What Is Considered High Rake in Canadian Online Poker?

In online cash games, rake should generally be considered high when a player is paying approximately 8 to 10 big blinds per 100 hands after rewards or rakeback. Anything above 10 bb/100 can make even relatively soft games difficult to beat.

For online poker tournaments:

• 5% to 8% is generally good
• Around 10% is common
• More than 12% is expensive
• 15% or more is high

The advertised rake percentage is only part of the calculation. The rake cap, stakes, table size, game format and rewards program all affect how much you actually pay.

Rake Chart of the Best Online Poker Sites in Canada

The following comparison provides a general snapshot of the cash-game rake structures available at several leading poker sites serving Canadian players.

Cash-game caps differ by stake, format and number of players dealt into the hand. Tournament fees also vary from one event to another, so players should always verify the fee shown in the poker client before registering.

CoinPoker currently lists a 5% cash-game rate and tournament fees ranging from 2% to 8%. Its published cash-game caps decrease in big-blind terms as the stakes increase.

Americas Cardroom generally takes $0.01 for every $0.20 in the pot in no-limit and pot-limit games up to $1/$2, equivalent to 5%, with a maximum cap of $3 at tables with five to nine players.

GGPoker publishes a 5% rake for its standard six-max and nine-max Hold’em cash tables, although the cap changes according to the stake and number of players.

WPT Global publishes a 4% rake for many standard USD Hold’em cash games, with separate caps for tables containing two to four players and five or more players.

PokerStars increased cash-game rake across its regulated North American markets, including Ontario, to approximately 5.5% at many common NLHE stakes in November 2024. Players should verify the current Ontario schedule directly in the client because its international rake page may not reflect Ontario-specific pricing.

Which Poker Site Has the Lowest Rake?

Based strictly on the advertised cash-game percentage, WPT Global has one of the lowest headline rates in this comparison at 4% for many standard USD Hold’em tables. However, that does not automatically make it the cheapest site for every player.

CoinPoker may offer attractive value for tournament players because its listed tournament fees range from 2% to 8%. Americas Cardroom has relatively predictable caps in its standard no-limit and pot-limit games, while GGPoker may return value through rewards and promotions.

The real winner depends on:

• The stakes you play
• Your preferred poker variation
• The number of players at the table
• How frequently the cap is reached
• Your realistic rakeback return
• The quality of the available games

A site charging 5% in a soft game may be more profitable than a site charging 4% at a table filled with regulars who have memorized every solver output since breakfast.

Quick Guide to High Poker Rake

These figures are practical guidelines rather than universal rules. The amount of rake paid in bb/100 varies by playing style, stake, table size and game selection.

How Much Rake Does Each Poker Site Charge?

CoinPoker Rake

CoinPoker charges 5% rake on its standard cash games. Its published caps change by stakes and table size.

At $0.01/$0.02, the five-or-more-player cap is $0.20, equivalent to 10 big blinds. At $1/$2, the same table-size category has a $6 cap, equivalent to three big blinds. This demonstrates why the headline percentage cannot be judged without studying the cap.

CoinPoker lists tournament fees ranging from 2% to 8%, which is competitive compared with the 10% fee commonly seen in many standard online tournaments. CoinRewards also distributes value through cash-game leaderboards, Splash Pots, missions and bankroll-related rewards.

PokerHub opinion: CoinPoker’s tournament fees look attractive. Its cash-game rate is standard, but the micro-stakes caps can be substantial when measured in big blinds. Players should evaluate their actual rake paid rather than assuming the rewards automatically make every game inexpensive.

Americas Cardroom Poker Rake

Americas Cardroom uses the weighted contributed method to calculate rake and reward points. In no-limit and pot-limit games up to and including $1/$2, it takes $0.01 for every $0.20 in the pot, which works out to 5%.

