Online Poker Win Rates by Stakes
We analyzed aggregate data from 50,000 tracked sessions and 12M+ hands across micro, small, mid, and high stakes. Here are the real win rate benchmarks for 2026.
iGaming Journalist & Crypto Casino Analyst
Former online poker professional turned iGaming journalist. 10+ years covering crypto casinos, sports betting, and online poker.
Methodology
Data aggregated from voluntary hand history submissions by 1,200+ DeucesCracked community members. All data is anonymized. Sample: 50,000 sessions, 12M+ hands, January–June 2026. Results cover 6-max No-Limit Hold'em cash games only. Win rates are calculated in bb/100 (big blinds per 100 hands) and exclude rakeback.
1,200+
Players
50,000
Sessions
12M+
Hands analyzed
6
Months of data
Key Findings
Median Player is a Loser
Above 25NL
Median bb/100 is negative at 50NL and above
Best Position
Button +8.7 bb/100
Nearly 2x the Cutoff at +4.2 bb/100
Optimal Session Length
1-2 Hours
+4.5 bb/100 vs +0.7 for 6+ hour sessions
Win Rates by Stake Level
All figures are in bb/100 (big blinds per 100 hands). The "Top 10%" column shows the win rate threshold for the top decile of players at each stake.
| Stake | Avg bb/100 | Median | Top 10% | Sessions | Std Dev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-2NL Micro ($0.01/$0.02) | +8.2 | +3.5 | +22.1 | 14,200 | 85 |
5-10NL Micro ($0.05/$0.10) | +6.8 | +2.1 | +18.5 | 12,800 | 82 |
10-25NL Small ($0.10/$0.25) | +4.5 | +1.2 | +14.8 | 9,400 | 79 |
25-50NL Small ($0.25/$0.50) | +3.2 | +0.5 | +11.4 | 6,200 | 76 |
50-100NL Mid ($0.50/$1.00) | +2.1 | -0.3 | +8.7 | 3,800 | 74 |
100-200NL Mid ($1/$2) | +1.4 | -1.2 | +6.9 | 2,100 | 72 |
200-500NL High ($2/$5) | +0.8 | -2.1 | +5.2 | 1,100 | 70 |
500-1000NL High ($5/$10) | +0.3 | -3.5 | +4.1 | 400 | 68 |
Win Rates by Position
Averaged across all stake levels in 6-max games. VPIP and PFR show the typical playing frequencies for winning players at each position.
| Position | Avg bb/100 | VPIP % | PFR % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under the Gun(UTG) | -4.2 | 12% | 10% |
| UTG+1(UTG+1) | -3.1 | 14% | 11% |
| Middle Position(MP) | -1.5 | 16% | 13% |
| Hijack(HJ) | +0.8 | 19% | 16% |
| Cutoff(CO) | +4.2 | 24% | 20% |
| Button(BTN) | +8.7 | 30% | 24% |
| Small Blind(SB) | -14.5 | 22% | 16% |
| Big Blind(BB) | -22.8 | 28% | 8% |
Rake Impact by Stake Level
Rake is the fee taken by the poker site from each pot. It has a disproportionate impact at lower stakes, where the effective rake percentage is highest.
| Stake | Eff. Rake % | Rake Cost (bb/100) | Pre-Rake Win Rate | Post-Rake Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2NL | 9.8% | -4.1 | +12.3 | +8.2 |
| 5-10NL | 7.2% | -3.4 | +10.2 | +6.8 |
| 10-25NL | 5.8% | -2.9 | +7.4 | +4.5 |
| 25-50NL | 5.1% | -2.5 | +5.7 | +3.2 |
| 50-100NL | 4.5% | -2.1 | +4.2 | +2.1 |
| 100-200NL | 3.8% | -1.7 | +3.1 | +1.4 |
| 200-500NL | 3.2% | -1.4 | +2.2 | +0.8 |
| 500-1000NL | 2.6% | -1.1 | +1.4 | +0.3 |
Session Length vs. Win Rate
How long you play in a single session has a measurable correlation with your win rate. Decision fatigue degrades performance after approximately 2 hours.
| Session Length | Avg bb/100 | Sessions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 30 min | +1.2 | 8,400 | Often tilted exits |
| 30-60 min | +3.8 | 15,200 | Most common length |
| 1-2 hours | +4.5 | 14,800 | Optimal for most players |
| 2-4 hours | +3.9 | 8,200 | Slight fatigue decline |
| 4-6 hours | +2.4 | 2,600 | Fatigue affects decisions |
| 6+ hours | +0.7 | 800 | Significant fatigue penalty |
Variance and Downswing Expectations
Standard deviation (StdDev) in bb/100 measures how much your results fluctuate session to session. Higher standard deviations mean bigger swings. The "20 BI Downswing" column shows how frequently an average winning player at that stake can expect to lose 20 buy-ins over a stretch of sessions.
| Stake | Avg bb/100 | Std Dev | 20 BI Downswing Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2NL | +8.2 | 85 | 1 in 180 sessions |
| 5-10NL | +6.8 | 82 | 1 in 150 sessions |
| 10-25NL | +4.5 | 79 | 1 in 120 sessions |
| 25-50NL | +3.2 | 76 | 1 in 100 sessions |
| 50-100NL | +2.1 | 74 | 1 in 85 sessions |
| 100-200NL | +1.4 | 72 | 1 in 70 sessions |
| 200-500NL | +0.8 | 70 | 1 in 60 sessions |
| 500-1000NL | +0.3 | 68 | 1 in 50 sessions |
Conclusions
Micro stakes remain beatable by a wide margin. Average win rates at 1-2NL and 5-10NL are 8.2 and 6.8 bb/100 respectively. The player pool at these levels contains many recreational players, making it the ideal proving ground for developing fundamentals.
The median player is a loser at 50NL and above. This is a critical finding that many aspiring players overlook. While the average win rate is still positive (pulled up by top performers), more than half of players at mid-stakes are losing money after rake.
Position is everything. The difference between Button (+8.7 bb/100) and UTG (-4.2 bb/100) is nearly 13 bb/100. This underscores why positional awareness is the single most impactful fundamental skill in poker. Playing tighter from early positions and expanding your range in late position is backed by overwhelming data.
Rake is the hidden tax. At micro stakes, rake effectively removes over 4 bb/100 from the player pool. Players should factor rakeback programs into their site selection, as a 30% rakeback deal at 10NL is worth approximately 1 bb/100 in effective win rate improvement.
Keep sessions under 2 hours. Our data shows clear diminishing returns after 2 hours, with sessions over 6 hours averaging just 0.7 bb/100. Quality over quantity is the winning approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good win rate in online poker?▾
How many hands do I need to determine my true win rate?▾
Which position is most profitable in poker?▾
How does rake affect online poker win rates?▾
How long should a poker session last?▾
Want to contribute your hand histories to future research? Contact us at support@deucescracked.com