{"id":7186,"date":"2022-01-27T14:49:32","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bettingwebsites.org.uk\/?page_id=7186"},"modified":"2022-01-27T14:49:42","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:49:42","slug":"rake","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bettingwebsites.org.uk\/articles\/poker-guides\/rake\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Rake in Poker and How to Calculate It?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Most poker games and variants involve a rake but this often misunderstood or entirely ignored by less experienced players. It is certainly easy to do so, but not paying attention to the rake is an easy way to hand over the edge to your opponents.<\/p>\n
The following article will dive deeper into what exactly a rake is in poker and how it is calculated.<\/p>\n
In simple terms, a rake is a commission taken by the casino. This is usually scaled and put towards operating costs.<\/p>\n
Rake can be collected at the start of play via buy-in costs for tournaments. Alternatively, it can be claimed as a percentage of each pot during the game.<\/p>\n
If you have played in a casino, spotting the rake is far more apparent as the dealer removes chips from the pot of most hands. Online, however, the rake will be shown on-screen with a figure but is often ignored by many players.<\/p>\n
Commonly, 2.5% to 10% of each pot is collected as the rake. There are also other non-percentage methods for the house to collect the rake.<\/p>\n
It should go without saying, but higher rakes are worse from the point of view of the players.\u00a0 Bigger players can often negotiate better rakes via VIP schemes and some sites offer cashback of a percentage of the rake.<\/p>\n
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Rake can be taken in many ways. Here is a rundown of some of those ways and how each work:<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most common type of rake is the previously mentioned pot rake. Here, a percentage rake is taken directly from the pot, either manually in a land-based casino or automatically online. This percentage is most commonly on a sliding scale with a maximum cap.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This variation of rake collection sees one player pay the rake for each round. The fee is put on the dealer button by the player on the button and is collected by the dealer ahead of the card dealing. This is a far less commonly seen method of rake collection compared to pot rakes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This method is also known as a \u2018table charge\u2019 or as a \u2018timed rake\u2019. As the name suggests, it operates based on time, usually a set half-hour period. Time rakes are the preferred method of rake collection for high limit poker games.<\/p>\n
There are two different ways of collecting this type of rake. The first is based on player time and collects a set amount from every player in the game. The second is known as \u2018time pot\u2019 and a set value is taken from the first pot exceeding a predetermined total.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This type of rake is self-explanatory. Fees are fixed ahead of the game meaning the rake does not change. Fixed fees come in two different variants:<\/p>\n
Tournament fees are used in cash games and the rake is taken for taking part in these poker tournaments is requested as an entree fee. This will often be denoted in the buy-in price by a \u2018+\u2019 followed by the rake alongside the initial buy-in fee. This additional house fee is also called the \u2018vig\u2019. Sometimes the fixed fee rake is included within the total price and is listed within this fee.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, subscription fees are used by some online poker platform providers. These usually come in a monthly deal and include a rake total, meaning no rake is taken for individual pots, games, or tournaments thereafter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A select number of online poker platforms have abandoned rake fees. They have done so by generating income via other means, frequently directing traffic to casino pages and sportsbooks. Other sites do not charge a rake fee if you are a frequent visitor. Reduced rakes may also be available for less frequent visitors to these sites.<\/p>\n
However, as there are often large costs associated with operating an online poker platform (servers, marketing, etc.), you might be hard-pressed to find many rake-free games. What you may find instead, are short-term promotional offers for new players, providing an incentive to sign-up and give the platform a go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The rake is calculated in a different way depending on the type of game. For cash games, the rake is dependent on the pot size, whereas, for tournaments, the predetermined take total is built into the buy-in fee.<\/p>\n
As alluded to above, the way in which rake is collected will vary depending on whether you are playing poker in person or online. In online games, the rake will typically depend on the stake and is often set around the 5% mark.<\/p>\n
In casinos, the rake can sometimes be higher at around 10% with a maximum cap included. In general, the higher the stakes, the smaller the relative rake. Naturally, rakes will vary from platform to platform, so it\u2019s worth comparing various sites to make sure you\u2019re getting good value out of your money.<\/p>\n