Rake in live poker: pot rake, time charge and tournament fees

Every poker room needs to earn money. In live poker it does that in three main ways, and knowing them helps you choose games and understand your results.

1. Pot rake (cash games)

The dealer takes a percentage of each pot, usually up to a maximum (cap). A common rule is “no flop, no drop”: if the hand ends before the flop, no rake is taken. Some rooms also take a fixed amount for a jackpot or promotions.

Example: 5% rake capped at €10. In a €60 pot the rake is €3; in a €400 pot it stops at €10.

2. Time charge (collection)

At bigger cash games, instead of raking pots, the room may collect a fixed fee per player every 30 or 60 minutes. This is often better for players who play many big pots, but worse if you play very tight and see few hands.

3. Tournament fees

A tournament buy-in is usually shown in two parts, for example €500 + €55: €500 goes into the prize pool and €55 is the fee (sometimes split between the room and staff). In some places part of the fee is a dealer appreciation amount.

How rake affects you

At small stakes, rake can be a big share of the pot, so loose, passive play is especially costly.
Choose games with a reasonable cap; compare rooms.
In tournaments, compare the fee to the buy-in: 10% or less is fairly standard; much higher fees make the event harder to beat.

Online is similar

Online rooms also take rake and fees, and many give some back as rakeback. See rake and rakeback explained and KKPoker rakeback.

FAQ

How is rake taken in live poker?

Usually as a percentage of each pot up to a cap; at bigger games sometimes as a fixed time charge per player.

What does ‘no flop, no drop’ mean?

If a hand ends before the flop, the room takes no rake from that pot.

What does €500+€55 mean for a tournament?

€500 goes into the prize pool and €55 is the entry fee.

Is time charge better than rake?

It’s often better for players who play many pots, and worse for very tight players.