Gambling terms, explained straight

Poker

Casino rake poker

Casino rake poker is the commission a cardroom or casino takes from each pot (or as a flat fee) for hosting a poker game.

Typical rate
2.5% to 10% of the pot, usually with a maximum cap1
Common cap
$3–$4 per hand2
Also called
rake, vig, commission, house fee2

Key points

  • The house removes a small fee from each qualifying pot or charges by time or hand.3
  • In most legal jurisdictions, taking a rake without proper licences is explicitly illegal.1
  • The winner receives the remaining pot after the rake is deducted.2

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • House rake poker — emphasises that the house or cardroom is the entity taking the fee
Poker Rake poker The general term for poker games subject to a rake. Poker Average rake in poker Typical rake percentages and caps across different poker formats. Poker Beating the rake in poker Strategies to overcome the house commission and remain profitable. Poker Poker hands The ranking of card combinations used to determine winners in poker. Poker Omaha poker A poker variant where players are dealt four hole cards and must use two of them. Poker Flush poker A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.

Sources

  1. Rake (poker) en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition and typical rake percentages and caps.
  2. Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Supports the common cap of $3–$4 and the term 'vigorish'.
  3. Card Games: Poker Betting pagat.com Explains how the rake is collected and that it applies to cash games.

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.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.