Poker rake can be a little bit hard to understand when you’re not familiar with it. With a little bit of explanation, though, online poker rake is easy to grasp. In every hand that’s played, the victor takes down a pot of winnings. It might be a little; it might be a lot. But a small amount is deducted from each one so that Ignition Casino can keep bringing exciting poker games to you day and night. The general rate is $.01 for every $.20 in the pot, but our specific poker rake tables and how our poker rake calculator works (and will be discussed below).

What is Poker Rake? Why is it Necessary?

Online poker rake is important because it funds an online casino’s operations. It’s a key part of how casinos “keep the lights on” and pay bills. Like any business, we need revenue to operate. Our technical costs are significant, and our employees need to get paid if they’re going to live and keep the site running. For that reason, when people ask, “Is poker rake illegal?” we have to laugh a little. 

Distillers are in the business of making your whiskey.

Rollers are in the business of making your cigars.

And we’re in the business of dealing out  the hottest poker action online.

Ignition Casino’s Poker Rake 

Rake is collected at $0.01 for every $0.20 in the pot. Aside from that, there’s a max rake, so our revenue per hand is capped, leaving you with more of the profits from each pot when pots grow large. The exact cap depends on the type of table, game, and stakes.

For heads up games, the max rake is $1.

For fixed limit, max rake starts at $.10 at the $0.05/$0.10 tables and scales up to $1 at the $1.00/$2.00 tables. For stakes above that, the max rake depends on the number of players, and is capped at $3 at the top of the range.

For pot limit and no-limit, stakes up to and including $0.10/$0.25 range from a max rake of $.50 to $2, depending on the number of players at the table. For stakes above that, max rake ranges from $1 to 4.

Ignition Casino’s automatic poker rake calculator runs during each hand, calculating how much rake is owed and deducting it. You then get the rest of any pots you win sent right into your “chip stack.” Everything goes smoothly. Is poker rake illegal? Of course not! It’s a normal part of doing business. Ignition gets to keep operating, the cards keep getting dealt out, and players take down their winnings, one hand after the other. Online poker rake makes it all possible.

Rake vs Tournament Fees: What’s the difference?

Online poker rake is a little different from tournament fees. While the rake is deducted from each pot at a cash game in accord with our poker rake calculator, tournament fees are paid once for each entry into a tournament. Then, while the tournament is running, the poker rake calculator is off and the tournament plays out until a winner is crowned.

Hopefully, for anyone who’s wondering, “Is poker rake illegal?” that clears things up. Poker rake is to poker like pure malt is to whiskey, so pour yourself a nice glass and bring home those chips! 

Now, let’s get to a game