Poker Glossary

Rake

The house’s fee for running the game — typically a percentage of each cash pot (around 5%, capped at a set amount) or a fee built into tournament entries. The rake is the one opponent that never loses a night, and beating the game means beating it by more than the rake takes. It is also why the smallest-stakes games are mathematically harder to profit in than they look.

At the table

A $100 pot at 5% with a $5 cap: the winner collects $95. Win that pot a thousand times a year and the house quietly made $5,000 on your victories.

House note

The rake is undefeated since the invention of felt. Play well enough to split with it.

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