[citation needed] Poker is a player-versus-player game, and the house does not wager against its players (unlike blackjack or roulette), so this fee is the principal mechanism to generate revenue.
Some cardrooms will not take a percentage rake in any community card poker game like Texas hold 'em when a hand does not have a flop.
[2] To win when playing in poker games where the house takes a cut, a player must not only beat opponents, but also the financial drain of the rake.
[citation needed] The fee per hand is a fixed rate and does not vary based on the size of the pot.
Some online cardrooms charge a monthly subscription fee and then do not rake individual pots or tournaments.
These "rake free" poker rooms generate revenue by increasing traffic to the company's other profitable businesses (such as a casino or sportsbook) or by charging monthly membership or deposit fees.
Due to high fixed costs of operating a poker room, such as marketing, few online poker rooms have been successful in offering rake-free game, often going bankrupt or sustaining themselves by exploiting loopholes in offshore jurisdictions to refuse to honor players' cash withdrawals.
Some allow affiliates to offer rakeback as a direct percentage of rake and tournament entries paid back to the players.
In brick and mortar rooms, the floorperson may offer a rake reduction or rake-free play to players willing to start a table shorthanded.
The laws of many jurisdictions do not prohibit the playing of poker for money at a private dwelling, provided that no one takes a rake.