The cap is:

• $0.50 with two players
• $1 with three players
• $2 with four players
• $3 with five to nine players

At $2/$4 through $4/$8, the rake remains equivalent to 5%, and the maximum full-table cap remains $3. At $5/$10 and above, the site charges $0.25 for every $5 in the pot, again equivalent to 5%, with a $3 full-table cap.

ACR also offers its Elite Benefits program and promotional competitions such as The Beast rake race.

PokerHub opinion: ACR’s $3 maximum cap can become relatively attractive as the stakes increase. At very small stakes, however, even a $3 potential cap is enormous in big-blind terms, although many pots will never grow large enough to reach it.

GGPoker Rake

GGPoker generally charges 5% rake on standard six-max and nine-max No-Limit Hold’em cash games. The cap changes according to both the stake and number of players dealt into the hand.

For six-max Hold’em:

• $0.01/$0.02 has a five-or-more-player cap of $0.20
• $0.10/$0.25 has a cap of $2
• $0.50/$1 has a cap of $5
• $1/$2 has a cap of $6
• $2/$5 has a cap of 1.6 big blinds

The platform also offers several special formats with separate fee structures. Some games include jackpot fees or other deductions in addition to ordinary rake. Its optional EV Cashout feature applies a 1% fee to the cashout value when used.

PokerHub opinion: GGPoker’s rewards and large selection of games may compensate for some of the cost, but this is not a platform where players should evaluate rake by reading one percentage. Jackpot fees, format-specific charges and the effective value of rewards all belong in the calculation.

WPT Global Rake

WPT Global publishes a 4% rake rate for many standard USD Hold’em cash games, lower than the 5% headline rate used by several competing poker rooms.

For regular USD Hold’em games, examples include:

• $0.02/$0.05: cap of $0.15 for two to four players and $0.30 for five or more
• $0.10/$0.20: cap of $0.60 for two to four players and $1.20 for five or more
• $0.50/$1: cap of $2 for two to four players and $4 for five or more
• $1/$2: cap of $4 for two to four players and $8 for five or more

WPT Global also uses different structures for big-ante Hold’em, PLO, Short Deck and PACE games, so the 4% figure should not be applied blindly to every table on the platform.

The site promotes leaderboards, welcome offers and occasional rake-free or rakeback promotions.

PokerHub opinion: WPT Global has an appealing cash-game percentage, but some caps are fairly large in big-blind terms. Its recreational-player policies and game quality may ultimately be more valuable than the one-percentage-point difference.

PokerStars Ontario Rake

PokerStars Ontario operates separately from the international PokerStars player pool. Its Ontario rake structure should therefore be checked independently rather than inferred from the international PokerStars rake page.

PokerStars reportedly increased the rake at many Ontario No-Limit Hold’em stakes to 5.5% in November 2024. The change affected stakes ranging from micro limits through many medium-stakes games, while the exact cap continued to vary by stake and number of players.

For context, PokerStars’ international rake page lists percentage-based cash-game rake with separate caps for two-player, three-to-four-player and five-or-more-player pots. It also applies a no-flop-no-drop policy, meaning rake is not charged when a Hold’em or Omaha hand ends before the flop.

PokerHub opinion: PokerStars offers polished software and a familiar playing experience, but Ontario players must account for both the rake and the smaller provincially segregated player pool. Even ordinary rake feels heavier when table selection is limited.

What Is Poker Rake?

Poker rake is the fee collected by the poker room for hosting a game.

In cash games, the site usually removes a percentage of qualifying pots up to a maximum cap. In tournaments, the fee is included in the buy-in.

For example, a tournament listed as $50 + $5 means:

• $50 goes into the prize pool
• $5 is retained by the operator
• The fee equals 10% of the prize-pool contribution

Rake is a normal operating cost, but it directly reduces every player’s long-term results.

Is 5% Cash-Game Rake High?

A 5% rake rate is common in online poker, but it is not automatically cheap or expensive.

