It goes without saying that casinos want to make money.
Every game in the casino, including slots and roulette, has an inherent benefit known as the “house edge.”
With an edge of typically a few percentage points (varying depending on the game), the casino is assured of long-term profitability.
Poker, though, is distinct.
It is not played against the house whether played live or online.
Not from the casino, but from other people you play against and either ipl win they win money from you or you win money from them.
The dealer’s only job is to hand cards and oversee the game; the casino has no stake in who wins or loses.
For the casino, what’s in it then?
How does a casino generate revenue from poker, and what draws them to hosting tournaments and maintaining cash game tables?
The solution to this question is a four-letter word that is modest but has a big impact on the poker economy as a whole.
The word “RAKE” refers to something other than a gardening equipment for clearing leaves that have accumulated in front of your home.
Knowing The Fundamentals of Rake
In poker, “rake” refers to the portion of money that a casino withholds, akin to a tax, from practically every cash game pot or tournament entry fee.
Later on, I’ll go into further detail on this topic and go over the subtle differences between the player’s and the casino’s rake.
You will learn how rake affects your earnings as a poker player in addition to how casinos profit from poker.
Even if you’re only a casual player and don’t think this knowledge is very relevant to you, it’s still a good idea to comprehend how rake operates.
Fixed Percentage Rake Cash Games
Whether it’s No-Limit Hold’em, PLO, or any other cash game of poker, the rake is deducted from the majority of pots before the winning player receives them.
It is usually a set proportion, ranging from 2 to 10% of the total pot, at most casinos.
Since you usually have to pay a 3-5% rake in most games, both of these extremes are rather uncommon.
The maximum amount of rake that can be deducted from any one pot is typically capped as well, and it depends on the policies of the specific casino.
People frequently sit with really deep stacks (500 big blinds or more), and in the event that two of these players get into an all-in situation, it might be exceedingly expensive for them if there is no maximum rake cap.
Even so, certain locations do not allow caps, thus they are not the games you should be playing.
For the purpose of clarity, let’s take a brief look at an example.
Playing a $1/$2 game, you find yourself in an all-in scenario where you have to stake your entire $300 preflop against a guy who has a comparable stack.
Assuming a rake of 5% and a $10 cap, the most you could possibly pay for casino services would be $10 from each winning pot.
You will have to pay $30, which is three times more than in the first situation, if the casino does not have a cap on the rake and the total pot is $600 as in this example.