Gambling terms, explained straight

Poker

Take a rake meaning

In poker, to take a rake means the house or host collects a commission from the pot or charges a fee for hosting the game. It applies to cash games, online poker, home games, and tournament buy-ins.

Also called
juice, vig, vigorish, take 2
Typical rate
2.5% to 10% of the pot, often with a cap 1
Example
5% rake capped at $3 or $4 4

Key points

  • The house removes the rake from the pot before the winner collects; the winner receives the pot after the fee is deducted 3.
  • Taking rake without proper gaming licences is illegal in many jurisdictions 1.
  • Some games use a flat or time-based charge instead of a percentage of the pot 4.

Where this term is used

Sources

  1. Rake (poker) en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition, typical rake percentages, and legal context.
  2. Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Lists alternative terms for rake.
  3. Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Explains how the winner receives the pot after rake is deducted.
  4. Card Games: Poker Betting pagat.com Gives an example of a 5% rake capped at $3 or $4 and mentions flat or time-based charges.

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.