Advanced The Impact of Rake and Fees on Short Deck Decision-Making URL has been copied successfully! Short Deck strategy isn’t just about ranges and reads—it’s also about economicsShort Deck poker has exploded in popularity in recent years, offering players a fast-paced alternative to traditional No-Limit Hold’em. But like any format, the profitability of the game doesn’t depend only on cards and opponents—it also comes down to the structure, especially rake and fees. Understanding how these costs affect decision-making is crucial for players hoping to keep an edge. One of the first things to recognize is that rake in Short Deck games tends to be higher relative to the pot sizes compared to standard Hold’em. Because the deck is reduced and the action is looser, pots grow quickly, and the rake cap often comes into play more frequently.For players, this means marginal situations—where you might otherwise justify a speculative call—can become unprofitable once the rake is factored in. Decisions that look correct on paper may lose their edge in a high-rake environment.Tournament fees add another layer to the equation. In Short Deck tournaments, buy-ins already come with a hefty price, and the percentage taken as fees can shrink overall expected value.A 10% fee might not sound like much, but when combined with the variance of Short Deck, it creates a steep hill to climb. Players need to adjust by being selective with the tournaments they enter and by recognizing that higher rake or fees demand a higher skill advantage to remain profitable.The influence of rake also impacts aggression levels. Since every pot is more costly when rake is extracted, small pots lose value. This tends to encourage more aggressive lines, where winning bigger pots offsets the rake more effectively. Passive play, on the other hand, gets punished, as you’ll find yourself bleeding chips in small pots that don’t pay off in the long run.Successful players constantly weigh how rake and fees tilt the math, avoiding thin spots and focusing on situations where potential rewards justify the added costs of playing the game.