A time cut is the money a casino charges players for the time they spend at the tables in its poker room. It is also known as the axe or the collection.
Unlike other table games, poker is played between the players rather than against the house, so the casino needs another way to earn from it. Under a time cut, players pay for every 30 or 60 minutes they spend playing. The price varies from casino to casino and can also depend on the stakes. In some high-stakes games, especially among professionals, players agree that whoever wins the first big pot, with the size settled among themselves, pays the time for the whole table.
Time cut versus rake
Online poker rooms generally earn through rake and tournament fees instead, because both scale automatically with activity. Understanding the time cut helps when comparing poker revenue models, particularly when a business runs both card rooms and online tables.