If you’ve ever played poker in a casino or online, you may have heard the word “rake.” Simply put, the rake is how casinos and poker sites make money from poker games.
Poker is different from games like slots or roulette. You don’t play against the casino. You play against other players. Because of this, the casino takes a small fee from each hand. That fee is called the rake.
What Does “Rake” Mean in Poker?
The rake is a small portion of the pot, which is the total money wagered in a hand, that the casino or poker site takes.
In live poker rooms, the dealer removes chips from the pot. Online, the software does this automatically.
That money does not go to the dealer or another player. It goes to the casino.
Why Do Casinos Take a Rake?
Casinos take a rake to cover the costs of running poker games. These costs include dealer salaries, staff and security, tables, cards and chips, building expenses, and utilities. For online poker sites, the rake pays for software, servers, and customer support.
Without a rake, casinos would have no reason to offer poker games.
Is Rake Legal in Poker?
Yes, but only for licensed casinos and poker sites.
Casinos and regulated online poker rooms are legally allowed to take a rake. Home poker games are usually legal only if no one takes money from the pot. When someone takes a rake or charges fees without a license, it is often considered illegal gambling.
How Is the Rake Calculated?
Most poker rooms calculate the rake as a percentage of the pot.
The rake is usually between 2.5% and 10% of the pot. Most casinos also set a maximum cap, meaning the rake stops increasing once it reaches a certain amount. This is especially common in no-limit games.
For example, if the pot is $100 and the rake is 5%, the casino takes $5 and the winner receives $95.
Some poker rooms use a fixed rake, where the same amount is taken from every hand regardless of the pot size.
How Is the Rake Collected?
In live cash games, the dealer collects the rake by taking chips from the pot during or after the hand and placing them in a secure box.
In online poker games, the rake is collected automatically by the software and shown in the hand history before the winnings are paid to the player.
Other Ways Casinos Take a Rake
Some poker rooms use less common rake methods.
With time collection, players pay a fixed fee every 30 or 60 minutes instead of a percentage of the pot. This is more common in high-stakes games.
A dead drop is when a fixed amount is placed on the dealer button and collected before the cards are dealt. This method is rare today.
What Does “No Flop, No Drop” Mean?
Many casinos follow a rule called “no flop, no drop.”
This means that if the hand ends before the flop is dealt, no rake is taken. If all players fold before the flop in games like Texas Hold’em or Omaha, the casino takes nothing.
Is There Rake in Poker Tournaments?
Rake usually does not apply to individual hands in tournaments.
Instead, casinos take their fee from the tournament buy-in. For example, a $100 + $10 tournament means $100 goes to the prize pool and $10 is the casino’s fee.
Once the tournament starts, no rake is taken from each hand.
Why Rake Matters to Players
Rake has a big impact on long-term results.
The higher the rake, the harder it is to make a profit over time. This is why experienced players look for poker rooms with low rake, fair caps, and rakeback offers.
Understanding the rake helps you choose better games and keep more of your winnings.
FAQ
Why is taking a rake in poker illegal?
Taking a rake is illegal when it is done without a gambling license.
Licensed casinos and poker sites are allowed to take a rake. Private home games are usually legal only if no one profits from running them. Once someone takes a rake or charges fees, it is often considered illegal gambling.
Why did Molly take a rake?
Molly Bloom took a rake because she was running private, high-stakes poker games and needed a way to make money from hosting them.
She collected a percentage from each pot, similar to a casino. Because she did not have a gambling license, taking a rake was illegal and became a major legal issue for her operation.
Do casinos take a rake in poker?
Yes. Casinos take a rake in almost all cash poker games.
Since poker is player versus player, the casino makes money by taking a small fee from each hand or by charging tournament entry fees.
What is a 5% rake in poker?
A 5% rake means the casino takes 5% of the total pot in a cash game.
If the pot is $100, the casino takes $5 and the winning player receives $95. Most poker rooms also use a maximum rake cap so the rake does not keep increasing in very large pots.
