If you are a regular or even casual poker player, you should be aware of the term “rake”. For those that are new to poker, “rake” is the money deducted from the pot by the casino or poker site for hosting the game. In tournaments the rake is paid upfront. For example you may notice the buy-in for a tournament is $10+$1 making it a total buy-in of $11 for that tournament. In this case, the extra $1 is paid to the house and the $10 goes towards the prize pool. The rake for a cash game is usually between 3-5% of the pot, with a maximum rake of $3-$4. This rake is how the casino or poker site makes money.
This means that in order to become a winning poker player, you must not only beat the other players, but you also have to beat the rake. As an incentive to attract players poker affiliates began offering what is called, “rakeback” to their players. Rakeback is a refund given to poker players according to the amount of rake paid out. A normal rakeback offer is usually between 20 and 30 percent. Payments vary from site to site, and players can be paid daily, weekly, or monthly.
Rakeback is gives poker players a huge advantage and ultimately increases their chances of being a winning poker player. The added income from rakeback helps to cover losing poker sessions. This is vital in order to build a good poker bankroll. If you play online poker regularly and are not currently taking advantage of a rakeback offer, you are missing out on earning a lot of extra cash.
Though rakeback offers were started by poker affiliates, rakeback offers are now offered by the poker room. Well, if earning this extra cash is so easy, why aren’t all poker players receiving rakeback? Many online poker rooms, including the top ones, do not offer rakeback to their players. Those that do give rakeback, often only offer rakeback to new players. So, if you are already have an account at an online poker room and aren’t receiving rakeback, you will not have the opportunity to do so.
There are no downsides to receiving rakeback. If a poker player can earn extra money, that they normally would not receive, what is holding them back? For many reasons of their own, poker players do not want to switch online poker rooms in order to take advantage of rakeback. This is somewhat confusing, because isn’t the goal of poker to make money? Sure, it is a means of entertainment and many play online poker to learn the game, but why not make extra money in the process. Rakeback offers can ultimately turn a losing poker player into a winning poker player. As such, when playing poker, it is really advisable to carefully consider all the factors and be strategic. It is all about having the right strategy and at the same time, knowing how to control your emotions. You should never let your opponent know what you are thinking.
