Don't Let Rakeback Ruin Your Game
- Published 2006-09-28
- Author RakeNoMore
All poker players should play with rakeback. It doesn't matter what limit you play, you always pay rake and can always get some of that money back. Before I take this discussion any further I just want to make it clear that everyone benefits from having a good rakeback deal; high stake gamblers and low limit players. If you play poker, rakeback is the same as free money. However, at some limits rakeback is far more important. I'll try to explain why:
First we have to analyze poker rooms' rake conditions. The rake is usually around 5% of the total pot, a $10 pot is therefore raked with 50 cent (10 x 0.05 = 0.5). The rake is usually capped at $3. A $1000 pot is not raked with 5%, which should be $50; the maximum rake amount is still $3. One could say that the rake is 5% when the pot is $60 or smaller (0.05 x 60 = 3). When the pot size exceeds $60, the rake percentage goes down.
What effect does this have on the rake? At low limits, where a big pot is around $60, is where the rake has the most impact. At the high stake tables where a big pot is, let's say $2000, the rake is not even 1% of the total pot. To become a winning player at low limits you must therefore beat both your opponents and the ridiculously high rake. This can sometimes be hard to do because it is not enough to have a slight advantage over your opponents. To win you must be much better than the average player at your table. This is where rakeback comes in; if you have a 50% rakeback deal you will cut down the house edge considerably. Instead of being charged with 5% in every pot, you will only be charged with 2.5%, which makes a big difference in your overall winnings.
If you are playing poker without rakeback, just sign up with a rakeback offer. That could be the factor that makes you a winning poker player in the long run. But remember, even though it is most important to play with rakeback at some limits, all players earn extra money when playing with it.