The poker club cost breakdown changes meaningfully across PPPoker, PokerBros, ClubGG, Suprema, and X-Poker. A 100-player club on PPPoker runs $45/month for the Level 2 license; the same capacity on PokerBros costs $20–26 but with chip costs 30% higher. ClubGG throws out the diamond model entirely and bills $9.99 or $49.99/month as a subscription. Suprema mirrors PPPoker’s structure but anchors to Brazilian reais. X-Poker undercuts everyone at ~$10 for a starter club. The platform choice isn’t about features — it’s about which cost structure fits your revenue model and player geography.
This breakdown walks through real 2026 pricing, platform-by-platform, with the numbers affiliate guides skip: what chips actually cost, how rake structures compound, what off-peak activity infrastructure adds to the P&L, and where the hidden fees live.
Platform Cost Comparison: The Five-App Breakdown
The table below shows the core poker club expenses 2026 for the five platforms owners evaluate most often. These are the direct, recurring costs before agent fees, rakeback, or operational overhead.
| Platform | Entry Club Cost | 100-Member Renewal | Chip Cost (relative) | Rake Structure | Subscription Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPPoker | Level 1: $25 (60 members) | Level 2: ~$45/month | Mid-range | 5% cap 3BB (club sets) | No — diamond renewal every 30 days |
| PokerBros | Level 1: $20–26 | Level 1/2: $20–26/month | Highest — 520 chips per 1,300 diamonds | 5% cap 3BB standard | No — diamond renewal every 30 days |
| ClubGG | No club-level fee | No club-level fee | N/A (club-distributed) | 3–5% (club sets, variable cap) | Yes — $9.99 or $49.99/month per member |
| Suprema | Similar to PPPoker | Similar to PPPoker | Mid-range | 5% cap 3BB (club sets) | No — diamond renewal model |
| X-Poker | Level 1: ~$10 (60 members) | Level 1: ~$10/month | Lowest | 5% cap 3BB standard | No — diamond renewal every 30 days |
The differences compound. A PokerBros club buying 10,000 chips/month spends ~25% more on inventory than the same volume on X-Poker. ClubGG’s subscription model shifts cost to the player (member pays $10–50/month) rather than the club, which changes the business model fundamentally — you’re not paying for the club license, but players pay for access to tournaments and premium features.
What This Means Operationally
PPPoker and Suprema sit in the middle — predictable monthly renewals, moderate chip costs, broad format support. If your target is Brazil or mixed global traffic, these two offer the deepest liquidity.
PokerBros costs more on chip inventory but delivers the highest North American traffic density and union maturity. The chip-cost premium is offset by player volume if your club operates inside a major union like Diamond.
ClubGG eliminates club-level fees but monetizes the player directly. This works if you’re running a members-only club where players accept the subscription as the price of entry. It does not work if you’re competing for walk-up traffic against free-to-join clubs on other platforms.
X-Poker is the budget option — lowest club fees, lowest chip costs. Traffic is thinner and more Asia-focused, but if you’re testing a new market or running a niche format, the low entry cost makes it viable.
Every platform has a 30-day renewal cycle except ClubGG (monthly subscription auto-renews). Miss a renewal and the club goes offline — players can’t access tables, and you lose the member roster until you reactivate.
PPPoker Club Cost: Tier Structure and Chip Pricing
PPPoker runs a tiered diamond structure. The pppoker club cost starts at 1,500 diamonds (~$25) for a 60-member Level 1 club. A 100-member Level 2 club costs 2,500 diamonds (~$45/month). The tiers scale steeply: an 8-star club supporting 1,200 members and 20 managers costs 48,000 diamonds — roughly $800/month.
Most clubs operate at Level 1 or Level 2 for the first six months. You only scale to Level 3+ when member count consistently fills capacity and you need more concurrent table slots or manager permissions.
Chip Purchase Economics
PPPoker chip costs sit between PokerBros (expensive) and X-Poker (cheap). Chip-to-dollar rates vary slightly with bulk purchase discounts, but the platform does not publish a fixed conversion chart — owners buy diamonds, then exchange diamonds for chips at the in-app rate, which fluctuates based on demand and platform promotions.
