How we rate poker sites
The weighted formula behind every score on the site. Seven categories, fixed weights, no manual overrides for rooms that paid more this month.
Every overall score on PokerGods is the output of a single, public weighted formula. There are no secret thumbs on the scale, no manual overrides for sites that pay us more.
The weights
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Rake | 20% |
| Rakeback | 20% |
| Traffic / pool softness | 20% |
| Game variety | 10% |
| Software | 10% |
| Payments | 10% |
| Support | 10% |
How sub-scores are determined
Rake (20%): NL100 cap and percentage, with bonus points for stake-appropriate cap scaling above NL200.
Rakeback (20%): Effective rakeback for a 100,000-hand/month grinder after all loyalty gamification. Not the marketing headline number.
Traffic / pool softness (20%): Peak 24-hour cash concurrent + internal pool-softness rating from 12 hours of test play across mid-stakes.
Game variety (10%): Number of formats supported (NLHE, PLO, mixed, fast-fold, sit-and-go variants, MTT depth).
Software (10%): Stability, UX, multi-table tools, mobile parity, replayer quality.
Payments (10%): Deposit speed, cashout speed, fee structure, supported methods (FIAT + crypto).
Support (10%): Response time on test tickets across deposit, withdrawal, and account issues.
What we do not score on
Welcome bonus. Welcome bonuses are one-time. They have no impact on long-run hourly. We list them, but they're not in the formula.