When you see two or more players playing the poker game at a casino – Stud Poker or Draw Poker – you may wonder how casinos make their money off the game. You’re not alone. Some poker players themselves can’t figure it out either.
But if you hear that the poker room is the second largest golden source of revenue for casinos after slots, you may hardly absorb such ‘a myth.’ But it is a fact. One thing you cannot dismiss is that every single game in the casino is designed to favor the operator. It doesn’t matter whether it’s baccarat, roulette, slots, keno, or poker.
This article provides an insight into how profits stream in for the casino when you visit the slot machines for a poker game. Fir off, let’s examine how poker is played.
How is Poker Played?
The first thing to say is that poker is a cash game. By that, we mean that players bet real money on poker. The game of poker is played against players. In other words, the house is indifferent to who wins or loses, whether online or offline. Players play against each other and not against the house. On the part of the house, there is no vested interest. When player A plays against player B, he wins money from the other party. You neither win the house nor lose to the casino. The house dealer is present at the card tables to deal with the cards for players and monitor the outcome. If the casino literally risks no high blood pressure in the poker loser or winner, how does it make its money then? Let’s find out.
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How Casinos Make Revenue off Poker Room
Poker RAKE
The most feasible way the house makes a profit off the poker room is via the RAKE. In the economy of poker, RAKE plays a critical role. This is a percentage of money that the casino charges for every tournament. Call it an entry fee or tax; you won’t be entirely wrong. It’s just that poker rake works slightly differently.
How Poker Rake Works
A poker rake comes in two ways: a CAP vs. No CAP rake. By No Cap rake, it means that when you play certain poker variants, the house has unlimited freedom to determine how much to take out. In this case, there’s no maximum amount the house can take out from your winnings. This system is costly to the players, especially if they both end up in an all-in situation. On the other hand, the cap poker rake implies a limit on the rake. No one loves to play the no cap rake poker game.
A cash game means that before a poker winner receives his money, the rake will be deducted by the house. It doesn’t matter the form of poker you play – whether it’s PLO or No-Limit Hold ’em. The majority of the pots are taken out, and the percentage range can vary from one casino to another. Usually, it ranges from 2% to 10% of the total pot. The rake can be something in-between 3% and 5%.
Many casinos limit how much rake can be taken out from your pot. This depends on each casino’s rules.
Casinos Use Poker and the House Edge
Although casinos’ main source of income in poker is the popular rake system, with the house edge, they also cash in on the game. The house edge is a built-in advantage that the casino enjoys. These few percentage points vary depending on the casino and game you choose. The idea behind the house edge is that the casino will make a profit over a long period. For example, if American roulette has 5.26% as a house edge, the casino will make about 0.46% on every $1000 wager on video poker. This will amount to $4.6.
Poker Tournaments
Many casinos also make a lot of revenue from organizing poker tournaments. There are a lot of other side benefits that come to casinos when they organize big tournaments in cash games. Tournaments offer live casino venues the opportunity to cash in on cash games as many feeders and new entrants will participate and play poker. They sell more drinks and food and offer more accommodation spaces.
Check our article about one of the best poker houses in Canada.