Consider two poker rooms that both advertise 5%:

• Site A caps the rake at one big blind
• Site B caps it at four big blinds
• Both advertise the same percentage
• Site B can remove considerably more from large pots

The cap often matters more than the headline percentage.

Players should compare:

1. The rake percentage
2. The rake cap
3. The cap measured in big blinds
4. The number of players dealt into the hand
5. The rakeback they realistically receive
6. Any additional jackpot or feature fees

Looking only at the percentage is like judging a poker hand using one hole card. You have information, but not enough to start pushing chips into the middle.

Why Is Rake Harder to Beat at Low Stakes?

Low-stakes players frequently pay more rake relative to the size of the blinds.

Imagine a poker site with a $1 rake cap:

• At $0.01/$0.02, $1 equals 50 big blinds
• At $0.10/$0.25, $1 equals four big blinds
• At $0.50/$1, $1 equals one big blind
• At $2/$5, $1 equals 0.2 big blinds

The cap will not be reached in every pot, especially at micro stakes. However, the example shows why the same dollar amount is much more punishing in a small game.

Micro-stakes games can still be profitable because the competition may be weaker, but the rake can consume a large share of a player’s underlying advantage.

What Does Rake Measured in bb/100 Mean?

The most practical way to measure cash-game rake is often big blinds paid per 100 hands, abbreviated as bb/100.

Suppose you win 12 bb/100 before rake but pay 8 bb/100 in fees:

• Pre-rake win rate: 12 bb/100
• Rake paid: 8 bb/100
• Net win rate before rewards: 4 bb/100

If you instead paid 11 bb/100, your remaining win rate would fall to only 1 bb/100.

Cash-Game Rake Benchmarks

The amount paid will vary by style. Loose and aggressive players enter more pots and may generate more rake than tighter players.

How Does the Rake Cap Work?

The rake cap is the maximum amount the poker site may remove from one pot.

For example, suppose a site charges:

5% of the pot, capped at $2

If the pot is $20, the room takes $1.

If the pot is $100, 5% would equal $5, but the cap limits the deduction to $2.

Caps may change according to:

• Stakes
• Number of players
• Game variation
• Regular or fast-fold format
• Ante or straddle structure
• Player jurisdiction

Always check the exact table for the format and stake you intend to play.

Does Table Size Affect Rake?

Yes.

Poker rooms commonly publish different caps based on the number of players dealt into a hand. Heads-up pots usually have lower dollar caps than full-table pots, but heads-up players are involved in far more hands and may still generate substantial rake.

Six-max players also post the blinds more frequently than full-ring players and generally enter more pots. As a result, they may pay more rake per player even when the published percentage is identical.

Is There a Special Canadian Poker Rake?

There is no single Canadian rake structure.

Canadian players may encounter different fees depending on:

• Their province
• The poker room
• The available player pool
• The game format
• The currency
• The rewards program

Ontario has a regulated provincial online gambling market, while players in most other provinces may access international poker platforms accepting Canadians.

For more information about the provincial and federal framework, read our Canadian Online Poker Laws and Regulations Guide.

Can Ontario Poker Be More Expensive?

Ontario’s segregated player pool can affect the overall value of a game even when the published rake appears ordinary.

A smaller pool may produce:

• Fewer active tables
• Less choice between stakes
• Tougher lineups at off-peak hours
• Smaller tournament fields
• Fewer opportunities to table-select

That does not automatically mean the operator charges higher rake. However, rake

What Is Considered High Tournament Rake?

Tournament rake is easier to identify because the operator normally separates the prize-pool contribution from the fee.

For regular online multi-table tournaments:

• 5% to 8%: Good
• Around 10%: Normal
• 11% to 14%: Expensive
• 15% or more: High

Low-buy-in tournaments often charge a larger percentage because the operator still incurs costs to run the event.

What Is Considered High Sit & Go Rake?

Sit & Go tournaments frequently charge higher fees than multi-table tournaments.

