Rake is the commission that casinos and online poker rooms charge for playing cards. Rake is the main source of income for online poker sites. While poker tournaments usually charge a flat entry fee per player in addition to the buy-in, cash game players must pay a certain percentage. The size of the pot and participation in it influence the rake amount, and there is a rake cap limit. The less rake the poker room requires or the more attractive the rake structure is, the more profitable the poker game. Therefore, we compared the top 10 online poker providers for you and present you with the ten lowest rake poker sites.
Top 10 Low Rake Online Poker Providers
The following table provides an overview of the rake structure of the top poker sites for players:
| Poker Site | Fixed Limit Cash Games: $ MIN Rake | Fixed Limit Cash Games: $ MAX Rake | No Limit + Pot Limit Cash Games: $ MIN Rake | No Limit + Pot Limit Cash Games: $ MAX Rake |
| Pokerstars | 4,5% to 0,01 (0,02 / 0,04) | 1% to 5 (150/300 and above) | 3,3% to 0,30 (0,01 / 0,02) | 4,5% to 5 (100/200 and above) |
| Full Tilt Poker | 4,5% to 0,01 (0,02 / 0,04) | 1% to 5 (150/300 and above) | 3,3% to 0,30 (0,01 / 0,02 ) | 4,5% to 5 (100/200 and above) |
| PartyPoker | 0,01 per 0,20 to 0,50 (0,02 / 0,04-0,05 / 0,10) | 1 per 100 to 5 (50 / 100-250 / 500) | 1 per 100 to 5 (50 / 100-250 / 500) | 0,05 per 1 to 5 (200/400 NL & PL) |
| Titan Poker | 0,01 per 0,25 to 0,04 (0,02 / 0,04-0,05 / 0,10) | 0,75 per 20 to 3 (20/40) | 0,01 per 0,15 to 0,50 (0,01 / 0,02-0,02 / 0,05) | 0,01 per 0,20 to 4 (0,50 / 1 to 5/10) |
| 888 Poker | 0,01 per 0,20 to 0,50 (0,02 / 0,04-0,12 / 0,25) | 1 per 100 to 5 (50/100) 3 fixes (100 / 200-250 / 500) | 0,01 per 0,16 to 1 (0,01 / 0,02) | 0,01 per 1 to 50 (500/1000) |
| Bet-At-Home | 0,01 per 0,25 to 0,04 (0,02 / 0,04) | 0,75 per 20 to 3 (20 / 40-30 / 60) | 0,01 per 0,15 to 0, 50 (0,01 / 0,02-0,02 / 0,04) | 0,01 per 0,20 to 4 (0,50 / 1-5 / 10) |
| Unibet Poker | 1% to 1 (4) | 6% to 3 (800) | 1% to 1 (4) | 6% to 3 (800) |
| Ladbrokes Poker | 0,1 per 0,25 to 0,04 (0,02 / 0,04-0,05 / 0,10) | 0,75 per 20 to 3 (20/40) | 0,01 per 0,15 to 1 (0,01 / 0,02-0,02 / 0,04) | 0,05 per 1 to 3 (0,50 / 1-5 / 10) |
| Everest Poker | 0,01 per 0,25 to 0,04 (0,02 / 0,04-0,05 / 0,10) | 0,75 per 20 to 3 (20/40) | 0,01 per 0.15 to 1 (0,01 / 0,02-0,02 / 0,05) | 0,05 per 0,20 to 4 (0,50 / 1-5 / 10) |
The respective online poker providers are listed in the left column. We’ve already sorted them in ascending order according to the cheapest rake structure so you can find the poker site that works best for you at the top. Rake fees are divided into Fixed Limit and No Limit or Pot Limit Cash Games. In two columns, you will find the lowest and highest commission level. All information is in US dollars. For example, “0.01 per 0.20 to 0.50” means that there is 1 cent rake per 20 cents in the pot up to a maximum of 50 cents. Some poker rooms also show the casino share as a percentage.
The House Share: Why There Is Rake in Online Poker
In contrast to so-called casino poker, in which players compete against the bank, online poker is a game between individual players at the table. The poker room operator as the organizer does not participate in the game himself. By collecting a rake, the poker site still secures a source of income, so that not one hundred percent of all amounts that flow into a pot are paid back to games. Online poker has an advantage over live games in that the poker room costs less, which is why the fees are much lower. The exact amount of rake usually depends on the size of the pot and the limits or blinds being played. In exceptional cases, a fixed amount is set. There is usually also a cap limit per cap.
Rake in Sit & Go and Poker Tournaments
If you look closely at our table above, you will find that the rake structures of the individual poker sites are very close to one another. On average, cash game providers charge three to six percent of the pot as a rake, and the rake is often between four and five percent. The poker room also secures income from tournaments. For Sit & Go tables, a fixed percentage may be applied, which is slightly higher and ranges from six to ten percent, depending on the respective limits or blinds at the table. Rake is rarely talked about in tournaments: instead, the organizer or the online poker room charges a participation fee that ranges from five to ten percent of the buy-in but can also be higher.
What Does “No Flop, No Drop” Mean?
You only need to pay rake if you are participating in a pot draw. Besides, fair online poker providers only charge rake when it comes to the flop. If you win the pot before the first community cards are dealt, you don’t have to pay any commission.
Online Poker and Rake: What to Look for in the House Share
To successfully make money in online poker and cash games in the long run, you need to not only assert yourself against your tablemates but also include rake deduction. The “no flop, no drop” philosophy of poker providers means you will face a much more aggressive style of cash gameplay as many professional grinders try to push other players out of the pot preflop and profit without rake. You can of course also adopt this strategy, but it makes sense to use poker software to analyze where you are making a profit and where you are losing to adapt your game accordingly.
As we have seen above, poker room rake structures are less important when comparing providers. When choosing a suitable poker site, you should also consider the so-called Rakeback conditions. Depending on the rake you have accumulated, you can again receive bonus points or credits. The differences between individual providers can be more significant here, which is why we’ve dedicated ourselves to this subject in our own Rakeback comparison.
