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When playing cash games, a certain amount of money is taken from each pot for the operator. When playing online poker cash games, approximately 5% of each pot is retained for the provider. In most cases, the rake is capped at $3 to $5 and is only taken if there is a flop. This doesn’t sound like very much, but it amounts to a substantial amount over a longer period of time. This comparison shows just how much rake you have to pay on each poker site.
In blackjack, roulette, or slots, the house is an active participant. It wins when you lose. That’s its business model. But in poker, the casino isn’t a player, it just hosts the game. You’re playing against other people, not the dealer. That’s why the house doesn’t profit by beating you; it profits by taxing the game.
There are two parameters defining the rake:
How many percent are taken from each pot (usually between 3% and 5% for online games)
Once the rake reaches the cap no more rake is deducted for that pot (usually the cap is $3 to $5 for online games)
But Percentage and cap don’t really tell you how much rake you have to pay for a certain game and make it difficult to compare different rake structures.
Is it better to have to pay 3% rake with a $5 cap or 5% rake with a $3 cap?
| Total Pot: | $210 | Total Pot: | $210 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3% Rake: | $6.30 | 5% Rake: | $10.50 | |
| $5 Cap: | -$1.30 | $3 Cap: | -$7.50 | |
| Rake: | $5 | Rake: | $3 | |
| Total Pot: | $70 | Total Pot: | $70 | |
| 3% Rake: | $2.10 | 5% Rake: | $3.50 | |
| $5 Cap: | -$0 | $3 Cap: | -$0.50 | |
| Rake: | $2.10 | Rake: | $3 | |
This example demonstrates how difficult it is to compare different rake structures. While the rake percentage and the cap are fixed and known in advance, the more important value in the equation, the pot size, is variable.
To solve this problem, we have acquired millions of online poker hand histories from hhDealer.com and can supplement this missing information with actual real-life data.
Examples of poker room specific rules and options may include:
This player-favorite policy means that if a hand doesn’t see a flop, no rake is taken. It’s mostly found in live rooms and is designed to encourage action.
Fewer folds, more flops, more fun.
Strategically, this gives tight players a breather, you’re not punished for folding garbage.
It also disincentivizes ultra-short stack hit-and-run tactics.
But it’s not universal, and you won’t find it in many online games.
Some rooms offer a “bad beat jackpot” funded by taking an extra dollar or two from qualifying pots.
When a player loses with an extremely strong hand – think quad eights or better – they trigger the jackpot,
which can result in five- or six-figure payouts for the table.
It’s entertaining and can soften the blow of brutal losses.
But make no mistake: it’s an additional rake, often in games that already have high fees.
Over time, unless you hit the jackpot (or sit when someone else does), you’re subsidizing someone else’s miracle moment.
Unlike blinds, which are specific to certain positions (small and big blind), an ante is a mandatory bet that all players must contribute to the pot before the cards are dealt. It's a way to add money to the pot at the beginning of a hand, and this larger initial pot makes it more worthwhile for players to try and win the hand.
What makes rake so dangerous, especially for new or casual players, is how invisible it can feel.
You win a hand, collect your chips, and don’t even notice that $2 or $3 is missing.
But over hundreds of hands, that’s a major leak.
Beating the players isn’t enough. You also need to beat the structure.
If you ignore rake, you’re missing a crucial part of long-term profitability.
The small cut the house takes might seem harmless,
but over time, it can seriously drain your winnings,
especially in lower-stakes games where every chip matters more.
A 5% rake capped at $2 can wipe out your edge
hand after hand, turning solid strategy into break-even or worse without you even noticing.
That's a common pitfall for new players.
Many beginners focus on improving their gameplay but completely overlook
how much rake is draining their profits from every pot.
It can be the difference between being a break-even player and a losing one.
You can beat every player at the table and still be a long-term loser if the rake’s too high.
Rake influences which hands are profitable. How does this affect your decisions:
With a high rake you have to play tighter, especially in small pots. The smaller the pot, the higher the relative rake For small pots (e.g., €10), a 4% rake with a €2 cap can mean losing 20% of your winnings. Rake often makes small pots unprofitable.
For large pots (e.g., €100 with a €5 cap), it's only 5%, as the cap applies. Focus on larger pots – e.g., with aggressive play and value betting. Play higher limits as soon as you can beat them – the relative rake is lower there.
Moreover, this has an effect on the preflop ranges since those marginal open-raises, calls, and 3-bets depend on those marginal value bets, bluffs, and calls to be profitable. The value of small suited connectors, small pairs, etc. decreases because you play small pots more often – and that's where the rake hits hard.
Many close calls (e.g., marginal calls on the flop or river) become -EV (negative expected value) simply because of the rake. This means that all those marginal postflop calls become folds.
Consequently, you have to play tighter preflop and postflop.
Supported Poker Rooms