Gambling terms, explained straight

In Molly's Game, it refers specifically to the illegal host fee collected from private high-stakes games.

Poker

Taking a rake meaning

Taking a rake means the cardroom or host deducts a commission from the pot or from each player's winnings as payment for hosting the game.

Typical rake
2.5% to 10% of the pot, usually with a maximum cap15
Example cap
5% but not more than $3, or 5%–10% capped at $3–$463
Alternative method
Some rooms use a time charge every half hour instead of a pot rake52

Key points

  • The rake is taken only after a hand reaches a qualifying stage, such as seeing a flop, and the amount is often capped.62
  • In many jurisdictions, collecting a rake without the proper gaming licences is illegal.14
  • In home games, a rake may be used to cover expenses like refreshments or hosting costs.5

Where this term is used

Not the same as

Poker Take a rake meaning Explains the phrase 'take a rake' as the act of the house collecting its fee. Poker Donk meaning Covers the poker slang for a weak or amateur player. Poker Rake poker Defines the rake as the commission taken by the poker room. Poker Icm meaning Explains the Independent Chip Model used in tournament payout calculations. Poker House rake poker Another term for the rake, emphasising the house's fee. Poker 4-card Omaha poker 4 card omaha poker is another name for Omaha hold 'em

Sources

  1. Rake (poker) en.wikipedia.org Provides the core definition, typical rake percentages, and legal context.
  2. Cash game en.wikipedia.org Supports the alternative time-charge method and the qualifying stage for rake.
  3. Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Gives the example cap and the alternative term 'vigorish'.
  4. Underground poker en.wikipedia.org Supports the illegality of unlicensed rake collection.
  5. Card Games: Poker Betting pagat.com Provides the definition, typical percentages, and home-game use.
  6. Online Poker - Poker News, Poker Reviews & Bonues pagat.com Supports the qualifying stage for rake and the example cap.

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.