Poker sites also have to advertise, which affects you more than you’d think. Maintaining servers for thousands of players requires a huge amount of bandwidth and round-the-clock staff have to be ready to solve any problem. Providing a high-quality poker experience online is not easy or cheap.
The term “rake” comes from the small rake dealers use to collect winnings Why Do I Have to Pay Rake for Online Poker? We’ll talk about why rake exists, how it works for cash games and tournaments, plus ways to get rakeback. Rake can be complicated, but we’ve distilled the information into this article. If you’re playing with friends, don’t collect a rake or commission. Regulated poker rooms have tax agreements with the countries they reside in. It’s usually illegal to collect a rake in unregulated live games or private home games. In other casino games like Blackjack, the house can use odds to generate revenue from playing against customers. Poker is a game where players compete with other players, so rake is one of the only ways for poker rooms to make a profit. Players sometimes ask, “What is a rake in poker?” Every site and casino that offers poker charges a commission on every full hand played on their tables.
