Rake in poker: what is it and how it is calculated

27 August 2021

Every professional poker player knows about such a term as rake in poker. However, beginners often face difficulties when calculating the commission and have almost no idea what a raked hand is. In this article, we will try to understand these issues.

What is rake in poker

Rake in poker is a certain amount (commission) that the room takes from the pot after the hand. The fee for providing a platform for the game is the main income of the company.

The process in which a resource takes at least a minimum commission is called a raked hand. For example, in Hold’em and Omaha, all hands are considered raked hands, except those finished on the preflop.

The amount of the commission in most cases depends on:

the selected limit – the higher it is, the higher the percentage;
the number of participants at the table – the more participants, the greater the CAP (CAP is the maximum percentage in one hand. Accordingly, the higher the indicator, the less profitable the game is in a particular resource);
a type of poker.

The rake percentage also depends on the type of game: on average, the percentage in cash is 3-5% of the pot, and in tournaments – 5-10% of the buy-in.

Rake collection methods

Rake in poker rooms is charged in different ways. We present the main methods of collecting commission – from the rarest to the most common.

Dealt.

It is the rake collection method, in which each player who takes the cards pays an equal amount of commission. It does not matter whether the poker player has discarded the cards or not. This method belongs to the most outdated methods of calculating the rake.

For example: out of 5 players, three of them discarded their cards on the preflop, the rest went all-in. The rake will be divided equally between all participants at the table.

Simple Contributed.

With this system, the rake in poker will be charged only from those poker players who have deposited funds to the pot. This method has become a replacement for Dealt, but it also cannot be called objective.

Weighted Contributed

It is the most popular and the most objective method for paying rake today. Under the terms of this system, each player receives as much rake as the money he has deposited to the pot. Here we would like to suggest poker players that many poker rooms working on such a system organize rake races. How to participate in these exciting competitions, you can find out in our section about rake racing.

Actual

The winner pays the rake at the end of the game.

Source based rake

The main factor in this method is the factor of playing for real money or for winning funds. Even though all participants will pay the same, the poker player who plays for the winning funds will receive only half of the rake. By deposit, we mean the first deposit and the sum of all deposits and cashouts.

For example: one poker player will play for the deposited funds, the other – for the won ones. Both participants will deposit $5, and the total rake will be $10. Since half of the commission will be calculated using the WC system (Weighted Contributed), each player is guaranteed to receive $2.5. Next, the depository factor comes into effect, thanks to which the player receives $7.5 rake for money, and his opponent – only $2.5.< / em>

True value rake

Payouts are based on an analysis of the player’s skill level: the number of wins, hands played, etc. Amateurs are awarded a higher percentage than defeated.

For example: you pay $5, which is distributed as follows: $ 2 gets a regular, $3 – an amateur player.

On our website you will find reviews of rooms with the best rake in the poker industry. In addition, when registering from Poker-Royal777, you will be guaranteed favorable Rakeback conditions in all networks and rooms, which you can read about here.