Poker is one of the games that has gained much popularity over recent times. A lot of people, having heard about lucky gamblers and their impressive winnings, dream about playing poker to get rich very quickly. They try to find out the main secrets of this exciting game, learn various strategies, and later put their knowledge into practice. One of the first terms that novices learn about poker is “rake”.
The rake is a fee that poker rooms, as a rule, charge players who want to join a game. In cash games, the rake is usually a certain percentage of the pot. For instance, if the pot is one hundred euros, the poker room can charge three euros of commission. Thus, in this case, the lucky winner will receive ninety-seven euros instead of one hundred euros. In tournaments, the rake is, as a rule, a certain percentage of the buy-in. For example, in a tournament that is worth ten euros, the poker room charges one euro, and ten euros goes to the total prize pool.
Everything seems to be very simple, so why do players pay so much attention to the calculation of the rake? And why is the rake is highly important for poker rooms? Let’s figure it out.
Rake in poker: how is it calculated?
The amount of the rake depends on the limit rate: the higher it is, the lower the percentage becomes. Besides, it should be noted that, when calculating the amount of the rake, such a concept as a cap is taken into account by poker rooms. This is about the upper limit that the rake cannot exceed. As for poker rooms providing their services on the Internet, the cap there usually does not exceed ten euros. That is why a lot of people prefer playing poker online now. Another popular option is the utilization of poker apps for real money playing.
In most cases, poker rooms charge a commission of three to five per cent from the pot amount. And, as you have probably understood, the profitability of operators is directly affected by the number of played sessions. The more visitors a gambling establishment has, the higher its income is.
In general, among poker rooms, there are three main methods for calculating rakes: dealt, contributed, and weight-contributed.
Dealt rake implies a redistribution of the rake amount among all participants to whom the cards are dealt. For example, if there are four players at the table and the rake is two euros, then each participant has to contribute fifty cents in commission.
When gambling establishments utilize the contributed method, the total rake is redistributed in equal proportions among all the players who give money to the pot. Thus, players who have left the game before the bets were accepted do not have to pay the rake.
As for the weight-contributed method, it is rarely used by poker rooms at present. The method implies redistributing the rake in proportion to the players’ contributions to the pot. For example, if, with a rake of two euros, one of the three players contributed twenty euros to the total pot, and the rest – forty euros, then the first player pays a rake of forty cents, and others – eighty cents.
Why is taking a rake in poker essential for poker rooms?
The rake exists in poker because so far it is the only way that live and online games bring income to operators. Of course, it is highly important here not to set a very high rake so as not to scare away potential players. Most people are ready to pay some fee to enjoy their favorite game but when they see the requirement for a high rake, they will most likely decide to practice their skills in another poker room, despite all your possible advantages.
It is worth remembering that experienced players try to keep a close eye on promotions and special offers at diverse gambling establishments, as they want to save a bankroll. They are also aware of the fact that some poker rooms do not charge the rake at all. Of course, this is beneficial for them as it allows either spending less or making more money. Thus, why do some operators do not charge the rake? The main reason for this is that a zero rake becomes an essential component of a long-term marketing strategy for operators. In this way, they draw on more clients in order to later promote other products or services.
The concept of rake is closely related to rakeback, which is another essential mechanism of interaction between poker players and operators. This is a kind of cashback in poker games: poker rooms might return some commission to a player. This measure is regarded as an additional bonus for players and quite often is one of the main criteria for them when choosing a gambling establishment. With regard to operators, this can also be a part of a marketing strategy and help to get a higher income in the long run.
FAQ about the rake in poker
What does taking a rake mean in poker?
For poker rooms, taking a rake means to charge players a certain fee commission for the operation of a game.
How much is the rake in poker?
On average, poker rooms charge a commission of three to five per cent of the pot in each poker hand.
Is taking a rake in poker illegal?
In the majority of jurisdictions, taking a rake is regarded as illegal if the party who does this does not have a proper license or permit for the provision of such type of service.
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