Finding the lowest rake poker sites matters because it can affect your win rate over thousands of hands. Most players don’t realize how the little amounts add up overtime which is why you need to pay attention to how much rake is being taken while you’re playing online poker.
Quick Answer: Ignition Poker is my top low rake choice, with rake starting around 4%.
My 3 Best Low Rake Poker Sites
| Poker Site | Cash Game Rake | Traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Ignition Poker | 4% | High |
| BetOnline Poker | 5% | High |
| Bovada Poker | 4% | High |
Ignition Poker
I’ve probably spent more time playing online poker on Ignition than anywhere else for a few reasons. The site has lots of player traffic at low and mid stake games and offers up millions of dollars in guaranteed tournament prizes monthly.
When it comes to rake Ignition takes 4% of $0.25 which comes out to 1 cent. You might be thinking is this a lot? And the answer is no. Most sites take between 4% and 5% which is the industry standard. Ignition is on the lower end and another reason I tend to put more volume on this site than others. I’ve often had months where I’ve cleared 50,000 hands playing 500nl and 1000nl here and never really felt the rake changed my overall profit after each session. A lot of this also comes down to if you are winning on the site you are using, and I can tell you that Ignition is soft compared to what else is out there.
BetOnline Poker
BetOnline Poker is one of my favorite sites to use because the software is awesome and you can play as many tables at a time as you’d like. When I use this site, I play a little bit more pot limit Omaha on mobile more than anything else. Player traffic is good on this network, and the rake is reasonable at 5%. That means for every $.20 you can expect 1 cent to be taken out. It’s slightly higher than Ignition but I wouldn’t let that stop you from giving this site a try.
Bovada Poker
What can I say except Bovada has always been a personal favorite. I’ve used this site since 2012, and the software is the same as Ignitions because they both run off the same network. The rake is also set at 4% so that means for every $.25 you can expect 1 cent to be taken out. You can also do a bit more on Bovada since they have sports, but I thoroughly enjoy playing poker on this network and so do many other poker players. If you want sports and poker in one place I would consider giving them a try.
Does Lower Rake Actually Make You More Money?
If you look at a bigger timeline of hands played such as 100,000 hands it can make a slight difference. For example, if you played 100,000 hands at 4% rake that is going to come out to $4000 compared to 5% which would be $5000. That is a $1000 difference over the course of a lot of hands played which is still significant especially if you are playing lower stake games.
However, if you look at the bigger picture which is something I tend to do, you should try and figure out if you are even profitable at the site you are using. There are a lot of sites with tough competition, but I feel that the 3 I’ve mentioned in this post have enough weak players to make rake alone to be less of an issue. It’s still something to think about while you’re playing but your win rate at the table is just as important.
What Is Considered a Good Poker Rake?
A good poker rake is generally around 5% or less for online cash games, but the percentage alone doesn’t tell the whole story. You also need to look at the maximum rake taken from each pot. For example, two poker sites might both charge 5%, but one could cap the rake at $3 while another caps it at $5. If you regularly play larger pots, that difference can add up over thousands of hands.
I also think rake becomes much more important if you’re playing poker regularly. A recreational player putting in a few hundred hands probably isn’t going to notice a small difference. If you play 50,000 or 100,000 hands, however, even a slightly better rake structure can potentially save you a significant amount of money.
Personally, I wouldn’t choose a poker site based on rake alone. I also look at how soft the games are, player traffic, bonuses, rakeback and the overall quality of the software. A low rake doesn’t help much if the games are significantly tougher.
Final Thoughts
I’ve tested each one of these sites out for years at this point and do feel they are the best to be using in terms of low rake and exceptional software. The competition on each site is also not as hard as some of the other more poker heavy sites to play online. Ignition is my personal favorite because I’ve done the best, they’re over a large sample size and find it easy to beat the mid stake games.
But I also think you should think more than just about rake alone and figure out if you can get a decent win rate on the site you are using. You won’t really know until you’ve hit between 30 to 50,000 hands but in my experience if you are skilled and understand the fundamentals to playing good poker you can find success on anyone of these sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good rake percentage for online poker?
Around 5% or less is generally a reasonable starting point for online poker cash games. However, I always check the rake cap as well. Two sites can both charge 5% while taking very different amounts from larger pots. It also matters what stakes you plan on playing because generally for smaller games the rake can feel more substantial.
Is 5% rake high in poker?
I wouldn’t consider 5% unusually high for an online cash game. It’s a common rate, although the actual cost depends on the rake cap, stakes, table size and how often you play pots. I would also think more about the site you plan on using than just the rake they charge alone. Meaning is the software any good, and can you actually win at the stake you are trying to play. Those types of things are slightly more important to me when I am evaluating a site to play on.
Does poker rake matter at low stakes?
Yes. Rake can actually be a major consideration at micro and low stakes because the amount taken from pots can represent a meaningful number of big blinds. If you’re playing thousands of hands every month, it adds up quickly.
Is rakeback the same as lower rake?
Not exactly. Rakeback returns a percentage of the rake you generate. A site charging slightly more rake could potentially become competitive if it offers substantially better rakeback.
Should I always choose the poker site with the lowest rake?
No. I look at the entire game rather than rake alone. A slightly higher-rake table filled with recreational players can potentially be more attractive than a lower-rake table filled with strong regulars. Traffic, game selection, rakeback and software are also worth considering.
Edward Pao is an online poker and casino affiliate marketer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has referred over 30,000 players to major poker platforms and specializes in reviewing the best online poker sites and casino bonuses.