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Poker sites with the lowest rake to play in 2024
In this article, we study the different rake structures of the best poker rooms to determine which ones are the cheapest to play.
Cheapest online poker sites
Contact us to get a rakeback deal:
Cheap and cheerful. The rule also applies in the poker world, and unlike other products in which it is almost necessary to eliminate any of the two factors to obtain a quality result, in the gaming industry, some operators strive to offer friendly conditions for all their customers.
Below, we share some tables and conclusions, although we prefer to save you time and tell you what the lowest rake in online poker is before diving into the numbers
- Where to play micro limits and low stakes with the lowest rake (NL10-NL50): WPT Global and CoinPoker
- Where to play medium limits (NL100-NL600) cheap: PokerKing and CoinPoker
- Where to play high limits (NL1000+) with the lowest rake: Winning Poker Network, 888Poker, and CoinPoker
*Notes to the tables:
- Data is taken for full 6-max NLH tables (usually more than 4 players)
- For the iPoker Network, the values in € are taken as $ considering that the bet amounts are equal between the currencies
- We do not use the bb/100 data because most casual players prefer to see real rake numbers
Read also — Rake in Online Poker: Rake comparison in poker sites
For micro stakes
| Poker room / Rake | NL5 Rake | NL5 Cap | NL10 Rake | NL10 Cap | NL50 Rake | NL50 Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
888Poker | 5,88% | $1,00 | 5% | $1,00 | 5% | $4,00 |
Chico | NA | NA | 6,25% | $3,00 | 5,50% | $4,00 |
CoinPoker | 5% | $0,30 | 5% | $0,75 | 5% | $2,25 |
GGPoker | 5% | $0,50 | 5% | $1,00 | 5% | $4,00 |
iPoker | 6,67% | $0,50 | 6,67% | $2,00 | 5% | $3,00 |
WPN | 5% | $3,00 | 5% | $3,00 | 5% | $3,00 |
WPT Global | 4% | $0,15 | 4% | $0,30 | 4% | $1,50 |
WPT Global is the cheapest room to play micro limits (from NL10 to NL50). In the second position, we highlight CoinPoker. The most expensive rooms are iPoker, WPN, and 888Poker
For medium stakes
| Poker room / Rake | NL100 Rake | NL100 Cap | NL200 Rake | NL200 Cap | NL400 Rake | NL400 Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
888Poker | 5% | $4,00 | 5% | $4,00 | 5% | $4,00 |
Chico | 5,50% | $5,00 | 5,50% | $5,00 | 5,50% | $7,00 |
CoinPoker | 5% | $2,50 | 5% | $3,00 | 5% | $5,00 |
GGPoker | 5% | $5,00 | 5% | $6,00 | 5% | $8,00 |
iPoker | 5% | $4,00 | 5% | $4,00 | 5% | $4,00 |
WPN | 5% | $3,00 | 5% | $3,00 | 5% | $3,00 |
WPT Global | 3% | $3,00 | 3% | $6,00 | 3% | $12,00 |
For medium limits, the conclusion is not so direct because the results show different winners according to the stake:
- NL100: WPT Global and CoinPoker are cheaper. Chico Poker and GGPoker are expensive
- NL200: WPN and CoinPoker have the lowest rake. The most expensive are GGPoker and WPT Global.
- NL400: GGPoker and WPT Global are the most expensive. WPN emerges as the cheapest
Poker sites with the lowest rake for high stakes
| Poker room / Rake | NL1000 Rake | NL1000 Cap | NL5000 Rake | NL5000 Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
888Poker | 5% | $5,00 | 5% | $5,00 |
Chico | 5% | $8,00 | NA | NA |
CoinPoker | 5% | $7,50 | 5% | $12,00 |
GGPoker | 5% | $10,00 | 5% | $27,50 |
iPoker | 5% | $4,00 | 5% | $25,00 |
WPN | 5% | $3,00 | 5% | $3,00 |
WPT Global | 3% | $20,00 | 3% | $30,00 |
For high stakes (NL1000, NL5000, and above), the clear winner is WPN, while the most expensive are GGPoker and WPT Global, while CoinPoker and 888Poker are the most economical.
Why is it important to play cheap poker?
The fewer commissions you pay, the higher your direct earnings can be, and if you can find promotions such as rake races, rakeback, and leaderboards, among others, you will have the best of both worlds.
In general, poker sites have similar rake structures, and many players do not pay attention to the commissions they pay; however, it should be an important selection factor because, in the long term, it can significantly impact your results at the tables.
Balance between rake and poker ecosystem
Some players wonder why some rooms like GGPoker or WPT Global have such high rake structures at high stakes. Although many suggest that this is due to the greed of the rooms, this may be due to a business strategy.
As we all know, recreational players are the soul of cash games; without them, the games would be practically unfeasible; then, by making the games for professionals less attractive, the sites hope that there will be more casual ones at the tables. It is a delicate balance reached after trial and error in which they seek to optimize the rake ratio and softness of the field.
Of course, commissions are not the only means the rooms use to deter sharks from crushing the tables: many sites have chosen to balance the games through restrictions on third-party software or promotions designed to attract casual players.
Rake vs. Rakeback
If you have ever seen a promotion that offers percentages close to 100% rakeback, we recommend that you read the small print cautiously because all that glitters is not gold. It is useless for a site to have the highest cashback in the industry if its rake structure is also sky-high.
| Poker room | Rake | Rakeback* |
|---|---|---|
888Poker | Medium | Low |
Chico | High | Low |
CoinPoker | Low | Medium* |
GGPoker | High | Medium* |
iPoker | High | Medium |
WPN | Medium | High |
WPT Global | Medium | Low |
*Your rakeback is boosted to the next level if you register with Worldpokerdeals
**Can be high for rake race grinders
In recent years, so-called indirect rakeback structures have been implemented, which deliver more rewards to casual players, leaving aside the traditional rakeback model based only on volume. Similarly, more and more lottery-type promotions are being launched in which all players have the same chance of winning.
More rake is better?
This complex question was born from a statement made by Daniel Negreanu several years ago and has been caricatured ever since. The rooms seek to balance their tables, and the rake is one of the most used deterrents: only the most dedicated regulars usually study the rake structure in detail.
We can say that more rake is not better, but less is not necessarily better because it depends on how the room reinvests the money in its players. Good promotions will attract more players, resulting in a friendlier ecosystem. The key is to find the perfect balance between fair rake and profitable promotions.
Conclusions
- WPT Global is an excellent option for adding tables up to medium limits.
- WPN and CoinPoker emerge as excellent options for players across almost all stakes
- Although Chico Poker and 888Poker are generally somewhat expensive rooms, they are known for their soft traffic, so they can be profitable in the long run.
- Cryptocurrency fans have several options for playing cheap poker.
- As the stakes get higher, the rake percentage goes into the background because it is easier to reach the cap (maximum commission), which is why WPT Global, despite having a lower percentage in NL5k, ends up charging more rake than WPN, which has a higher percentage and a lower cap.
- We only include cash games because it is in these that the rake structures have the most impact. In tournaments and Spin&Go, only the % is considered, and most of the rooms charge similar commissions.
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