The rake is set by the club, typically 5% capped at 3BB. Most PPPoker clubs in competitive unions (PrimeTime, Pinoy Donks, UnionSquare) hold to 5% / 3BB to stay competitive on rakeback. Rakeback ranges from 40–65% depending on the union and agent deal.
Hidden Costs
PPPoker charges nothing for features like rabbit hunting, emoji access, or HUD permissions — those are club-level config choices. The hidden cost is traffic maintenance during off-peak hours. Brazilian clubs peak 18h–02h Brasília time; outside that window, tables collapse unless someone keeps them alive. Manual props burn $40–80/table/week. Managed AI infrastructure replaces that with configurable, profiled activity that adapts to opponent tendencies without the weekly payroll hit.
PokerBros Club Fees: Why Chip Costs Matter
PokerBros club fees run $20–26/month for Level 1 or Level 2 clubs, which is cheaper than PPPoker’s equivalent tier. But the pokerbros club fees headline hides the real cost: chip inventory is expensive. 1,300 diamonds buys only 520 chips — the lowest ratio among the five platforms. For a club running NL50 and NL100, that means more frequent chip top-ups and higher monthly inventory costs.
Rake is standard 5% capped at 3BB in most clubs. PokerBros unions (Diamond Union, PanAmericana, UK Union) enforce consistency to keep rakeback competitive. Rakeback typically lands at 30–35%, with an additional 5% available through select agents.
Where PokerBros Wins Despite Higher Costs
PokerBros delivers the strongest North American player pool and the most mature union infrastructure. Diamond Union alone runs hundreds of concurrent tables during peak (18h–24h EST). If your revenue model depends on high-stakes NLH or Big-O traffic with deep liquidity, the chip-cost premium is offset by the player volume and game softness at mid-stakes.
The platform also supports heads-up formats, Short Deck, PLO5/PLO6, Double Board, and Bombpots natively. If you’re running a format-diverse club, PokerBros offers the widest range without custom config workarounds.
What to Watch
PokerBros clubs inside unions pay a union fee (typically taken as a percentage of rake or a flat monthly union membership cost). Factor this into your P&L — the union fee is separate from the platform club renewal fee. A club inside Diamond Union pays $20–26 to PokerBros for the club license, plus a union cut to Diamond for shared traffic access.
ClubGG Costs: Subscription vs Diamond Model
ClubGG flips the cost model. There is no club-level diamond fee — creating a club is free, and there’s no monthly renewal to keep the club active. Instead, ClubGG monetizes through player subscriptions: $9.99/month for Standard membership, $49.99/month for Platinum.
Standard membership unlocks tournament access and basic features like Rabbit Hunt. Platinum adds WSOP and APT satellite access, plus a loyalty bonus in the form of tickets that scales with subscription tenure. For clubs targeting tournament grinders or players chasing live-event qualification, Platinum is the draw. For clubs focused purely on cash games, the subscription model is a harder sell — players compare a $10/month membership to free-access clubs on PPPoker or PokerBros.
Operational Cost Structure
Owners don’t pay clubgg costs in diamonds, but they still manage chip distribution through agents. The agent handles all deposits, withdrawals, and chip-to-cash conversion. Rake is set by the club (3–5%, with caps ranging from 0.1BB to 3BB or uncapped in some rooms). Rakeback varies by club and agent — competitive clubs offer 45–65% to match PPPoker.
The trade: ClubGG eliminates the recurring $25–45/month platform fee, but shifts monetization to the player. If your members accept the $10 or $50/month cost, your net operational expense drops. If they don’t, you’re competing against free clubs on other platforms with one hand tied.
When ClubGG Makes Sense
ClubGG works best for exclusive clubs with a known player base that values the GGPoker-backed infrastructure, tournament schedule, and live-event pathways. It does not work well for open-recruitment clubs trying to scale from zero, because the subscription friction filters out casual walk-up traffic.
