Poker rake therefore is the means by which the facilitator profits from the game. In a traditional physical casino this means the casino itself taking a percentage from your pot, whereas for online poker playing, it is the site, or the referral site through which you found the poker table at which you play that is making the poker rake. This money is designed to cover the costs of the facilitator or establishment. Rakeback is the repayment of the rake fund that was taken from you.
The concept of rakeback is entirely dependant on an understanding of what a poker rake is. There are three ways in which an establishment will take the rake. In a ring game, meaning an ongoing sequence of games as opposed to a tournament, a percentage is taken by the dealer. The amount levied will depend on the players’ wagers. When playing in a real casino the deduction of chips will be physically made by the dealer, whereas in an online poker game the software itself will automatically deduct the rake. In the latter situation, some softwares will take the rake hand by hand, others will keep tally and only remove the total sum at the end from the pot.
‘Time collection’ is the second form or rake, it is also known as ‘table charge’. This is a set sum which the players agree to pay during each game. This is not a one off payment but rather is a sum that is paid by each player at set intervals during the game either according to time or according to hand. For example each player will have to pay a set amount of money to the house before playing every hand or every half hour. This type of rake can also be taken in an online poker website in the form of a monthly fee or subscription. Some argue that this is not technically a rake as its amount is set and not a variable percentage.
The final form or rake is a straight forward one off fee paid at the outset by each player.
It is the first form, the percentage taken by the house for each hand, that is the most commonly used and is what most references to rake are referring to.
Online poker websites offer a couple of different ways of dealing with the rake. Some online poker websites have done away with the rake all together, opting to raise funds from advertising instead. Poker rakeback is the other means of dealing with it. You can find through many online poker websites the possibility of rakeback packages or opportunities which allow you to make back up to 60%, some sites claim, of your rake paid. Rakeback acts as a form of limitless bonus for you offered by poker sites to attract more players.
|
