# Rake

> Source: [Rake in the Smarter.Poker Glossary](https://smarter.poker/glossary/rake)

## Definition
Rake Is The Fee A Card Room Or Club Takes From Each Pot Or Tournament Entry To Pay For Running The Game, Usually A Percentage Of The Pot Up To A Cap. Rake Is The Main Way A Poker Operator Earns Revenue. In Play Credit Games, Rake Is Taken In Chips That Have No Cash Value.

- **Category**: Basics
- **Term Code**: `rake`
- **DefinedTermSet**: [Smarter.Poker Poker Glossary](https://smarter.poker/glossary)

## Related Poker Terms

- [Rakeback](https://smarter.poker/glossary/rakeback) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/rakeback.md)): Rakeback Is A Rebate Of Part Of The Rake A Player Pays, Returned By The Room, Club Or Agent As A Loyalty Incentive, Often As A Fixed Percentage Each Week. It Lowers The Effective Cost Of Playing. On Smarter.Poker There Is No Real-Money Gambling, So Any Rebate Is In Club Chips Or Rewards With No Cash Value.
- [Comp](https://smarter.poker/glossary/comp) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/comp.md)): A Comp, Short For Complimentary, Is A Reward A Poker Room Or Casino Gives Players For Time Played, Such As Food Credits Or Points Toward Merchandise. Comps Are Usually Earned Per Hour Of Live Play And Tracked On A Player Card. Each Venue Sets Its Own Earning Rate, Redemption Rules And Expiry Policy For Comps.
- [Blinds](https://smarter.poker/glossary/blinds) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/blinds.md)): Blinds Are Forced Bets Posted Before The Cards Are Dealt By The Two Players To The Left Of The Button: The Small Blind And The Big Blind, Which Is Usually Twice As Large. Blinds Create A Pot Worth Fighting For On Every Hand. Stakes Are Named After Them, So A 1/2 Game Has A 1 Small Blind And A 2 Big Blind.
- [Club Agent](https://smarter.poker/glossary/club-agent) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/club-agent.md)): A Club Agent Is A Person Who Recruits Players Into A Private Online Poker Club And Looks After Them There, Managing Their Chip Requests And Questions For The Club Owner. In The Wider Industry Agents Are Often Paid A Share Of The Rake Their Players Generate. On Smarter.Poker Agent Tools Manage Club Chips, Which Have No Cash Value.

## Related Strategy Lessons

- [How Rake Affects Your Win Rate](https://smarter.poker/learn/rake-and-win-rate) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/rake-and-win-rate.md)): Rake Is The Fee A Cash Game Takes From Each Pot, And Because It Is Capped It Costs Small Pots The Most: In An Example Structure Of 5% Capped At 3 Big Blinds, A 10 Big Blind Pot Pays 0.5 Big Blinds And A 100 Big Blind Pot Pays Only 3, Which Is 3%.
- [Bankroll Rules For Cash Games](https://smarter.poker/learn/cash-game-bankroll) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/cash-game-bankroll.md)): A Common Guideline For No Limit Cash Games Is To Keep 20 To 50 Buy Ins For The Stake You Play, Because Even A Winning Player Can Lose Many Buy Ins In A Row: At The Example Win Rate Below, 20 Buy Ins Still Carries A 13.5% Risk Of Going Broke.

## Practice On Smarter.Poker

- [GTO Training](https://smarter.poker/hub/training): Scenario Based Poker Training, Free To Play.
- [GTO Training Games Guide](https://smarter.poker/features/poker-training-games): Explore 107 Interactive Scenario Drills And EV Feedback.

## Compliance & Fair Play

There Is No Real-Money Gambling On Smarter.Poker: Club Chips Are Play Credits With No Cash Value, And Diamonds Are A Promotional Rewards Currency.