The platform’s RNG is certified by BMM Testlabs, and the software inherits GGPoker’s multi-table interface and mobile optimization. For owners who prioritize software quality and don’t want to manage monthly diamond renewals, ClubGG’s model reduces operational complexity.
Suprema Diamonds Cost and Brazilian Market Dynamics
Suprema launched in late 2021 when the largest Brazilian PPPoker union (Liga Suprema) migrated to a standalone platform. The suprema diamonds cost structure mirrors PPPoker’s tiered model — clubs purchase diamonds to unlock member capacity and feature access, with monthly renewals required to keep the club live.
Rake is typically 5% capped at 3BB. The platform supports NLH, PLO4, PLO5, PLO6, Short Deck, and OFC, with strong traffic from 18h–02h Brasília time. Most Suprema clubs operate in BRL, which means chip-to-real conversion is straightforward for Brazilian players but adds an FX layer for owners outside Brazil managing USD or crypto liquidity.
Why Suprema Exists
Suprema’s value proposition is operational independence from PPPoker while keeping the same player base. When Liga Suprema moved, thousands of active players migrated in one coordinated shift. For Brazilian owners, Suprema offers PPPoker-equivalent infrastructure with slightly lower platform risk (independent RNG certification by Gaming Labs, direct control over roadmap).
The downside: traffic is heavily Brazil-concentrated. If you’re running a multi-region club with European or North American traffic, Suprema doesn’t offer the liquidity depth of PPPoker or PokerBros. If your target is Brazil and LATAM, Suprema is the natural choice — your players are already there, and the cost structure is identical to what they knew on PPPoker.
Hidden Operational Costs
Suprema clubs face the same off-peak challenge as PPPoker clubs in Brazil. Peak hours run 18h–02h; outside that window, tables thin out unless you keep them active. Off-peak rake growth is the difference between a club that compounds revenue and one that plateaus at 40% utilization. Manual props cost $40–80/table/week during the 04h–14h dead zone. Managed infrastructure keeps tables running within owner-defined schedules, formats, and stake caps without the recurring prop payroll.
X-Poker Club Expenses: The Budget Option
X-Poker offers the lowest entry cost: Level 1 clubs run ~$10/month for 60-member capacity (1,200 diamonds). Chip costs are the most favorable across all five platforms — 1,300 diamonds buys significantly more chips than the equivalent spend on PokerBros. For owners testing a new format, operating in a low-traffic niche, or bootstrapping a club with minimal upfront capital, X-Poker is the obvious starting point.
Rake is standard 5% capped at 3BB. Rakeback deals vary by agent, with competitive offers reaching 40–45%. The platform launched in late 2020 and has grown steadily in Asia-focused markets (Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand). Traffic is moderate — dozens of active tables during Asian peak hours, not hundreds like PPPoker or PokerBros.
Format and Union Support
X-Poker supports NLH, PLO4/PLO5/PLO6, OFC, Short Deck, AoF (All-in or Fold), Mau Binh, Pusoy, and niche variants like NLH Sushi and Squid games. If you’re running a club for a specific regional audience (e.g., Taiwanese players who prefer AoF and Mau Binh alongside standard poker), X-Poker’s format flexibility is a strength.
Unions exist but are smaller and less mature than PokerBros or PPPoker equivalents. The largest X-Poker union (Disney Galaxy) offers low-to-mid stakes NLH and PLO traffic with a Russian-speaking player base. Other unions focus on specific regions (Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia) rather than trying to aggregate global traffic.
When X-Poker Fits
X-Poker makes sense if you’re operating on a tight budget, targeting a niche format or regional audience, or testing platform viability before committing to higher-cost infrastructure. It does not make sense if you need deep liquidity at NL200+ or if your revenue model depends on hundreds of concurrent tables. For those use cases, PPPoker, PokerBros, or Suprema are better fits despite the higher monthly cost.
Hidden Costs: Agent Fees, Rake, and Rakeback
The platform fee is the visible cost. The hidden costs — agent commissions, rakeback splits, withdrawal fees, union cuts — compound faster and hit the P&L harder.
