What is Poker Rakeback?

In poker, the rake is a small percentage of the pot from each hand dealt by the operator as a fee for hosting the game. This fee helps cover the costs of running the poker room and providing a secure, enjoyable experience for players.

Rakeback is a reward system where a portion of the rake collected is returned to the players. This can either be in the form of a fixed amount per player or calculated on the player contribution to the table before they cash out. This rebate incentivizes players to keep playing and can significantly boost their overall earnings.

Every game of real money online poker you play will have some form of rake and rakeback in place.

Here at CoinPoker, we have our unique Community Contributions that take 5% from each ring game, and use 100% of that to give back to the players. We credit this in the form of our very own CHP tokens to our members on a weekly basis.

How to Calculate Poker Rakeback

The amount of rakeback you can receive varies from casino to casino, and different providers have attractive rakeback offers or special terms for regular players. In all cases, the actual calculation is the same, just the numbers vary.

For example:

• You put $200 in the pot of a cash game
• The house takes 5% in rake, a total of $10
• You have a 50% rakeback
• You get $5 back into your account

Types of Poker Rakeback

As with poker, there is always variety, and that is the same for rakeback. Some casinos offer tickets, tournament seats, or vouchers, but the 3 main types of rakeback you will see online are listed below.

Contributed Rakeback

This method of rakeback is based on what you put into a pot, the more you bet the higher your return. Let’s break it down:

• You play in a cash game with a $60 pot, 5% rake, and 30% rakeback
• You put $30 into the pot
• The rake is 5% of $30 = $1.50
• Your rakeback is 30% = $0.45

Over multiple hands, these numbers can stack up, and if you miss playing a hand, you don’t bet or get any rakeback for it. When you play with bigger blinds and high-stakes Texas Hold’em games the rakeback can form a significant part of a pro player’s income. This is also the method we use here at CoinPoker, making sure every player benefits and you can get up to 33% back every week.

Dealt Rakeback

Taking a different approach, a dealt rakeback gives every player at the table a return, even if they don’t play a hand. The way it works is simple, if you get dealt cards, you get an equal share of the rakeback for that hand. Take a look:

• You play a cash game with a $60 pot, 6 players, rake of 5%, and a 30% rakeback
• You fold your hand and place no bets
• The rake on the hand is 5% = $3
• $3 rake is divided by 6 = $0.50
• 30% rakeback = $0.15

This way you have less rakeback for the hand you played compared to the above, but you made no bets, so made more in the long run. If you play the hand and contribute to the pot, your return remains the same as if you folded.

Shared Rakeback

This method uses the same principle as dealt rakeback, but you have to add to the pot before you can get the rakeback. So you have to bet at least once on your hand to be eligible. Using the same guidelines as above:

• You play a cash game with a $60 pot, 6 seats, 4 players bet, rake of 5%, and a 30% rakeback
• You place 1 bet on the flop and then fold
• The rake on the hand is 5% = $3
• $3 rake is divided by 4 = $0.75
• 30% rakeback = $0.23

As you can see, your personal return is higher, but only because you dropped a bet and played the hand. Not many places use this method so you won’t see it often but it is good to know how it works. Just pay a bit more attention to how the table plays out as you only get rakeback when you bet, so watch your stack.

Pros and Cons of Online Poker Rakeback

Now you know how it works, let us give you the benefits and drawbacks of rakeback.

Pros

• Boosted Bankroll: When your rakeback comes in, it adds to your bankroll, giving you more hands to play with. This also helps especially if you play multiple tables or high-stakes games.
• Reduces Risk: You can still get a return on your wager, even if you lose the hand. While it won’t be the same as a win, it can significantly reduce your losses over time.
• Sustainable for Long-Term Play: When looking at your income over the year, rakeback can turn into quite the profit, with the pro players making thousands of dollars during that time.
• Great for Beginners: When you start out, there are a lot of things to learn and it can be a steep curve. Having some return not only helps you feel better, but it also helps you keep on playing by adding to your stack consistently.

Cons

• Effects Gameplay: Rake reduces the amount won per pot, a 5% rake on a $60 pot means the actual prize won is $57. While this allows the operator to run the tables and for you to play, it does reduce the prizes on every hand.

At CoinPoker we give you a great rakeback of 33%, paid back into your account every Monday.