Although many online poker players only care about how they can profit from gambling in such a fashion, we thought it would be interesting to show you the other side of the coin (no pun intended) and show you the four ways in which online Poker rooms and sites make their profits.  The following is a list of the four methods that they often employ:

The Rake – this is typically collected from most betting pots and is usually calculated as a sliding scale percentage up to a maximum fee.  Every online poker site sets its own rake structure.  Fortunately, the rake is smaller with online poker sites than the traditional casino since its overhead expenses are much lower.

Sit-and-Go Tournaments – Poker is played at tournaments that are structured in a multi-table, pre-scheduled setting.  Typically, there is an entry fee that equates to between 5% and 10% of the tournament buy-in.  Additionally, there is no rake enforced with Sit-and-Go tournaments.

Playing against the “House” – some sites feature other online gambling such as the game of blackjack or being able to place side bets on other poker games.  In any event, you are still gambling real money at these sites.

Investing the money that players bet – almost any institution that holds a person’s money does this, and there is no exception to that rule where online poker playing is concerned.  Additionally, most online poker sites have enacted regulation to limit the risk that exists when taking a client’s money.

Mar 10 2010