Lesson overview

Rake-Aware Decisions

Measure the pot you can actually win

Read this introduction, then sign in to continue the full lesson and exercises.

Inside the full lesson

Can a winning call before fees become a losing call after fees?

In the full lesson, you work through this scenario with interactive examples.

A river call wins often enough before fees. Switch the fee schedule and watch the smaller payout erase that narrow edge.

What you’ll learn

  • Model percentage rake and caps
  • Distinguish fixed drops from time charges
  • Adjust marginal choices without inventing universal ranges

From the full lesson

Identify what the house actually removes

Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.

Read the applicable percentage, cap, player-count rules, fixed drops and collection timing. Check whether the displayed pot already excludes fees. These lesson schedules are hypothetical, not TryBluff fees. A capped percentage, fixed drop and prepaid time charge affect decisions differently; never subtract a deduction twice or assign every new chip the same marginal fee.

From the full lesson

Adjust the close decisions

Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.

After a percentage cap binds, extra matched money may add no rake under that schedule. That does not justify building a weak pot. Where no-flop/no-drop applies, winning preflop avoids that pot fee, but calls and reraises still need profitable response models. A prepaid nonrefundable time charge is sunk for this hand; the next paid period remains a separate session decision.

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