Even experienced players often don’t know what Netrake is, nor how it is calculated
The topic of Netrake comes up often and causes confusion among some online poker players. Since we are asked about it regularly at YPD, here is an article explaining everything you need to know about Netrake.
First, players themselves have nothing directly to do with Netrake, rather it’s a crucial element for us as an affiliate because it helps determine how we are paid by our partner online poker rooms. This applies to every affiliate, and different deals/races/promotions and so on are rated based on a player’s Netrake.
How is Netrake calculated?
The calculation of the Netrake is actually quite simple. You take the generated rake and subtract whatever costs there are from it. However, there are minor differences depending on the provider, as there are certain costs that some poker rooms do not deduct and pay for themselves, while others deduct everything.
For easier understanding, we would like to illustrate the calculation using the example with GGPoker/Natural8:
Rake (After deducting PVI) – Fish Buffet/Platinum Weekly Status(Rakeback) – Welcome Bonus – Transaction Fees – Tournament Overlay(MTT) – MTT Tickets won- Tax(Depending on country) = Netrake (The affiliate is paid from this and we also use this value for our GG rake race) * GG network promotions such as the daily rake races or jackpots have no influence on a player’s net rake*
Now PartyPoker/Bwin to take another poker room and have a comparison.
Rake – Weekly Rakeback – Welcome Bonus – Transaction Fees – All Promotions – Tax (Depending on the country) = Netrake (The affiliate is paid from this)
Online poker rooms are also different when it comes to fees. Those operators who have a more reasonable approach take 2.5% for each transaction via Skrill/Neteller, while with others it might be between 4% and 7%. Regarding this topic, we recently featured an article about the hidden costs that an affiliate has to pay.
Netrake determines how much an affiliate earns and the extent to which exclusive promotions/deals can be offered
Some might think that an affiliate earns enormous fees because players can generate a lot of rake. However, this isn’t at all the reality given what is deducted, and that the affiliate receives only a share of the Netrake.
Everything has to be calculated and it is therefore an advantage for many affiliates if certain promotions – such as our exclusive GG 50k Rake Race – are calculated and paid based on the Netrake.
There are also standard rake races such as our $25K Main Rake Race, where the usual rake is counted rather than Netrake. The calculation for the affiliate is the same, so a rake race must not offer too much to the player in order to avoid slipping into negative numbers. This happens more often than you might think, especially when players also have a Welcome Bonus, as well as when the poker room has special promotions which offer additional value.
If Netrake is negative there’s a negative impact on the affiliate
Importantly, if the cost and Rakeback are higher than the rake generated, then Netrake is negative. In this case, an affiliate has to pay the same amount as if Netrake were positive.
A simple example: Let’s say the affiliate gets 30% of a player’s $100 Netrake – the affiliate will receive $30 commission. However, if the Netrake is minus $100, the affiliate pays $30!
The more Rakeback a player receives from the poker room through the usual VIP system and promotions, the smaller the profit margin for the affiliate. Even if a promotion is based on a player’s Netrake, the affiliate would not have to pay out anything to the player, but would still make a loss.
In the long-term, Netrake is always a plus for players, especially those having just joined a poker room or those who switch from site to site to join numerous promotions, constantly depositing and withdrawing funds.
