The rake

Online poker work as poker rooms, not casinos. That means you never play against the house, only other players. Playing against other players is a great way of testing your skills and you could do with the money if you win a game or two, but whats in it for the poker rooms if your playing with other players?

The truth is that the poker room owners make money from you every time you play a game for real money, whether you win lose or draw. It's called the Table Rake.

The table rake is a commission charged to the players by the providers of the poker room. By taking a small slice of the pot for themselves, they get paid while the players still enjoy the action as the amount taken from each pot is hardly noticeable. The table rake represents the only source of revenue for the house, since all of the winnings go to the players around the table.

Rake amount

The rake amount in most poker rooms is set to a maximum of between $3 and $5 and a fairly normal commission would be 5% up to this value. It is also determined by the number of players at the table, and the amount in the total pot. Online poker rooms do vary and the amounts and calculations of the table rake value vary from room to room. On top of this, most online poker rooms don't take any rake if the flop isn't dealt.

This is a great way of the paying for your poker games due to the table rake being a small capped percentage and as the money is being taken from the pot, you don't feel if you are loosing any money.

Whats the catch?

Thats all there is to it really, there is, "no catch." The poker rooms are upfront about the table rake and the players still enjoy playing, winning and scooping the pot when they win, so go on, enjoy yourself and remember, always play to win.