Poker Rake

Poker rake is a lesser-known term in poker, although it is an important one. Rake is the mandatory commission fee that the poker rooms charges in a game. Generally, the 2.5% to 10% of the pot in each poker hand is up to a predetermined maximum amount.

Poker rake is taken to provide the necessary services for the game to take place. When it comes to online poker, it covers various operation costs like support, software, and personnel.

What is Rake in Poker?

As aforementioned, rake is basically a portion of winnings, the host takes from cash poker games to run the costs of online poker sites/offline poker houses smoothly. In a casino setting, you will notice the dealer taking chips out of the pot and keeping them aside. That is a poker rake. In offline poker places like casinos, the rake is used to pay the staff and pay for the equipment.

Different Poker Rakes

Pot rake

Pot rake is a percentage that is directly taken from the pot. In a live casino, the dealer manually removes the chips from the pot while the hand is being played and keeps them aside. On the completion of the hand, it is dropped in a secure box. In online poker, the software takes the rakes automatically. Some software show the amount of rake next to a graph and take it incrementally between betting rounds, while other software programs wait until the entire hand is over and then take it from the pot total. Mostly, this is the method of collecting rake in online poker.

Dead drop

The player places the fee on the dealer button, and that is taken by the dealer before any cards are dealt.

Time collection

Time collection, also known as "timed rake" or "table change," is a set fee that is collected after every half an hour during the game. This is the form of rake that can be collected in two ways.

Player time: A definite amount is collected from the player.

Time pot: A particular amount is collected from the first pot over a certain amount.

Fixed fees: The fee taken is a fixed rate, and it does not vary based on the pot size.

Tournament fees

The rake that is taken for participating in poker tournaments is collected as an entrance fee. Mostly, it is displayed by showing the tournament buy-in with a certain amount as entrance fee. Otherwise, they will show their buy-in and list the percentage for expenses.

Subscription fees

Some online poker websites have a monthly subscription model and do not take poker rakes for individual pots or tournaments.

Rake free

There is a concept of taking no poker rake at all. Some poker websites have such facilities where they generate profits by increasing traffic either by the company's other profitable businesses or by charging monthly membership or deposit fees. Some websites pay for free rake for frequent players but lower poker rake fees for other players.

How to Calculate Poker Rake

Depending on the type of game, poker rake is calculated differently

Cash Games: Rake is based on the amount of money in the pot.

Tournaments: There is a pre-set amount built into the buy-in.

What are the Casino Poker Rules for Cash Games?

Essentially, live casinos go for about 10% rake in poker. The rake is collected, which is much less punitive the higher you go. Rakes in tournaments are entirely based on the initial buy-in of a tournament. For instance, if 100 rupees go to the prize pool, 10 rupees will go to the house.

Rakeback

Rakeback is a method of rewarding players, where some online poker sites or their affiliate partners return a portion of the rake tournament entries a player pays. This is, in actuality, an incentive for them to continue playing on that site.

You can calculate rakeback in cash games using two different games: dealt and contributed. The dealt method gives the same amount of rakeback to each player dealt into a hand and contributed method rewards players depending on their actual contribution to the pot. This is a part of the rake rules. In poker tournaments, the room's entry fee becomes a portion of rakeback.

For online poker professionals, rakeback has become a means of increasing profits or cutting down on their losses. Online poker experts can earn a lot of money depending on the stakes, how many tables they play, and the number of hours played daily. Such professionals are known as 'rakeback pros.' Not every online poker room has a rakeback. Some opt for affiliates to offer rakeback, which comes from a direct percentage of the pot and tournament entries.

How To Beat Poker Rake?

Reduce Rake in Cash Games

You can look for websites like MPL, which have a reasonable rake structure. That is the first and foremost thing to do. By using this, you can enjoy a higher win rate on the former since it has a much-reduced poker rake. Also, go for shorter stacks since they tend to pay less rake.

How to Pay Less Rake

The most important thing to pay less rake is choosing the correct pot type. Novice players participate in too many marginal pots. Here are some ways you can minimise your exposure to inflated rake.

