Four of the last eight people who wrote to us asked the same thing in different words: how do I become an agent, and can I start with no players. One of them was set up the same morning. Another had been waiting two weeks for an answer that should have taken a page. This is that page.
We run club unions on PPPoker, Suprema Poker, ClubGG, X-Poker and Poker21+, and agents are a large part of how players reach our clubs. So the answers below are from the side that onboards agents every week, including the parts most "become an agent" guides leave out: what the commission actually is, why payouts are your job, and when being an agent stops making sense.
What a poker agent actually does
On a club app there is no cashier. Players don't deposit into PPPoker or Suprema; they deposit with a person. That person is the agent. An agent brings players into a club, holds their balances, handles deposits and withdrawals in chat, and earns a share of the rake those players generate. The club owner gives the agent a seat in the club's agent tree; the union gives the club its tables and settles with the owner weekly; the owner settles with the agent out of that.
Three consequences follow. You don't need your own club to be an agent. You do need players who trust you with money. And you need to be reachable at the hours those players play, because a withdrawal that waits until morning is how an agent loses a player.
Step 1: Decide which app, by where your players are
Don't start by comparing commissions. Start with the people you can actually bring. If they're hold'em cash players, PPPoker runs NLH cash at every stake band. If they play PLO5 and PLO6, Suprema is where that action lives; its traffic peaks in the Brazilian evening, which is late at night in Central Europe. If they're tournament players, ClubGG runs a structured MTT schedule. An agent with twenty hold'em regulars placed in an Omaha union has a high commission on nothing.
Our unions by platform, with what each field runs, are on the RP Union home page; the player-side view of each app is on the PPPoker page and the Suprema Poker page.
Step 2: Understand the commission before you ask for it
The number everyone asks about is the rakeback percentage. The number that matters is how it's structured.
Rakeback is set per platform and per volume band: in our unions it runs up to 87 percent of rake depending on the app, and the exact band for a club is quoted from its players' limits and activity. The agent's commission is not added on top of that; it comes out of the club's band. If a club runs at 80 percent, the owner decides how much of that goes to players as rakeback and how much stays with the agent who brought them. A typical split gives the player a competitive rakeback and the agent the difference, but the exact numbers are the owner's call, agreed before the first player sits down.
So when you ask a club "what's your agent deal", the real questions are: what band is the club on, what rakeback do you promise my players, and what's left for me. If an owner can't answer all three, the deal isn't defined yet.
Step 3: Get the payout mechanics in writing
Settlement in our unions is weekly, one statement per club, paid in USDT. The club owner settles with you from that statement. You also deposit with the club and receive chips on your agent balance for that amount; those chips are what you issue to your players and pay rakeback from. Before you bring a single player, confirm four things with the owner: the deposit, the day you get paid, the currency, and what happens when a player's week closes negative. Chips move through people, which is why they take minutes; the cost of that is that balances are your responsibility until settlement.
Ask another agent in the club whether the last four payouts landed on the stated day. If the answer is "usually", keep looking.
Step 4: Starting with zero players
You can. We set up agents with no players the same day they ask, because the club loses nothing by having an agent seat that isn't used yet. What you can't do is earn from zero players, so the honest plan looks like this:
- One app, one club, to start. Spreading five players across three apps gives you five lonely players.
- Your first players are people who already know you: a home game, a Discord, a group chat. Strangers from ads don't deposit with an agent they've never heard of.
- Promise rakeback only after your first settlement, when you know what the band actually returns on real volume.
- Be reachable. The first withdrawal you handle in ten minutes is worth more than any bonus.
Ten to fifteen real actives is where an agent starts to matter to a club and where the owner will start talking about better terms.
Step 5: When to open your own club instead
An agent earns a slice of the club's band. A club owner earns the band. The difference pays for the work: a club needs a deposit, a schedule, limits, a union, and someone answering at 3 AM. We tell agents the same thing every time: with a handful of players, stay an agent inside a good club; with a real base, twenty or thirty actives who follow you, a club of your own is the next step, and it's a conversation, not a rebuild. The owner's side is covered in our guide to joining a union as a club owner.
What goes wrong for new agents
- Placing players in a club without checking the lobby at their hours. Ask for a club ID and look first.
- Promising a rakeback number before seeing a statement.
- Working through a club with no union: tables fill at one hour a day, players leave.
- Disappearing. An agent who answers in minutes keeps players; one who answers tomorrow trains them to find another agent.
- Mixing player balances with your own money. Keep them separate from day one.
Becoming an agent with RP Union
One message with your situation, which app your players are on, roughly how many, what games and stakes, and you get a written answer within one working day: which club and union fit, the rakeback band, how settlement works. If you're starting from zero, you get an agent seat anyway and a short start guide. Agents are covered under the same terms as clubs, so you can see the bands by platform before you write.
FAQ
Can I become a poker agent with no players?
Yes. We set up agents with zero players the same day; the agent seat costs the club nothing. You'll earn only once your players generate rake, so start with one app, one club, and the people who already know you. Ten to fifteen real actives is where it starts to pay.
How much does a poker agent earn?
A share of the rake your players generate. The club runs on a rake band set by its union, up to 87 percent in ours, depending on platform and volume. The owner splits that band between player rakeback and the agent's commission, so your earnings depend on the band, the split you agree, and your players' volume. Ask for all three numbers before you bring anyone.
Do agents need to deposit money to start?
Yes. An agent deposits with the club and receives chips on the agent balance for that amount. Those chips are what you issue to your players, pay rakeback from and pay withdrawals with, so the deposit is your working float, not a fee. The amount is agreed with the club owner before you bring players, and you still need to be able to pay a withdrawal before the weekly statement clears.
Which app is best for a new poker agent?
The one your players already use or are most likely to join. Hold'em cash players fit PPPoker; PLO5 and PLO6 players fit Suprema; tournament players fit ClubGG. Commission differences between apps matter far less than placing players where they'll find their game.
Agent or club owner: which should I be?
Agent with a handful of players; owner once twenty or thirty actives follow you. An agent earns a slice of the club's rake band with little overhead; an owner earns the whole band but takes on the club deposit, a union, a schedule and round-the-clock support. Moving from one to the other is a conversation with the union, not a restart.
To start, send which app your players are on, how many, and what they play to @rpunion on Telegram.
Know a club owner who should be here? You earn on their rake for as long as the club plays: see the referral terms.
18+. Handling other people's balances is a financial responsibility. Keep player funds separate from your own and play responsibly.