See Ya George

Before joining a new poker room, most poker players will look for the best deposit bonus available or the top poker bonus they can find at a room they do not yet have an account with. If you have ever done this, you will know that it can take some time to find the best poker bonus. However, some poker players will usually know in advance which room they wish to join – then just look for any old deposit bonus.

These poker players forget to do a search for rakeback. Surprisingly, poker rakeback is still not that well known among online poker players. Most top players that put in hours of poker a day playing know about the benefits of and receive rakeback. The average Joe, on the other hand plays poker a few hours a week has no idea what rakeback is or how it works.

What is Rakeback?

Rakeback is simply getting back some of the rake that you pay to the poker room. Rake is paid in every hand at a cash table that sees a flop, or every poker tournament you play, usually amounting to 10% of the buy-in. So if you play a $10 tournament, $1 is usually added to the entry fee that does not go to the prize pool. However, if you have a rakeback deal, for example, 40% rakeback, you will get 40c back from the $1 that you paid in rake.

Which is Better – Rakeback or Bonus?

Some people can make the mistake, see a big deposit bonus, and think that the deposit bonus is better for them because they do not actually play much poker so the rakeback would not make much difference. That logic is flawed. If you do not play much poker, it is even less likely that the deposit bonus will make a difference. This is because it is unlikely that you will gain enough points to clear you deposit bonus and actually get any money, as deposit bonuses drop dead after an amount of time. Rakeback however does not typically have such requirements. You can receive full tilt poker rakeback if you rake $10 or $10000 a month in most poker rooms. Additionally, rakeback is constant. Rakeback is there as long as you play at that site, with no drop-dead dates. Even with deposit bonuses, once you clear it – it is gone.

While most people seek out a juicy looking deposit bonus, they are far better off seeking a great rakeback deal. Rakeback is consistent, has little requirements tied to it, and will not go away.