What is rake in poker? ...Middle East

Rake, the small commission taken from most cash game pots or paid as part of a tournament entry in poker, has become universal across live cardrooms and online poker sites, funding operations and platform costs.

Typical percentages range roughly from 2-10% of a pot, usually subject to a capped maximum to limit large‑pot deductions. Its presence is constant and systematic, making an accurate grasp of rates, caps and collection methods essential for every player that is seeking long‑term profitability.

Yet, the cumulative effect of rake on win rates is often underestimated; a few big blinds per 100 hands can be removed, turning marginal winners into breakeven or losing players if structures and rakeback are not optimised. Live games generally face higher effective rake than online, while varied reward schemes and rakeback tiers can partially offset costs.

Understanding how different structures (percentage, time, fixed, tournament fees) and incentives interact will be outlined so that practical strategies for minimising the burden can be applied. This knowledge is crucial for any aspiring poker player. Here, I’ll explain what a rake is in poker, how it is calculated and collected in different forms, how it affects profitability, how online and live structures differ, what rakeback offers do and practical ways to minimise the cost when you’re playing.

Definition of rake in poker

Rake in poker is the commission fee taken by the house (casino or online site) from each qualifying cash game pot, or via the entry fee portion of a tournament buy‑in. It is usually a small percentage subject to a cap, or a fixed/time charge, and is the primary revenue source enabling the game’s operation and services.

How rake is calculated

Rake is typically a stated percentage of each eligible cash game pot (often about 3%-6% online, up to roughly 10% live) taken incrementally as chips are pulled in until a hard monetary cap is reached; once the cap is met no further amount is removed.

Percentage and cap vary by stakes, poker variant, table size and site, and some rooms apply “no flop, no drop” so no rake is taken if all fold pre‑flop. True percentage or incremental rounding methods may be used.

Example: £80 pot at 5% with a £3 cap: raw 5%=£4, but only £3 is taken.

Different types of rake in poker

Several collection methods are used to generate house revenue. Each alters incentives, speed of play and effective cost per hand, so you should know what rake you’re dealing with before you make any strategic adjustments.

Pot rake

A percentage of each qualifying pot is removed until a stated cap is reached; beyond that no further amount is taken, creating a declining effective rate as pot size grows. Typical percentages span roughly 2.5%-10%, often around 5%, with caps (e.g. £3) and occasionally extra jackpot drops. Smaller, multi‑way pots bear the heaviest relative burden.

Example: £40 pot at 5% with a £3 cap → £2 taken; £120 pot at same table → £3 (cap) rather than £6 raw percentage, halving effective rate.

Dead drop

A fixed amount is posted on the dealer button before cards are dealt and collected immediately, irrespective of pot size or participation. Cost concentrates on the button position but equalises over many orbits. Predictability aids bankroll tracking, though players folding frequently on their button will still have to pay.

Example: £2 dead drop in a nine‑handed game produces £18 per full orbit for the house; a £10 pot or a £150 pot in that hand both incur exactly £2.

Time collection

Instead of per‑pot deductions, a fixed “time” fee is gathered at regular intervals (commonly every 30 or 60 minutes) either from each player (seat “rental”) or from an agreed “time pot”.

This method is favoured in many higher‑limit live games, it accelerates dealing because no chips are scraped mid‑hand, often lowering effective cost (in big blinds per 100 hands) compared with percentage rake in fast, high‑volume environments.

Example: £10 per half hour per player at £5/£10 equals £20 hourly; if 35 hands are dealt, cost ≈2 big blinds per hour.

Fixed fee

A constant amount is removed from each pot regardless of size or whether a cap would otherwise have been reached. This simplicity creates a regressive structure, as small pots suffer a high effective percentage while large pots dilute the charge. It can motivate players to avoid marginal small pots and play more decisively, so it can help you to focus mid-game!

Example: £1 fixed fee: £10 pot → 10% effective; £50 pot → 2%; £150 pot → 0.67%. Thus table texture (average pot size) strongly influences the real cost borne.

Poker tournament fee

Tournament rake is charged upfront via the advertised buy‑in split (e.g. £100+£15) with the first part entering the prize pool and the second retained by the house; individual pots are then not raked. Effective percentage varies: so lower buy‑ins often carry higher relative fees than high rollers due to fixed operational overheads. Ancillary costs (staffing, venue, marketing) are therefore split across entries.

Example: £50+£10 event → 16.7% fee; £1,000+£80 event → 7.4% fee, illustrating scale benefits for larger buy‑ins.

No Flop

Under “no flop, no drop” rules, no rake is taken if the poker hand ends pre‑flop (all others fold), which incentivises pre‑flop pressure and enables aggressive blind steals to be earned rake‑free. Some rooms will apply the policy universally; others may still take a minimal amount, but most standard implementations remove the entire charge. Effective average rake per 100 hands is reduced when a higher proportion of hands finish before community cards.

