The Anatomy of a Good Rakeback Deal
Finding the best rakeback deal isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition.
You’ll need to weigh a lot of different factors before selecting the best online poker sites to play at.
Some players make the mistake of just chasing the offer with the highest percentage of rakeback.
They then find later that the site they chose isn't the best fit for their playing style - or even for where they live, as winnings and rakeback for some players may be taxed differently.
Be sure to read all the reviews at RakeBrain.com and consider your options before selecting a site.
The best deal for you might be very different than the best deal for another player.
Check the Game Traffic First
If you’re a run-of-the-mill Texas Holdem player who plays small stakes, you likely won’t have any trouble finding an online home with a great rakeback deal and plenty of games running around the clock.
But other players that specialize in slightly less popular games (such as PLO or Limit HE) should check the site’s traffic when deciding whether or not to play there for rakeback.
Some of the newest sites often offer the highest rakeback deals (looking to spread the word and attract new players).
But they may not have the player volume necessary to fill lots of tables, so you might have to wait for tables to fill. Or you may not be able to play quite as many tables at a single time as you’re used to on larger sites.
The fewer hands you play, the less you’ll make via rakeback so be sure the site you choose has plenty of tables and games at the stakes you prefer to play.
Consider Your Location
Some players should also consider the location of the online site you’re considering playing since in some EU countries, citizens are only taxed for poker winnings (which includes rakeback) from sites outside of the EU.
We’re far from tax experts so you’ll need to research the issue yourself. But in some cases EU citizens get a far better deal if they get their rakeback from an online site based in the EU as opposed to one based outside the EU.
In the first instance their winnings and rakeback wouldn’t be taxable, while in the second case -- playing on a site outside the EU -- they could be forced to pay sizable taxes on all winnings and rakeback.
Refer-a-Friend
RakeBrain also offers a refer-a-friend program for many online sites, which lets members cash in on referring a friend or family member who signs up through RakeBrain at certain sites.
If the site is part of the referral program, you could be in line to make as much as 4% of whatever the friends you refer rake and you’ll make that each and every month that they continue to play.
Four per cent may not sound like a ton of money, or anything worth getting excited, about but it can add up quickly.
If you refer 10 friends that each rake $1,000/month, you’d get an extra $400/month just for referring them - and you’d continue to make that money every month as long as they’re still playing online.