Hello,
I am pulling my ****ing hair out trying to articulate this to GG Poker support. It's impossible to articulate this to GG support and I don't think the community will ever know the true answer. There is no way the community can gauge the jackpot and calculate if it is being raked. The language used within the rules/TOS is both outdated (or incorrect) and ambiguous.
Here is the only place I can find on GG Poker that MIGHT allude to whether or not the AoF jackpot-fee is being raked -
https://en.ggpoker.com/poker-games/all-in-or-fold/
Unfortunately the seemingly more up to date information regarding the game variant doesn't have the same sort of disclaimers regarding a possible jackpot-fee-rake -
https://help.ggpoker.com/article/2047-aof-table-fees - Doesn't AT ALL suggest there would be a 'jackpot-fee-rake'
My hypothesis is that the Jackpot fee is NOT raked, the general consensus within the community however is that it IS raked.
Before I explain the issue I want to clarify important nomenclature distinction.
1. Jackpot-fee: The amount taken from each player per hand that goes to the jackpot, everyone theoretically has an even chance to win the jackpot, and it isn't a 'fee' as such, but rather a
contribution by the players, to the players.
2. Jackpot-fee-rake: The amount GG Poker rakes from 'Jackpot-fee' , this may or may not exist. This would also mean there de facto exists a 'Net-Jackpot-fee' (Jackpot-fee - Jackpot-fee-rake).
This is entirely separate from the normal rake
I will now briefly break down the link in question (
https://en.ggpoker.com/poker-games/all-in-or-fold/ )
Firstly, the plain incorrect (or maybe out of date) information:
"The jackpot builds continuously, with 50% of the fee for all games of All-In or Fold contributing directly to the total."
YET-
Total fee = rake + jackpot fee + bingo fee = (.05 +. 05 + .05) = 00.15 bb
jackpot fee / total
.05 / .15 = .33333333
So, perhaps the quote '50% of fee', was written at a time where AoF existed, or at least was conceived, but Bingo wasn't yet implemented, and they just haven't tidied up this information?
Regardless, it should say 33% today.
Secondly, is GG Poker raking the jackpot-fee itself, AND charging a rake?
From the same link above:
"44% of AoF fees will be accumulated to the AoF Jackpot from each hand played per player."
^
Was this perhaps written during a time where AoF didn't have bingo, AND ALSO, the jackpot was just smaller, it was something like .056 bb rake, and .044 bb jackpot fee. I.e 44 percent of the total fee goes to the jackpot, and 56 percent of the total fee is the rake, thus there is no jackpot-fee-rake.
If Jackpot-fee-rake does indeed exist then this should be re-written to:
"44% of AoF
JACKPOT fees will be accumulated to the AoF Jackpot from each hand played per player." - This means that of the .05 bb jackpot fee, only (.44 x .05) goes to the players.
Note the difference
"44% of AoF fees will be accumulated to the AoF Jackpot from each hand played per player."
"44% of AoF
JACKPOT fees will be accumulated to the AoF Jackpot from each hand played per player."
Now to come back to my hypothesis and speculate. I don't think there is a Jackpot-fee-rake.
1. I think the second and seemingly more up to date link (
https://help.ggpoker.com/article/2047-aof-table-fees ) would clearly say if there was.
2. Raking the Jackpot-fee by 56% seems really high and unsellable.
3. The presence of Jackpot-fee-rake, and the ambiguity in TOS/Rules would get eaten alive in jurisdictions like the Netherlands.
(I feel like one could try claim back, Total Hands * .05 * .56 * 1 bb)