Example: If 25% of hands end pre‑flop in such a game, that quarter contributes £0 each versus small deductions otherwise, lowering overall cost.

How rake impacts profitability for players

Rake reduces attainable win rate because the house commission (often 2.5%-10% with caps) must be beaten before profit is realised, so marginal theoretical edges can be erased. Low‑stakes (live) and micro‑stakes (online) structures will extract a higher share in big blinds per 100 hands, shrinking hourly expectation and increasing bankroll volatility.

A pre‑rake 7 bb/100 edge paying 5 bb/100 realises only 2 bb/100; adding 27% rakeback to 4.57 bb/100 paid returns 1.23 bb/100, lifting net results. Even small cap increases (e.g. +$2) measurably lower hourly win rates.

Example: 50,000 hands at 2 bb/100 yields 1,000 bb versus 350 bb at 0.7 bb/100 after higher rake.

Differences between online poker rake vs live poker

Online rake is generally structured with lower nominal percentages and tighter monetary caps because operating costs per table are reduced and hand volume is higher. Live poker tends to use higher percentages, larger caps, occasional jackpot drops, or time collection to cover physical overheads.

Online hands per hour multiply the number of capped pots, so total hourly rake outlay can still rival live. Live games’ slower pace means each raked pot carries more weight in big blinds. “No flop, no drop” is more consistently applied online, slightly easing the cost for aggressive pre‑flop strategies compared with some live rooms.

Understanding rakeback programs and benefits

Rakeback programmes were created to return part of the commission to players, improving sustainability, smoothing variance and sharpening long‑term ROI. Below I’ve outlined their structure, calculation and strategic value to take into consideration:

What is rakeback?

Rakeback is a rebate system through which a poker site or casino returns a defined portion of the rake you generated, usually as cash, loyalty points, poker tournament tickets or shop credits. It effectively lowers your net cost per hand and raises true win rate (bb/100) without altering strategic decisions.

Percentages are often tiered, starting perhaps near 5%-10% for casual accounts and rising towards 30%-40% or higher for sustained volume or elite VIP levels. Occasional promotional offers, leaderboards or milestone bonuses are also folded into headline rates, producing blended effective returns beyond the published base figure for many regular players annually.

How does rakeback work?

Rakeback works by tracking contributed rake per hand under a chosen accounting model, then applying scheduled calculations that credit a percentage back at defined intervals. Three tracking methods are common: dealt (every seated player receives equal credit), contributed (only those putting money in the pot receive proportional credit), and winner (rare now, awards the pot winner).

Sites aggregate your monthly or weekly totals, map them to tier thresholds, and issue rewards automatically or on request. Effective rate is therefore total value returned divided by gross rake paid. Added “quests”, chests, or leaderboard prizes from the site you’re playing on further lift the realised percentage over time.

Strategies to minimise rake costs

My top tip is that game selection should be prioritised: choose tables with lower percentages, modest caps, and “no flop, no drop” policies. Stakes should be moved up only once edge and bankroll justify time collection structures that reduce cost per hand.

Marginal speculative calls should be trimmed because small, multi‑way pots are really rake-heavy. Pre‑flop aggression should be increased to win blinds rake‑free. Deep effective stacks should be preferred so the cap is reached less frequently relative to potential pot growth. Rakeback tiers and promotions should be maximised. Also, tracking software should be used to measure net bb/100 after rebates and you should monitor jackpot drops!

Conclusion

Rake is the house’s essential commission, structured through percentage pots, time charges, fixed fees and tournament entries; understanding its forms, caps and behavioural incentives helps preserve your edge at the real (or virtual) table.

By comparing live vs online conditions, leveraging rakeback and adjusting strategy to reduce marginal, rake‑heavy spots, you can materially protect win rate and sustain your profitability.

Poker rake FAQ

1. Which poker site offers the best rake?

The “best” sites combine low formal percentages (≈3%–5%) with modest caps (£3–£5 online) and strong rakeback (20%–60% upper tiers) to reduce effective cost, and comparison tools quantify site differences. Check out our best online poker sites guide for further help!

2. How does rake impact my winnings?

Each pound of rake paid reduces raw win rate; at small stakes it can convert a theoretical 8 bb/100 edge to 3 bb/100 after deductions, lengthening variance recovery time and bankroll needs.

3. Why do poker rooms take a rake?

Because poker is player‑versus‑player, the house does not gamble against you. Commission/Rake funds the dealers, software, staff, licensing and infrastructure, forming primary revenue.

4. Is there a maximum rake amount in poker?

Yes, caps limit per‑hand deductions (e.g. £3–£5 online, up to $10 or more live), though some venues vary or occasionally run uncapped games, which can influence effective net percentage.

About the author

Daniel Smyth

Daniel Smyth has seen the online poker, casino, and betting industry from every angle. He previously played poker semi-professionally before working at WPT Magazine as a writer and editor. From there, he transitioned to online gaming where he’s been producing expert content for over 10 years.

Follow Daniel on Twitter @DanSmythThePoet

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