In this guide we’ll learn the following:
What Does it Mean to Take Rake in Poker?
The dealer will take a predetermined percentage from each pot that sees a flop. In an online game the rake is taken automatically. Although rake is most commonly calculated as a percentage of the total pot, in some casinos it might be a fixed fee taken from the players/pot at certain intervals.
How Much is the Rake in Poker?
The rake can be anywhere from 0% to 10% of the total pot in most games. It’s worth keeping in mind that live games typically take more rake than online games. It’s also common to employ a ‘cap’ which is a ceiling on the total amount that can be taken from any given pot. Rake is usually only taken in pots where a flop is seen.
What is the Rake in Online Poker?
Online poker rake is usually between 0 and 7% of the total pot. Nearly all online poker rooms have an upper ceiling on the amount that can be raked from any given pot which is known as the ‘cap’. The cap increases based on the limits played. As an example it’s common for mid and high stakes games to have a cap of around $3 or $4.
How does the Rake Work in Tournament Poker?
The rake in tournament poker is taken alongside the entry fee. Some rooms may even break down what part of the fee is buyin and what part is the rake. For example, if an entry is $5 + $0.50 it means that $5 goes to the prizepool while $0.5 goes directly to the room as payment for running the tournament. It is not uncommon for a room to take around 10% of the total prizepool as rake. Once the tournament starts, no additional rake is taken since this would result in a smaller amount of chips left for the remaining players.
What is the Rake Cap?
The rake cap is an upper ceiling on how much rake can be deducted from any given pot. It functions alongside the rake percentage to determine the total amount of rake that is taken.
As an example a room might take 5% rake with a $3 cap. A $200 pot would only have $3 taken from it because 5% of $200 ($10) would be larger than the cap.
What is Rakeback?
After a poker room takes rake it’s common for that room to give a percentage of that rake back to the players as rewards. If a poker room has some type of loyalty reward system for regular players this is a form of ‘rakeback’ even if it is not called rakeback directly by the room.
What is Meant by ‘No Flop No Drop’?
‘No flop no drop’ is a common poker expression which means that no rake will be taken from the pot unless a flop is seen. This rule applies to the majority of poker rooms as standard, but there are some rooms out there that will rake the pot regardless of whether the flop is seen or not.
Final Thoughts
Many players aren’t too concerned with the rake and jump into games without having a good idea regarding how much they are paying. Overly high rake can actually make it impossible to beat a game (this is known as a ‘rake trap’).
It’s recommended to analyze the rake structure before jumping into a game of poker and make some comparisons plus basic calculations. Just as when purchasing an item, it makes sense to see if we are getting a reasonable deal before making the decision to go ahead.
See Also
