How poker rakeback is actually paid

Rake is the fee a poker room takes from a cash pot, usually with a cap per hand. Rakeback returns a percentage of the rake you generated. It is not a percentage of profit. A “40% rakeback” line means 40% of the rake you paid, paid weekly, monthly, or as tickets.

A deposit match is a different product: house money with playthrough, once. Rake races and leaderboards are a third product. They pay the top of the leaderboard, not everyone who paid rake. When a card on this site says rakeback, it means an ongoing return of rake or a published rewards rate.

Tournament fees are not always included. If you play MTTs, ask whether the fee counts. If you only play tournaments, a freeroll ticket can be worth more than a cash-game rakeback percent you will never generate.