What is rake?

Rake is a fee charged by the venue hosting the poker game. The amount of the rake will be determined by a certain percentage of the total pot. For example, it is not uncommon for online poker rooms to receive 5 or 6% of the total pot as rake.

Rake is the payment that a casino or poker room receives for organizing and hosting a game. There are different methods used to collect rake, but it is usually taken as a percentage of the total pot. For example, in the midst of many poker hands, one ends up with $100 in the middle. The casino takes $5 from the pot and awards the winner $95.

There is usually a "limit", a maximum amount that can be charged per pot. For example, if the limit is $5, the casino will only receive $5 in rake, regardless of the size of the pot.

There is often a “no flop, no drop” rule, meaning that rake is only used for pots that see a flop. If everyone but one player folds pre-flop, the hand ends pre-flop and no fee will be applied.

Some poker rooms support rakeback to their players which helps to ease the burden of this fee on your winnings.