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Poker glossary

Rake

What it means

Rake is the commission fee that poker rooms, whether online or live, charge for hosting cash games and tournaments. This fee represents the house’s primary source of revenue since players compete against each other rather than against the casino. In cash games, rake is typically taken as a percentage of each pot, while tournaments charge it as part of the buy-in fee.

How it works at the table

In a typical $1/$2 no-limit hold’em cash game, the house might take 5% of each pot up to a maximum of $5. If you win a $60 pot, the dealer removes $3 before pushing you the remaining $57. Some rooms use a time-based system instead - charging each player $7 every half hour regardless of how many pots they play. Online sites often use a weighted contributed method where rake is attributed based on how much each player put into the pot. Tournament rake appears in the buy-in structure: a $100+$10 event means $100 goes to the prize pool and $10 to the house.

Strategic context

Rake significantly impacts your winrate and game selection decisions. A game with 10% rake up to $10 requires a much higher skill edge to beat than one with 5% capped at $4. High rake environments demand tighter ranges and more selective play since marginal spots become unprofitable. This is why many winning players at higher stakes struggle at micro limits where rake represents a larger percentage of the pot. Understanding rake’s impact helps you choose profitable games and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Common mistakes

Players often ignore rake when calculating their hourly rate or required bankroll. They’ll play in games with excessive rake structures thinking their skill edge overcomes it. Many also fail to account for rakeback programs and promotions that effectively reduce the rake paid. Some players don’t realize that heads-up pots often have reduced or no rake, making isolation plays more profitable than they initially appear.

Rake directly affects your pot odds calculations and long-term profitability. Games with lower rake allow for looser preflop ranges and more marginal postflop decisions. The concept of “beating the rake” is fundamental to professional play - you need to win enough to cover both opponent losses and house fees. Rakeback programs return a percentage of paid rake to players, effectively lowering the cost of playing and improving winrates for regular players.