Poker sites make their money by taking a small % (known as the rake) of a cash game pot, if the amount of money in the middle reaches a high enough total.
Poker Rake Explained
It does not matter to a poker site who wins a cash game hand, if the hand is raked (a defined minimum amount in the pot then they will take a small % of the money in the pot.
Poker sites will not usually take an unlimited amount of rake from the cash game pot, there is normally a maximum rake amount, between $3 - $5 is the normal for online Poker rooms. Even during a cash game hand where players have lost $100,000's the poker site will still only take the maximum rake amount from that pot!
Poker rooms normally rake an average of 5% for cash games and around 10% for tournaments. The difference is that you play far fewer tournaments than cash game hands. Another aspect to take note of is that the rake is higher for lower stakes cash games than high stakes cash games. This is so the poker site makes some money from micro stakes players using their software and services. It also has the added bonus that lower stakes cash game players get more rakeback than they would if the rake % was kept standard at all table limits.
Cash Game Rake Example:
If there is $40 in the pot when the hand is won by a player then they make take $2 rake out of the $40. If you have a RakeMeBack rakeback deal then you may get a share of that rake and get paid some of it back as rakeback!
Poker Tournament Rake Example:
If you are playing a poker MTT (Multi Table Tournament) or SnG (Sit n Go) the poker rake takes a fixed % of the entry amount or buy-in as its rake. For poker tournaments the rake is called the Fee! For instance you join a $5+$0.50 tournament, the buy-in fee is $0.50 and this amount is not added to the prize pool. If you do not have a RakeMeBack rakeback deal with that site then you lose that $0.50 but if you have applied for a RakeMeBack rakeback deal with that site then you will get a % of it back. Just for signing up with RakeMeBack and applying for rakeback!
If you are a tight player or a Rock (a player who does plays very few hands) then this method of calculating your rake contribution to a hand and in the long term your rakeback, is not as good as the Dealt Rake Method but better for you than the Weighted Contribution Method.
Rake Methods
There are three main methods the poker rooms use to calculate rake and therefore how much rakeback you will be paid:
Dealt Rake Method
Contributed Rake Method
Weighted Contributed Rake Method
Each method rewards different styles of play and so your rake and rakeback may vary between different sites, although you are playing the same cash game table stakes and amount of hands. To find out more about how each rake contribution method will effect you, your rakeback payments and how to increase your rakeback amounts click on the links below.
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Poker sites make their money by taking a small % (known as the rake) of a cash game pot, if the amount of money in the middle reaches a high enough total.
Poker Rake Explained
Online poker sites charge a rake when you play cash games. Poker rake is a small percentage taken from the total betting amount and this is how the site makes its profit. The poker player who wins the cash game hand will win the amount in the middle, the pot, minus the rake.
Online poker players can play between 40-60 hands per hour on one table, so you can imagine the large amount of poker rake that each player contributes over a week or month.
If you have a Rakeback Deal or a VIP Deal through RakeMeBack then you can claim back a large percentage of the rake money you have contributed to the site. This is why these cash given back to you deals are called rakeback because you get a large amount of the rake paid back to you.
Rakeback = Cashback in your bankroll
The maths are simple, by playing the same amount of cash game poker with a Rakeback Deal through RakeMeBack compared to not being paid Rakeback, you are being paid to play poker. If you play poker without a Rakeback deal then you are literally giving away free money that could be in your bankroll.
RakeMeBack Rakeback deals can turn a slightly losing player into a winning player and a decent profitable player into a good long term winner. The money you get paid back from your Rakeback Deal also helps you to move up the cash game limits so you can win more money.
Cash Game Rake Example:
If the money in the middle, the pot, is worth a total of $40 when the hand is won the site may take out $2 rake. This rake amount paid to the site will be divided between the players involved in the hand. If you have a Rakeback deal you will get a large percentage of your share of the rake money back. If you do not have a Rakeback deal you will not get paid any of the rake money back. So those players who have a Rakeback deal are in theory winning a higher amount per hour than those on non Rakeback deals.
Poker Tournament Rake Example:
Poker Tournaments charge a Fee instead of a cash game Rake. The difference is that Poker Tournaments have a fixed amount you pay, the fee, but cash game Rake is variable. RakeMeBack members with Rakeback deals will normally get a large percentage of the Poker Tournament Fee money paid back to them, so it is the same as cash game Rakeback.
If you are a tight player or a Rock (a player who does plays very few hands) then this method of calculating your rake contribution to a hand and in the long term your rakeback, is not as good as the Dealt Rake Method but better for you than the Weighted Contribution Method.
Rake Methods
There are three main methods the poker rooms use to calculate rake and therefore how much rakeback you will be paid:
Dealt Rake Method
Contributed Rake Method
Weighted Contributed Rake Method
Each method rewards different styles of play and so your rake and rakeback may vary between different sites, although you are playing the same cash game table stakes and amount of hands. To find out more about how each rake contribution method will effect you, your rakeback payments and how to increase your rakeback amounts click on the links below.
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