Make use of the call button: Mostly, the player is unsure whether a pre-flop flat call will be profitable or not. Have a plan after the flop whenever you make a call; so that you are not doing this randomly.

Be Aware of your Position: Check your database and see if there are any unprofitable hands from every position. Cutting out the most significant losers can greatly impact your win rate and how much you pay in rake. Follow this because it's tough to turn a profit with an extensive range in early position or the blinds.

Don't Play Fit or Fold: If you ever call 3-bet or continue post-flop just to "see what happens," then you are probably leaking money right down the drain. Anytime you commit money to the pot, make sure it has a purpose, and you know your plan. This usually takes a read of some kind.

Winning at Tournaments and SNGs

Poker sites generally charge 5% rake in cash games and 10% rake in tournaments. Winning at tournaments is easier because the challenges and playing fields are not that harsh. However, the bigger buy-in the lesser the rake.

How to Beat the Rake in Fixed Buy-in Events

There are a few approaches that you can take to lower your total cost to play:

Add satellites to your match schedule – As compared to regular events, satellites tend to be less harsher. Using these to win seats in bigger buy-in events can help lower your business costs.

Play more turbo matches – Turbo matches usually have a lower rake due to them having a faster gameplay. Keep in mind that your win rate will be lower because of how fast the blinds go up, and that requires luck.

Play on softer sites – Your key factor to contribute to your ROI depends on how many bad players are there on the field. All poker sites have beatable tournaments, some are less hasrsher and have newbie players than the rest. Do not go for websites with rewards meant for high volume players.

History of Poker Rake

The first casinos were called "gambling houses" and have existed for hundreds of years. And as long as casinos have been there, they applied different methods of charging their customers. In the USA, the gambling places were called "saloons". During the early 20th century, most of these casinos were illegal in the USA.

In India too, you can find its mentions in Ramayana, which means that it has been there since 7300 BC despite some books mentioning as 430 BC.

How does Poker Rake Influence Different Situations?

In simple terms, higher rake lowers your Expected Value (EV). That means a higher rake compels you to play a tighter style of poker. All the marginal postflop become folds. Moreover, this has an effect on the preflop ranges since the marginal open raises, calls, and 3-bets depend on those marginal value bets, bluffs, and calls to be profitable. Thus, you have to play a tighter preflop and postflop.

Is Taking Poker Rake Legal?

An establishment with the required requisite permits and gaming licenses are legally allowed to charge a rake fee. While there are places you can play cash games in private dwellings, however, it's illegal to earn money through such games, whether through tournament fee or a poker rake.

Play and Earn through MPL

Now that you're familiar with the rules of poker rake, you can simply sign up in MPL and play the game. MPL has both cash games and tournaments. Also, there are paid as well as free poker games for you to try and master the skills. MPL is India's most trusted website for card games, casual and fantasy. So, join in!

FAQs

What is rake in poker?

The poker rake is a certain amount of money that both online and offline poker houses take from players. Several methods of calculating poker rake include pot rake, fixed fee, dead drop, and tournament fees or timed collection. To calculate the amount, go for an online poker calculator.

How does rake work on cash poker tables?

In most of the poker houses, taking a rake is mandatory. The host will take away a percentage of your winnings if you are playing cash games. However, there is a limit to that. They will fix a specific range for the users to understand and apply the same using an online poker rake calculator.

What are the types of rake in poker?

When it comes to online poker, one has to majorly calculate it using the following norms like pot rake, fixed fee, timed collection, and no rake. You can calculate them using any online poker rake calculator for any variation. E.g., Texas Hold'Em or Omaha.

what does rake depend upon?

In online poker, the rake percentage of the pot can go anywhere between 2.5% to 10%. These rates can fluctuate according to cash games and tournaments you have played, your buy-in chips, or even the time you've spent on the website. The definition of poker rake will differ here, whether it is in terms of the percentage of the pot or it is fixed.