Rake is the fee a cardroom or online poker site charges for running a game. Poker differs from roulette or blackjack because players compete against each other rather than against the house, so the house has no built-in edge on the cards. Instead, it takes a small cut. In cash games that usually means a percentage of each pot up to a fixed maximum; in tournaments it means a fee added to the entry price.
Why poker has rake at all
A casino earns from table games through the house edge built into the rules. In poker, the money in each pot simply moves between players, and without a fee the room would earn nothing for providing dealers, tables, software or security. Rake is the price of the seat. It is charged whoever wins the hand, which is why it quietly shapes everyone's results over time.
How rake is collected in cash games
| Method | How it works | Where it is common |
|---|---|---|
| Pot rake with a cap | A percentage of each pot is taken, up to a maximum amount per hand | Most online cash tables and many live games |
| No flop, no drop | No rake is taken if the hand ends before the flop | A widely used rule alongside pot rake |
| Time collection | Each player pays a set amount per half hour or hour, regardless of pots | Higher-stakes live games |
| Dead drop | The player on the button pays a fixed fee before the cards are dealt | Some live rooms |
The exact percentage, cap and rules differ by room, stake level, number of players at the table and country. Reputable rooms publish them in the game rules or the lobby, and it is worth reading them before you sit down.
A simple illustration
Imagine a room that takes 5% of each pot with a cap of 3 big blinds. A pot of 20 big blinds pays 1 big blind in rake. A pot of 100 big blinds would pay 5 at that rate, but the cap limits it to 3. Most pots at small stakes never reach the cap, so the percentage applies in full to nearly every hand that goes to a flop. These figures are only for illustration; real rooms set their own.
Tournament fees
Tournament buy-ins are often written as two numbers, such as 50+5. The first part goes into the prize pool; the second is the organiser's fee. The fee is paid once, at registration, whether you finish first or leave in the first hour. Re-entries and rebuys usually carry the fee again, so the cost of several entries adds up faster than the headline price suggests. Our comparison of cash games and tournaments covers the other ways the two formats charge and pay.
Why rake matters more at small stakes
Caps are usually set in money, not in big blinds. At the smallest stakes, a cap can equal many big blinds, and a larger share of pots pays the full percentage. As stakes rise, the cap becomes small relative to the blinds. That is why the cost of playing, measured against the size of the game, tends to be highest at the lowest limits.
It also means rake is a steady, predictable cost, unlike the swings of the cards. Over a long period, a player whose decisions are only slightly better than the table's can still lose money once rake is counted.
How rake changes sensible play
- Fewer marginal pots. Small, contested pots that reach the flop pay rake on every one. Folding weak hands before the flop, as our piece on folding describes, also avoids that cost.
- Raising instead of limping. A raise that wins the pot before the flop often pays no rake under no-flop-no-drop rules.
- Knowing the table's rules. Short-handed tables can carry a different cap from full tables, so the cost per hand varies.
Rakeback and loyalty schemes
Many rooms return part of the rake through loyalty points, cashback or rewards. These can lower the real cost of play, but they are designed to encourage more hands and more hours. Read the conditions, and never play longer than planned just to reach a reward tier.
Questions about rake
Do I pay rake if I fold?
Not directly. Rake comes out of the pot, so it is paid by the pot's winner. Every chip you put into a raked pot, however, helps fund that fee whether or not you win.
Is rake the same as the house edge?
No. The house edge is a mathematical advantage built into a casino game's rules. Rake is a service fee taken from pots or entries, and the house does not compete for the pot.
How do I count rake in my records?
Record your net result after fees for each session. Our guide to poker bankroll management explains why honest records matter, and our article on setting a gambling budget shows how to treat fees as part of your spending.
Rake makes poker a paid activity even for evenly matched players, so budget for it like any other hobby cost. Real-money tables are for adults only, and whether they are legal depends on where you live; check before you join one.
Questions? Write to us.
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