Poker
Average rake in poker
Average rake in poker is the typical commission taken by the house per hand or pot, calculated by averaging the rake across many hands or sessions.
Key points
- Average rake is calculated by averaging the rake taken across many hands or sessions, giving a typical cost per hand rather than a one-off figure.
- Rake structures vary: some rooms take a flat fee per hand, others a percentage of the pot (commonly 5% or less) up to a maximum amount.34
- High average rake can significantly reduce a player's long-term winnings, especially in low-stakes games where the cap is a larger proportion of the pot.
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- House rake poker — the house's commission structure, whereas average rake is the statistical average of that commission over time
Related terms
Poker
Rake poker
Explains the basic concept of rake as the fee taken by the house.
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Casino rake poker
Covers how casinos implement rake in their poker rooms.
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Beating the rake in poker
Strategies to minimise the impact of rake on your profits.
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Poker hands
Lists and ranks all standard poker hand combinations.
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Omaha poker
Describes the rules and gameplay of Omaha poker.
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Flush poker
Defines a flush hand and its value in poker.
Sources
- Rake (poker) en.wikipedia.org Provides typical rake percentages and caps.
- Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Confirms common cap amounts for rake.
- Online Poker - Poker News, Poker Reviews & Bonues pagat.com States typical rake as about 5% or less with a maximum.
- Card Games: Poker Betting pagat.com Describes how rake is averaged and different rake structures.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.