Rake Race

1. A competition held by poker rooms or rakeback sites to see who can accumulate the most paid rake in a given time period.

Explained

In order to beef up their affiliate commission checks, many poker sites or rakeback sites will hold a Rake Race. This keeps a tally of all the players at a poker site and the rake they have paid during the race period. The top players of this competition (note that it does not track wins or losses) typically receive a monetary prize.

Example

The payout structure of Rake Races depends on the size of their prize pool. A $25K race, for example, might pay out 150 players, with the top rake generator getting 12-15% - usually a round number like $3500. Smaller races in the $2-4K range will pay out far fewer players, likely 10-20.

Tips for Successful Rake Racing

Winning a Rake Race requires some serious focus and commitment, but the following tips should help you get there should you put your mind to it.

It goes without saying, but if you plan on winning a rake race, you're going to have to multi-table pretty hard. You need to generate as much rake as possible, which means you need to be playing at as many tables and in as many hands as you can. In addition, try to make sure that you are sitting at tables which allow you to rake the cap - if cap is set at $5 per hand, playing .10/.20 isn't going to cut it. To combat this, be sure to play in games where you will always rake the cap if you get involved in a multi-way pot.

One thing that certainly isn't going to help you win a Rake Race is playing in nitty games, so if you find yourself at a table that is consistently folding around, try to find a looser game. You should also make sure that you keep your eye on the overall race leaderboard so you can see how your opponents are doing. If a close opponent is logging a session and you're free, you should probably put in some hands too.

Finally, don't let the race change your game. You should still get proper sleep, eat healthy, and go about your sessions as you normally would. If your profits start to drop, play less tables or take a day off. You should also try to get the best rakeback deal possible as this will help your profit margins, especially if you're putting in more volume than you normally do.

Please note, these tips will obviously not guarantee that you the win your rake race, but they will definitely give you a fighting chance. Good luck!

Where to Find Rake Races

You can participate in Rake Races by visiting the following site: This Is The Nuts (TITN).