In this article we’ll try to explain to you what a Rakeback Pro actually is. Following that we’ll take a look at the advantages to being a Rakeback Pro, the disadvantages of being a Rakeback Pro and finally we’ll cover what the poker community currently thinks of anyone who is a Rakeback Pro.
Rakeback is one of the best ways to increase your overall win rate when playing online poker. Getting a percentage of your rake returned to you always guarantees you a pay check at the end of the month and is a great way to turn yourself from a losing player into a winning player.
What is a Rakeback Pro then?
A Rakeback Pro is someone who plays poker with the sole intention of breaking even so they can cash in on rakeback. You’ll usually find these players are playing a very tight style and have a win rate between -1 bb/100 and +1 bb/100. They are not looking to derive their main profit from money they win from other opponents. They are looking to take their main profit from the rakeback they earn. As a result of this you’ll always find Rakeback Pro’s playing a super large volume of hands, often in excess of 70,000 per month, and playing a large number of tables at the same time. Sometimes up to 24 tables at once.
You’ll always find these guys playing either no limit Holdem or Omaha. They don’t play games like Razz poker, 5 Card Draw or Omaha Hi Lo because they can’t get as many hands in per hour.
It might well be a little boring and robotic but it can be very profitable and there are players out there who are doing it and making a fortune every month out of their rakeback.
Advantages to becoming a Rakeback Pro
One of the main advantages of becoming a Rakeback Pro is the fact that you don’t have to be as good at poker as you do if you are trying to earn your main source of profit from beating other players. As long as you break even or maintain a very small losing record as a Rakeback Pro then you will earn a good amount of cash.
Another reason quite a few players have turned themselves into Rakeback Pro’s is because it guarantees you a pay check at the end of every month regardless of if you win or lose at the tables. This is very appealing if you are a professional poker player.
Disadvantages of being a Rakeback Pro
The main disadvantage of being a Rakeback Pro is the fact that it can take a lot of enjoyment out of the game. You turn yourself into a multi tabling robot and there’s no way you have time to make decision on a deep thinking level. This is also the reason why most Rakeback Pro’s have either a very small win rate or a very small loss rate. You simply don’t have time playing 20 tables to make correct decisions as often as you would if you were only playing say 6 tables.
Another problem with being a Rakeback Pro is the fact that it doesn’t help you improve as a poker player and therefore you will struggle to move up the stakes. Your goal is simply to break even and cash in on your rakeback pay check. You don’t need to beat other players you just need to play a high volume of hands and this doesn’t help you progress as a player.
What does the poker community think of Rakeback Pro’s
Well of late it’s been somewhat of a hotly discussed topic. There are two main camps, as there are with most arguments, people who are Rakeback Pro’s and think it’s ok and people who aren’t Rakeback Pro’s who think it’s a bad idea mainly because it stops you improving as a player.
There isn’t hatred for Rakeback Pro’s in the same way there is for short stackers and the fact that it’s so profitable means it’s pretty hard for anyone to argue with. If you can make in excess $3,000 per month playing 70,000 hands of poker through breaking even and having a rakeback deal then what’s the problem?
