Poker Rakeback - What Every Online Player Needs To Know

If you're an online player of poker, rakeback is free money.  So it's definitely something you need to know about!  In this article, we'll find out what rakeback is and how you can get it.  But before you can learn about rakeback, you need to know about rake.

What Is Poker Rake?

Poker rooms make their money by "raking off" a small payment from each player, something like an entry fee or commission for organizing the game.  This is the only way poker rooms can make any money, since players are playing against each other rather than the house.

Do Online Sites Charge Rake?

Yes - online sites collect rake from every prize pot and tournament entry.

What Is The Percentage Of Rake?

Usually around 5% of pot size or between 1 cent and 5 dollars for individual stakes.  This is the same for online poker sites and real life poker rooms.
Do Online Poker Sites Keep Track Of My Personal Rake Contributions?
Yes.  Although it isn't usually displayed online (although the total rake from a pot might be), the online system keeps track of and reports on your individual rake contributions.  Rakeback is based on these reports.

How Is My Rake Contribution Calculated?

In two ways - shared and contributed.  Shared rake is divided evenly between each player who was dealt a card.  A two dollar rake from a ten player game would mean that each player's rake contribution would be 20 cents.  Contributed rake is based on how much money you put into the pot, on a proportional basis.  If you contributed half the money into a prize pot, your rake contribution would be half of the total rake - $1.50 for a $3 rake, for example.

So What Is Rakeback?

Rakeback saves you money on online poker rake costs.  You'll need to set up your online poker room accounts through a Rakeback provider (a quick Google search will turn up dozens of them).  Once you're registered, you're entitled to a percentage back on your total rake contributions - typically around 30%.  This is usually credited straight to your poker account, and is paid once a month.
Poker rakeback is the poker room equivalent of cash back on your mortgage or car insurance.  It's easy to get, and a simple way to keep your online poker account topped up.