What Is Poker Rakeback?
Poker rakeback is the percentage of the rake generated by your play that is returned to you by the poker room or your poker agent.
For example, if you generate $1,000 in rake and your agreement includes 50% rakeback, you receive $500 back, reducing your estimated effective table rake and your overall cost of playing.
For regular players, rakeback is often one of the biggest sources of long-term profit, but it should always be evaluated together with the room’s rake structure.
What Is Generated Rake?
Generated rake is the total amount of rake attributed to your account.
It is not the amount you pay directly in every pot. Instead, it represents the portion of the poker room’s collected rake that counts towards your account according to its rake attribution method.
Most poker rooms use either:
-
Contributed Rake
-
Dealt Rake
Your rakeback is calculated from your generated rake, not from your winnings or losses.
What Is Effective Table Rake?
Poker rooms advertise a nominal rake percentage such as 4%, 5% or 6%.
Once rakeback is applied, however, your estimated effective table rake becomes significantly lower.
This calculator estimates your effective table rake, helping you compare the real long-term cost of different poker rakeback deals rather than looking only at the advertised rakeback percentage.
Why Rakeback Percentage Isn’t Everything
A higher advertised rakeback deal does not always mean a better overall offer.
Your real cost can also be affected by:
-
Player Value Index (PVI)
-
Jackpot fees
-
Rake caps
-
Average pot size
-
Network traffic and game quality
For this reason, two poker rooms advertising the same rakeback percentage may produce very different long-term results.
Is poker rakeback taxable?
Tax treatment depends on your country of residence. This calculator does not take taxes into account.
Does jackpot fee generate rakeback?
Usually no. Most poker rooms do not include jackpot fees when calculating generated rake.
Why is my effective table rake only theoretical?
Because this calculator estimates your effective table rake using the advertised table rake and rakeback percentage. Actual rake costs also depend on rake caps, average pot sizes, jackpot fees, attribution methods and the poker room’s reward system.
What is a good rakeback percentage?
While every poker room is different, these ranges are a useful reference:
-
Below 20% → Low
-
20–35% → Standard
-
35–45% → Competitive
-
45–60% → High
-
Above 60% → Elite
However, always evaluate your estimated effective table rake as well as the advertised rakeback percentage, since two deals with the same rakeback can produce very different long-term costs.
Looking For a Better Deal?
At The Poker Broker, we negotiate private rakeback agreements with multiple poker rooms.
Depending on the room and your volume, you may qualify for significantly better conditions than standard public offers.
Poker Rakeback Calculator
Compare poker rakeback deals more accurately. Enter your table rake, generated rake and rakeback percentage to calculate your rakeback earnings, net rake paid and estimated effective table rake. The calculator also rates your deal from Elite to Very Expensive, helping you compare poker rooms beyond the advertised rakeback percentage.
