.25 = $0.369

What other players wager for a poker game will also be taken into consideration for what the table pays out at the end.

WEIGHTED CONTRIBUTED

This is probably the purest form of rake invented for poker games. The buy in will be dictated by what each player puts in.

So, if you contributed 50% of the total pot while playing online, you would be attributed 50% of the rake paid in that hand.

Similarly, if you put in a sum equivalent to 10% of the overall pot for the buy in, then you would be attributed 10% of the rake established by the poker site you have committed to in question.

ACTUAL RAKE

A poker site will take rake back from poker games, and there will usually be a cap for how much can be taken from the pot.

In many live poker games, for example, the rake will be capped at $5 or $10 per hand, but when poker sites collect rake, they will have more joy for low rake games.

They are often perceived as money pits by those who spend hours playing poker, and micro games stakes for some who play online are deemed to be unbeatable. Therefore, it is much easier for casinos to generate revenue for low rake games.

RAKE RULE VS. “NO FLOP, NO DROP”

While online poker games at a casino will see a certain amount taken from the pot to cover overheads, with no flop, no drop games at poker sites, the casino will not be allowed to take a rake or house fee if a hand does not see a flop during a particular hand.

Many poker sites, however, will charge a dead drop fee for games, and this is a rate where everyone pays the same level of buy in.

RAKE LIMITS IN POKER CASH GAMES

Aside from rakeback deals at occasional rake free tournaments, poker sites will have limits for games which we have explored in more detail in this section.

RAKE LIMIT

The rake limit will vary from one poker site to the next. For example, the rake limit enforced at Las Vegas casinos may be higher than most places around the world.

For example, the Las Vegas rake rate for Bellagio is 10% up to $4 max per hand, which is quite favourable compared to other casino destinations.

RAKE LIMIT SET

While there are other non-percentage ways for the casinos to collect the rake, normally, it is valued at 2.5% to 5% of the pot in each poker hand.

UNLIMITED RAKE

Unlimited rake games are fairly rare by all accounts, although if playing at an online poker site, then the game software provided by the leading casino developers will make things intrinsically exciting for any winning player.

Usually, the buy in for an unlimited rake game will be extraordinarily high, and they will suit high rollers or VIPs who like spending more on games. This is ideal for those casinos collecting rake during poker tournaments.

MAXIMUM RAKE

Usually, the rake for a game will be a maximum of 15% of any given hand in the pot, but the rake will be stipulated by the casino in the terms and conditions section on the site. Players ought to read this first, so they know what is expected of them before they join a game.

Online casinos with gaming licenses will also be required to notify players of the key facets of any given game, and that will include rake limits set.

WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO GET RAKE IN POKER?

So, if you want to know how to get rake for poker tournaments or regular cash games, this section will put you in the picture.

PERCENTAGE FEE

The rake will usually be a scaled commission fee worked out by the casino, and this will usually be a flat percentage that will range from 2.5% to 10%, but this will be at the discretion of the casino, so it depends on where you play.

FIXED FEE

Most poker tournaments will have a fixed fee, and this will depend on the number of players participating as well as the level of competition.

Regardless, you will pay rake in every tournament that you enter, and if a high roller game, this can pay off for the winning player.

GAME TIME FEE

Some players will happily while away hours playing cash games without realising, and this is where the timed collection rake was brought in.

Poker players will be charged for every hour they play, and if they only play during a half hour slot, they will still be charged. Nevertheless, they are still popular with high rollers.

TOURNAMENT FEE

Whether it is Hold’Em or Omaha, you will be required to pay a tournament fee or buy in when you make your way to the table. Generally, the average rake sits in the 10-20% region.

Sometimes, it is better to find a poker site with a low rake fee, especially if you are trying to manage your bankroll properly, and have an idea of how many betting units you can afford per round of poker.

SUBSCRIPTION FEE

In exchange for playing games or poker tournaments at a site, some players can tap into a subscription model, where they are charged a weekly or monthly subscription fee. The premise of this, is that casinos will be able to retain the long-term loyalty of players, and stop them joining other sites.

NO FEES

Many online poker rooms will have no rakes. Freerolls, or free to enter tournaments, are a great way for players to fine-tune and hone in on their technique before taking part in cash games.

Free to enter roll tournaments are a great introduction for novice players, and it is also worth bearing in mind that some reduce rake poker tournaments also have a prize pool.

WHAT ARE PLAYER POINTS?

Player points are specifically designed programs designed to reward players who take part in games or tournaments.

For example, for every $1 in rake you spend when you play at a table, you get $1 in return, so if you contribute $200 in rake for a high stakes game, you will generate 200 points.

With player points, you stand to win other cool prizes, such as a night’s stay at a hotel or free cash to splash at the casino which will always appeal.

WHAT IS RAKEBACK?

Rakeback is a monthly rewards program where players get cash back depending on how well they perform.

This will vary from casino to casino, and if you are proficient enough, you can make a living from rakeback. You could get as much as 50% of your rake back which will be paid into your online poker account.

HOW DOES RAKEBACK WORK AT ENERGYCASINO?

Energy Casino is renowned for its coverage of poker, and the rakeback is usually awarded in the form of bonus spins that can be used on the many slots advertised.

RAKE POKER IN TOURNAMENTS AT ONLINE POKER SITES

The tournament rake for events will be calculated as a percentage of the overall buy in, and the overall tournament fees will be based on several factors, such as the number of big blinds available. Generally, you are more likely to find high rollers take part in tournaments as they will have a bigger disposable income.

HOW IS RAKE TAKEN IN POKER TOURNAMENTS?

The rake will be collected before each hand from the dealer, and there will be a minimum and maximum betting limit. For poker tournaments, there will be multiple losing players, so this will often increase what is in the pot.

CASH GAMES RAKE AT ENERGYCASINO

Energy Casino is replete with cash games where a rake is involved, and it usually reaches a high of 10% per hand. Remember, you should only choose games to play based on your bankroll and skill level, otherwise, you could find your losses spiral out of control.

CONCLUSION

As we have seen, rake plays a crucial role in the way poker games are carried out. Whatever game you wish to enter, you should take into consideration the rake, and see if you have the bankroll to take part.

The rake will determine your ranges in the pre-flop stage, and you should use the knowledge gained from this guide to act as a prompt moving forward if you find yourself flustered with rake.