Beating the rake

The majority of poker players will say that, yes, it is possible to beat the rake when playing poker, while there are others who say to not bother trying, and that it doesn't help in the grand scheme of things.  We tend to side on the aye's and think that it is very worth the effort to beat the rake.  Here is why:

If you are relatively new to playing online poker, it is advised to play more tight.  And the way you do this - while beating down the rake - is to always be conscious of your starting hand.  When the rake is fixed, which it usually is, more aggressive players who are attempting to blind-steal will lose to the rake for every unsuccessful blind-steal.  Therefore, the tight player is in the driver's seat.  Fixed rake amounts, depending on the pot size, are usually set from 4% to 10%, making unsuccessful attempts at the blind-steal a large blow when it comes to poker strategy and bluffing.

As should be the case when playing poker the majority of the time, it is better to fold early on (preferably after the flop) if not holding a very strong starting hand.  Some players even advise to fold if holding a weak pair.  This especially applies when the rake is applied after the pot has reached a certain amount.  If you get out early on, you will be exempt from paying it.  Over the long run, you will have beaten the rake, because although you will have to pay it when you eventually win, the times you folded early on will make up for it.

One thing to keep in mind is that aggressive players will often try to exploit tighter players.  They do this by blind stealing and buying free cards.  Blind stealing, as the name implies, is when a player (usually in the small blind position) raises, and in essence is betting when there are only blinds left in the pre-flop.  Buying cards is usually perpetrated from the last seating position, and is simply the act of betting when no-one has raised after the flop.  Most players will then check this player, who will probably not bet the second time around, hence the bought card.  Just be aware of these actions so that even though you are playing tight, you may catch on to the other players betting patterns, and feel confident in unexpectedly calling their bluff.

 

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