If ... more]]> Rakeback is an important resource for online poker players that you simply do not get in live games.

If you play online poker you need rakeback. The money you get back through rakeback is money you are paying the poker room in rake to play on their tables. If you can get a percentage of that money back then why wouldn’t you? If you have never collected rakeback before then you will be amazed at how fast it adds up. I usually collect a minimum of $100 a week deposited directly into my poker account from rakeback and I do not play nearly as much as I would like to. I play a few hours here and there throughout the week when I have free time and still manage to accumulate some significant money.

Rakeback is a great way to increase earnings and help make up loses. When you are suffering through a bit of a down swing and can’t seem to win throughout the course of a week or a month rakeback can be a life saver.

Rakeback is calculated by your Monthly Gross Revenue (MGR). Your MGR is calculated by the poker room using a rakeback method that determines your total amount of rake. From this total some poker sites will take out deductions. Things like processing fees and frequent player point tournaments can be deducted from your MGR resulting in less rakeback for you. It is important to take this into account when choosing a room or whether or not to play in a Points “Freeroll.” I personally think deductions are BS since you earned those Player Points and it’s supposed to be a bonus to you for your play on that site. I give Cake Poker a lot of respect because they quit taking deductions from their players MGR back on May 1st 2009. The biggest and best poker room still taking deductions from their players MGR is Full Tilt Poker.  I feel Full Tilt of all rooms should not need to increase their bottom line at their players expense.  When I play on FTP I simply stay away from all freerolls, bonuses, and anything else that costs frequent player points so I do not incur any deductions.