What is a rake?

Rake is a term referring to poker events such as tournaments and cash games and is a fixed fee that must be paid by the potential participant. Rake is a fee paid to the organizer for taking care of all the tasks involved in running a poker event. Rake is a key source of revenue for poker rooms. This fee is taken from the pot and can range from 2.5 to 10% depending on the poker room you play at.