When playing live poker the rake breakdown is usually clearly indicated in the structure sheet or advertising of the tournament and often the buy-in will be listed, for example, as $250+$25 meaning $250 goes towards the prize pool and $25 is retained by the cardroom or casino operating the tournament. For tournaments on PokerStars this information is always clearly displayed under the tournament structure tab, for example: $100 of every buy-in is added to the prize pool $9 is retained by PokerStars. It differs depending on where you’re playing and if you’re playing online or live, but for example on PokerStars when you pay $109 to enter a tournament $100 goes towards the prize pool that players can win and $9 is retained by PokerStars. In tournaments it is part of the entry fee you pay and in cash games it is usually a fixed percentage of the pot up to a maximum capped amount.
In simple terms rake is a commission that is paid to the cardroom, casino or individual for operating and running the poker tournament or cash game. You’ve all heard of rake in poker, but what exactly is it, how is the amount determined, what are the different sorts of rake and how does rake differ in tournaments and cash games? Read on for answers to all those questions.
