Poker

Rake poker

Rake is the fee a poker room or host charges for running the game, taken from the pot or as a time-based charge.

Also called: juice, vig, vigorish³⁴
Typical rate: 2.5% to 10% of the pot, with a maximum cap²
Example cap: $3 or $4 in many cardrooms¹⁴
Common in: cash games, home games, pai gow poker¹⁴

Key points

Rake is the house’s fee for hosting the game, taken from each pot or as a time charge.²⁵
In pot-rake games, the dealer removes a small portion after a betting round or when the pot hits a threshold.¹⁷
Taking a rake in an unlicensed home game can be illegal because it constitutes unlicensed gambling.⁶
The term ‘rake’ also refers to the act of collecting this commission, not just the fee itself.²¹

Common rake structures

Examples of how rake is taken in poker games.
Structure	Example
Percentage of pot with cap	5% but not more than $3¹
Per-bet fee	$0.25 for each $5 in the pot⁴
Time rake	Hourly seat charge instead of pot rake²⁵

Common questions

What is taking a rake in poker?

Taking a rake is the act of collecting a commission from the pot or winnings by the house or host. It is how poker rooms generate revenue instead of playing against players.²¹

Why is taking a rake in poker illegal?

Taking a rake in an unlicensed home game is illegal because it turns a private game into an unlicensed gambling operation. Licensed casinos and cardrooms are legally allowed to take rake.⁶

What is a rake in poker?

A rake is the commission fee taken by the poker room from each pot or as a time charge. It is the primary way cardrooms make money from poker games.²¹

Where this term is used

Poker

Not the same as

House rake poker — the same concept but phrased from the casino’s perspective
Casino rake poker — the rake specifically in a casino-run poker game

Poker House rake poker Explains the house’s cut in poker games. Poker Casino rake poker Covers rake in casino-run poker rooms. Poker Average rake in poker Typical rake percentages and caps across different venues. Poker Beating the rake in poker Strategies to overcome the rake’s impact on profitability. Poker Full house poker A poker hand ranking, not related to rake. Poker Pai gow poker A casino game where a 5% commission is charged on winning bets.

Sources

Card Games: Poker Betting pagat.com Provides examples of rake structures and the definition of rake.
Rake (poker) en.wikipedia.org Defines rake and gives typical percentages and caps.
Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Lists alternative terms for rake such as juice and vig.
Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Covers vigorish and examples of rake structures.
Cash game en.wikipedia.org Explains rake in the context of cash games.
Underground poker en.wikipedia.org Discusses legality of rake in underground poker games.
Poker dealer - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Describes how dealers handle rake.

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.