In poker, the rake is the most despicable four-letter word in the game. It’s the thing that will drain your bankroll and make you want to stop playing poker altogether. Tilt can be controlled, leaks can be plugged, but the rake is the one thing that is out of your control and can’t be avoided. The rake is the fee that casinos take out of every pot in cash games to offset the costs of running the game. Casinos do this in a variety of ways. They can charge a flat fee on each hand, or they can take a percentage of the pot. In tournaments, they may also charge an entry fee to cover the cost of hosting the tournament.
There are several different types of rakes in poker. For example, some live casinos will collect a flat rate called the “drop,” which is collected before any cards are dealt. This method is less punitive than a standard rake, and it is legal in many jurisdictions.
Another type of rake is a weighted contributed model, which assigns rake to players based on their contributions to the pot. This model doesn’t favor tight players over loose players, but it does still skew the average EV for the table. Another common rake is a timed pot model, which charges a fixed fee after a certain amount of play, usually every 30 minutes to an hour. This method is most common in higher stakes live games.
In addition to these rake models, some live casinos will also collect a jackpot fee, which is separate from the rake and is used to fund jackpot prizes. This is legal in many jurisdictions, but it can be controversial as it creates a disproportionate amount of money for the house.
Online casinos have a variety of rake structures, and the exact percentage that is charged will vary from site to site. However, most rakes will fall somewhere between 2.5% and 10% of the total pot size. The rake percentage will be slightly higher in high-stakes games, and lower in low-stakes games.
Regardless of the rake structure, it’s important for players to understand the impact that a rake has on their win rate. A rake will remove money from the pot, which will decrease your expected value (EV) and make it harder to beat the game. This is especially true for high-stack players, who will often lose a large percentage of their bets to the winner of each pot.
Even though the rake is a necessary evil that can’t be avoided, it shouldn’t be viewed as a major obstacle to success at the tables. By understanding how the rake is calculated and collected, you can adjust your strategy to minimize its impact on your winnings. This will help you make better decisions and maximize your profits. To further improve your understanding of the rake, consider signing up for a free poker coaching session with a professional coach.