Once you understand what rakeback is, you need to learn of the factors that influence it. You see, the percentage is not all there is to it. Sure, a rakeback dealoffering a huge percentage looks enormously attractive, but there are a few things behind the scene that will really determine whether or not you’re signing up for a truly good deal or only an apparently advantageous one.

Every poker player has a unique style. This style is usually a combination of tight or loose and passive or aggressive. Depending on your individual style, one type of rakeback can offer you advantages over another or vice-versa.
If your poker room features the dealt rake calculation method, and you’re a tight passive player, you’ll make rakeback off other people’s backs. Here’s why: the dealt rake method divides the resulting rake equally among the players who are dealt into a hand. This way, you’ll make MGR even if you never actually put money into the pot on your own accord (except the blinds). This MGR comes from what the loose aggressive players stuff into the pot. While this setup works fine for you, the same couldn’t be said about the aggressive player whose MGR you’re preying on.

The contributed rake calculation method is a little bit more accurate, although it is still not perfect. Poker rooms using this MGR calculation method divide the resulting take among the players who contributed to the pot, regardless how much they actually put in there. This way, those who do not actively take part in the hand do not get any MGR allotted. Those who do however, will get equal amounts of MGR. This way, loose players get their MGRs, but aggressive players still end up generating MGR for others. Because rake back is directly proportional with the MGR, at the end of the day, they will generate rakeback for other players.

The weighted contributed rake method is the only perfect way to accurately determine everyone’s MGRs. This method considers the amount of money every player puts into the pot, and assigns the rake contribution accordingly. If you stuff a lot of money into the pot, you’ll generate a lot of MGR, if you put nothing in, you get zilch. Poker rooms featuring this rake calculation method offer an advantage to loose aggressive players, and give rocks their just deserves.

Before you choose a rakeback deal, make sure you know which of these methods the poker room uses. It may well mean the difference between a lucrative deal and a nice looking yet less fertile one.