Its about time i understood Rakeback

[Triple X]

Apparently rakeback can make a break - even player into a profit making player, a slight winner into a bigger winner, etc, yet I have no idea what it is and how you do it!

Can someone please explain in very simple english (as a bit thick here!) what it is, whether i should be doing it, how i can do it, where i can do it and when i should do it?

Thanks a lot

[yt]

Good post, I've never really looked into it and would like an explanation as well!
thanks

[byronkincaid]

There is an excellent site that advertises but also keeps an eye on and trys to police to a certain extent rake back affiliates. Unfortunately your post here gets BUSTED if you mention them. Google is your friend. You could also try that big poker forum. You know, the one that has 40K members now, lot's of americans post there, Greg Raymer people like that

[TightEnd]

 

[Pontecarlo]

not too hard - some sites offer rakeback as a good will gesture to their regular players as an incentive to stay - some offer it as an incentive to join their site
basically at the end of the month all the rake you pay over that month , you will receive a percentage of it back - much better for cash players as every hand they play in is classed as a rked hand , some high stakes cah players can get back 1-2k a month , some sites only give it for cah players but the odd couple will refund on tourney fees as well

[julian]

most sites don't freely advertise or offer rakeback,
they use affiliates, who are essentially sales people, to dish it out, the more you play the better you can get tends to be the rule of thumb.
alot of players (& affiliates) do very nicely from it
drop me a line if i can help 

[Robert HM]

Cute one there 

[mikkyT]

Rakebacks are easier to understand when you understand the affiliate system.

Most (if not all) poker sites have affiliate programs, either run by themselves or a partner program. Anyone can sign up for an affiliate if they have the marketing resources, such as a website.

There are two types of affiliate program. One which offers a flat fee for bringing in new players (eg you get $50 for every person signing up via your link) OR a potentially more profitable revenue sharing scheme. It is the latter of these two schemes we are interested in.

Every hand that your player plays that is raked, you as the affiliate will receive a proportion of that players rake, usually 15-20%. The more players you have signed up through your affiliate banner, the higher your percentage return will be, up to a maximum.

Now, some brightspark had the idea of offering some of this money back to the player in the form of a rake back. Obviously the more players you have the higher your revenue stream and therefore the more you can offer newer players as a rakeback.

What typically happens is that the affiliate will offer you a proportion of their income as an incentive to sign up through that affilate banner. Effectively, money for free. If I was making 25% off you, I could offer 20% to you and keep 5% for myself. Bloke next door who is currently receiving 30% back, might offer you 25%.