For example, a $10 Sit & Go structured as $9 + $1 charges a fee equal to approximately 11.1% of the prize-pool contribution.

As a general guide:

• Under 8%: Good
• 8% to 10%: Reasonable
• 11% to 14%: High
• 15% or more: Very high

Large fees are particularly difficult to overcome in turbo and hyper-turbo formats, where the faster structure reduces the skill edge available in each game.

How Does Rakeback Change the Real Cost?

Rakeback returns part of the rake generated by a player.

Suppose you pay 10 bb/100 in gross rake and receive an effective 30% return:

• Gross rake: 10 bb/100
• Rewards returned: 3 bb/100
• Effective rake: 7 bb/100

That changes the game from very expensive to potentially manageable.

However, players should calculate the rewards they actually receive—not the maximum percentage appearing in a promotion.

The return may depend on:

• Monthly volume
• Player status
• Leaderboard performance
• Missions
• Promotional periods
• Game format
• Jurisdiction

Random prizes and leaderboard rewards should not be valued at their advertised maximum unless you consistently qualify for them.

Can High-Rake Games Still Be Profitable?

Yes.

A high-rake game may remain profitable when:

• The opponents are unusually weak
• The site offers valuable rewards
• Tournament overlays add value
• Promotions compensate for the fees
• You have a significant skill advantage
• The game is unavailable elsewhere

A low-rake table filled with skilled regulars can be less profitable than a higher-rake table filled with recreational players.

The right question is not simply, “Which site charges the lowest percentage?”

The better question is:

After rake, rewards and game quality, where is my expected profit highest?

How to Tell Whether You Are Paying Too Much Rake

Cash-game players should review:

• Total hands played
• Gross winnings
• Total rake paid
• Rake paid in bb/100
• Rewards received
• Net win rate
• Results by stake
• Results by game format

Tournament players should track:

• Total entries
• Total fees
• Average fee percentage
• Rewards and promotions
• Return on investment
• Results by tournament type

A few hundred hands or a dozen tournaments are not enough to produce reliable conclusions. Poker variance has a wonderful talent for turning tiny samples into very confident nonsense.

How to Reduce the Rake You Pay

You can reduce your effective cost by:

• Comparing caps in big blinds
• Using legitimate rewards programs
• Choosing lower-fee tournaments
• Avoiding excessively raked Sit & Gos
• Selecting softer tables
• Tracking your actual fees
• Avoiding unnecessary optional features
• Accounting for jackpot fees
• Playing stakes where the cap is less punishing
• Comparing the entire game rather than one advertised percentage

Our best online poker sites in Canada guide can help you compare game selection, bonuses, banking methods and overall value.

Does High Rake Make a Poker Game Unbeatable?

It can.

Imagine a player who would win 7 bb/100 in a rake-free game:

A player can consistently make profitable decisions before fees and still lose after the poker room removes more than their underlying edge.

Final Thoughts

In Canadian online poker, cash-game rake should generally be considered high when its effective cost reaches approximately 8 to 10 bb/100 after rewards. Tournament fees above approximately 12% are expensive, while fees of 15% or more should be treated as high.

Never compare poker rooms using the percentage alone. Examine:

• The rake percentage
• The cap
• The cap in big blinds
• The table size
• Additional fees
• Realistic rakeback
• Player-pool quality

WPT Global currently has one of the lowest headline cash-game percentages among the sites compared, while CoinPoker lists particularly competitive tournament fees. ACR’s caps become more attractive at higher stakes, and GGPoker’s value depends heavily on rewards and format-specific charges. PokerStars Ontario remains a trusted platform, but its cash-game pricing and segregated player pool require careful consideration.

The best site is not necessarily the one with the smallest advertised rake. It is the poker room where fees, rewards, traffic and opponent quality combine to give you the strongest realistic.

Cheers and may the poker gods be with you!

Mackeral