Best Low Rake Poker Sites
Rake is a necessary fee charged by every poker room on all real money poker games played. Like most other businesses, poker sites are interested in generating revenue from their patrons to cover operating costs and to create a profit. This is accomplished by taking a portion of every pot at all of their poker tables. Rake is necessary for a poker site to stay in business and the precise amount of rake taken from each pot is generally the same for every online poker site. However, the rake amount can vary depending on certain factors such as how many players are participating in a game and the table stakes. The variability in rake collected means that the best low rake poker sites will let you keep more of your money.
Best Low Rake Poker Websites
Low Rake Poker Information
Poker sites manage their rake collection with a set structure, identifying the exact amount of rake collected at each stakes level at a table where a certain number of players are participating. The standard rake is 5% of the pot and can be as low as 2-3% depending on the poker site's rake structure. The best low rake poker sites tend to use a rake percentage of 3% for most of their table stakes.
For example, the rake collected in a micro stakes game may be more than the rake collected in a mid stakes game:
- $0.01/$0.02 stakes with 5 or more players: $0.01 collected as rake for every $0.20 in the pot
- $15/$30 stakes with 5 or more players: $0.03 collected for every $1 in the pot.
The best low rake poker sites will usually place a maximum cap limit that is lower than the industry standard. A cap of $3-$4 is not uncommon at low rake poker sites and bodes well for poker players who like to focus their efforts at the mid to high stakes tables. A low cap prevents poker sites from taking a larger percentage of your pot contributions when you're making bets worth $50, $100, $250 or more.
Other low rake poker sites use the standard $5 maximum cap but may structure their rake in a way that favors the micro stakes tables rather than the high stakes tables. Some of the best low rake poker sites do not collect a rake for games at the micro stakes range up to the $0.05/$0.10 stakes limit. In such circumstances, it would be more beneficial for players to play at the micro stakes range. However, the micro stakes tables simply don't have enough money being wagered by players to generate good results for those focused on their hourly earnings.
Attributes of a Low Rake Poker Site
The most important characteristic of the best low rake poker sites is access to their rake structure. The very best low rake poker sites will have a web page with their rake structure, likely under the How to Play tab on the homepage. This will allow you to go through the whole stakes range to identify which ones have the lowest rakes.
The best micro stakes low rake poker sites will not collect a rake on games worth up to $0.05/$0.10, regardless of how many players are seated at the table. Poker sites that are part of a larger gambling outfit containing a casino or sportsbook service may use a higher rake contribution schedule in an attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting casual players. The best low rake poker sites will have similar rake schedules when compared with each other and the variations in between will be only 1-3 cents.
Finding the best low rake poker sites is imperative for poker players focused on creating an hourly profit from game play. Carefully looking at the maximum caps, and relative rake collection based on the stakes can help maximize your earnings at the best low rake poker sites.
