What Is a Rake?
In poker, rake is a term used to refer to the money that the house takes from the pot each time a hand is played. This amount is usually a percentage of the pot and will often be capped at a certain limit.
A rake is not something that poker players should take lightly; it can be devastating to a player’s bankroll. However, there are ways to beat the rake in poker, especially when playing at a regulated casino.
The rake in cash games
Poker rake is taken by the house in both cash games and tournaments. The rake in cash games is the percentage that the house takes from each pot, whereas in tournaments the rake is built into the buy-in.
The rake in online poker
Poker online sites take a rake to cover the costs of running their poker operations, including customer support, software development, and server costs. This is also the money that helps to fund promotions and other incentives an online poker site offers its customers.
The rake in live poker
In live cash games, the dealer calculates the rake, and it is then taken from each pot. This rake can be in the form of a dead drop system or a time collection-based rake schedule, which sees each player pay a set fee every half hour to an hour.
The rake in live casino poker
In most live casino poker rooms, the dealer calculates the rake, which is then taken from each pot. This varies from room to room and casino to casino, but typically the dealer will take anywhere between 5% and 10% of the pot in each hand.
The rake in live casinos is generally higher than the rake in online poker. This is because there are usually more chips in play at the live tables.
Regardless of whether you are playing in a live or online poker room, the rake will have an impact on your strategy. You will need to make adjustments to your ranges if the standard rake is high and this can have a significant effect on your expected value (EV).
How Do You Beat the Rake?
If you have a decent win rate, the rake should not be a huge concern for you. But if you are a beginner or a player who is new to the game, then you will want to look for games with low rake and a cap to have the best possible winning potential.
How Is Rake Calculated?
The rake is calculated by the table dealer, and it can be a simple calculation or a complex formula. The most common way to calculate the rake is by taking the smallest bet on each pot and then subtracting it from the total pot size. This method is usually the best, but it can be tricky if you have a lot of chips in the pot and want to make sure that you haven’t cheated.