What is rake?

Rake is the amount of money that the poker room takes from the pot every time a hand is played. This, along with tournament fees, is how they make their money.

How is rake calculated?

Most poker rooms will usually take between 0 and 5% of each pot and around 5% of tournament buyins. This is then attributed accordingly to each player in line with his / her activity. Exact percentages / amounts can usually be found on the operators website however we will have full details here on Rakeback-World.com very soon. The two contribution methods employed by the poker rooms are Dealt and Contributed.

What are dealt and contributed methods?

These are the two methods by which a player’s portion of rake is calculated. The dealt method takes the total rake for the pot, which is then divided by the number of players dealt into the hand. For example if the pot rake is $1.00 and 10 players are dealt in, each player will earn $0.10 for the hand. The contributed method divides it by those players that contributed to the pot. For example, if the pot rake is $5.00, 10 players are dealt in and 5 players contribute, each contributing player will earn $1.00 for the hand. There is a further contributed method, called Weighted Contributed, where the MGR that you earn is dependent on how much you contribute to the pot. For details of which rooms use which method please see our review pages.

What is rakeback?

Rakeback is the portion of the rake that is given back to you either by the poker room or a rakeback website. Here at Rakeback-World.com we strive to list all the deals available to ensure you the player can find the option that's best for you.

How is rakeback calculated?

Rakeback is calculated by taking your MGR (Monthly Gross Rake) less any bonuses and charges. Multiply this total by your deal percentage to get your rakeback figure. For example, MGR=$800, bonuses=$50, deal rate=30%; rakeback = (800-50)*30% = $225.

Charges differ from poker room to poker room - please see our review pages for full details.

Do tournament fees count towards rakeback?

Most sites do include tournament fees in your MGR, however there are a few that don’t. See our review pages for full info.

Why am I able to receive rake back?

Many online poker rooms use rakeback affiliates to help promote their business and attract new players. These rakeback affiliates are paid a percentage of the MGR collected from players they attract for the poker room. They take a small percentage, cover their costs and pass a set percentage back to the player.

How do I qualify for a rakeback deal?

Rakeback deals only apply to new poker accounts that are opened using an affiliate link. If you already have an account with the poker room you will generally not qualify for rakeback. Some sites may allow existing players to receive rakeback (high volume players for example) to keep your business. Ask your affiliate rakeback site to check for you.

Can I get rakeback on a poker account I already have?

Usually no. Rakeback is only provided if you are a new player at a poker room. In this situation most people choose to play at a different skin on the same network.

What is a skin?

A skin is a poker room that is part of a network. For example William Hill is a skin on the Cryptologic network, as are Sun Poker and Interpoker. All players joining these sites will connect to the same network and therefore play against the same players, using the same software.

Are there any disadvantages in playing through a skin?

All skins on a network use the same software and have the same player base. The look and feel of the skin will be different but the game play, game selection, cashier, etc will be the same. Find a skin that you like the look of and check if they offer rakeback!

Why do skins exist?

A skin just leases a part of the network and doesn’t have to worry about hosting, licensing, etc. There will often be many skins on the same network, some may offer rakeback, some may not.

Why play on a non-rakeback skin on the same network as a pro-rakeback skin?

Any person who does this must either really like the non-rakeback skin or has never heard of rakeback.

Can I become an affiliate and just pay myself?

No. Poker rooms do not allow this as part of any affiliate agreement. The rules will state that if an affiliate does not generate any new players the agreement will be terminated.

How do I receive rakeback?

Many poker rooms offer deals with auto payments which means your rakeback is placed directly into your poker account, usually once a month. Most rakeback websites however offer a range of other payment options including Neteller, bank transfer or even cheque.

When do I receive my rakeback payment(s)?

The answer to this is two-fold – if the poker room you play at pays automatically into your poker account, it will usually be credited in the first week of the month, but could be anything up until the 15^th of the month. If the poker room you play at does not pay automatically then your rakeback affiliate will pay you when they receive payment from the poker room. This will mean that the payment will be a little later but most sites will process all manual payments by the 18^th of the month.

Is there a minimum amount for rakeback payments?

Paypal and Neteller require a $20 minimum amount for transfers. Most sites will ‘roll over’ your payment until the next month, or whenever your rakeback total exceeds the minimum amount that they set out. Always read the rules of the affiliate you are using as this could differ between sites. If you are unsure, ask.

Are there a minimum number of hands that have to be played in a month to receive payment?

No, but always check with the site to be sure.

Can I check on my rakeback balance during the month?

Many rakeback affiliates will provide you with an area that you log into and check up on your stats (often daily). Check out our RakeSweeper facility to see those rakeback affiliates that offer this service.

Can I check independently that my rakeback is calculated correctly?

There are software programs available that enable you to track your rake. We recommend the Pokerbility Hands Calculator for this purpose.

What kind of help and support can I expect from my rakeback affiliate?

Many rakeback affiliates will provide live support via a variety of methods (live chat, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, etc). Others will offer email support as a minimum and some will offer telephone support. Check out our RakeSweeper facility to see the support services that our listed rakeback affiliates offer.

Will I lose out in bonuses or other offers if I receive rakeback?

Rakeback is usually complementary to other bonuses and offers. Many poker rooms deduct bonus payments from your MGR so you will need to clear your bonus payments to receive anything. You won’t get charged if the total is negative though! Always check whether the poker room deducts bonus payments to be sure. See our review pages for full info.

Are there any poker rooms that do not deduct bonuses from my MGR?

Yes. Not all sites deduct bonus payments and some only deduct a percentage. Check with your affiliate or with the room directly to be sure.

Will I benefit more if I reject my signup bonus and just go for rakeback?

Almost definitely not. Signup bonuses are usually paid at a better rate than rakeback. Most poker rooms will offer a very good one off signup bonus to acquire your business, whereas rakeback is for life and is designed to retain your business.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions that are not covered here.

View our comprehensive poker glossary of terms here