Agent Economics
Club owners typically delegate chip distribution, deposits, and withdrawals to agents. The agent takes a percentage of rake (commonly 10–25%) or negotiates a fixed monthly fee. In return, the agent handles player onboarding, payment processing, and customer support. This is standard across all five platforms.
The variance: some agents charge withdrawal fees (2–5% per cashout), some take a higher rake split but offer better rakeback to players, some provide deposit guarantees (if the club folds, the agent refunds player balances). The agent relationship is a trust layer — how to choose an agent is as important as choosing the platform.
Rake Structures Across Platforms
All five platforms allow clubs to set rake, but competitive pressure keeps most clubs at 5% capped at 3BB for cash games. ClubGG clubs sometimes run 3% or 4% to differentiate, especially in softer unions. Tournaments typically charge 5–10% of the buy-in as a platform fee (separate from the prize pool).
Rakeback ranges from 30% (low-end PokerBros clubs) to 65% (top-tier PPPoker and ClubGG clubs). A club offering 50% rakeback on 5% rake at NL100 returns $2.50 per 100-hand session to the player. Over a month, that’s $100–300/player for a regular grinding 10–15 hours/week. Rakeback is a retention tool, not a bonus — it’s part of the cost structure.
Withdrawal Fees and Crypto Friction
Most clubs process deposits and withdrawals in USDT, BTC, or local currency (BRL for Suprema, RUB for some PPPoker/X-Poker clubs). Agents may charge 0–5% on withdrawals to cover network fees and liquidity management. Some clubs offer same-day withdrawals; others batch weekly. Withdrawal speed and fee transparency separate good clubs from mediocre ones.
Off-Peak Operational Costs: Props vs Infrastructure
Every club hits the same wall: off-peak hours kill table density. Peak runs 6–8 hours/day; the other 16 hours are a graveyard unless you actively maintain activity. The default answer is manual props — hire players to sit tables, keep games running, provide action so regulars don’t log in to an empty lobby and leave.
Manual props cost $40–80/table/week. A club running five concurrent tables during off-peak (04h–14h in most time zones) spends $200–400/week, or ~$1,000/month, just to keep tables from collapsing. That’s separate from the platform fee, agent cut, and rakeback.
Managed Infrastructure as the Alternative
PokerNet AI shifts off-peak costs from weekly payroll to managed infrastructure. The owner sets which formats run (NLH, PLO, Short Deck), at which stakes, during which time windows, with what concurrency limits. The infrastructure executes within those bounds — adaptive play at the table, per-opponent profiling in real time, session-level variance so activity doesn’t look static.
The cost model changes: instead of paying $40–80 per table per week indefinitely, the owner pays for the infrastructure layer once, configured to the club’s operational parameters. The infrastructure doesn’t eliminate the cost; it makes it predictable and scalable. One club running ten tables off-peak with managed infrastructure spends less than running five tables with manual props, and the activity quality is higher because the infrastructure profiles opponents and adjusts strategy within each session.
The trade-off: manual props are flexible (you can add or remove them daily); managed infrastructure requires the owner to define the parameters upfront (formats, stakes, schedules). If your off-peak strategy changes weekly, props offer more control. If your strategy is stable — “run NL25, NL50, NL100 from 04h–14h GMT-3 every day at 3–5 concurrent tables” — infrastructure wins on cost, consistency, and quality.
Unions and Traffic Density: Cost vs Value
Joining a union adds a layer of cost (union fees, typically 5–10% of rake or a flat monthly membership) but multiplies traffic. A standalone 100-player club runs 2–5 concurrent tables during peak. The same club inside a 2,000-player union shares a lobby with dozens of active tables across all stakes and formats.
Union Economics by Platform
PPPoker: Unions like PrimeTime, Pinoy Donks, and UnionSquare aggregate thousands of players. Union fees are structured as rake shares (the union takes a percentage of club rake to fund shared infrastructure, marketing, and guarantees). The value trade: you pay 5–10% of rake but gain access to 10–50× the traffic.
PokerBros: Diamond Union, PanAmericana, UK Union, and Korean Union dominate. Union membership is near-mandatory for serious clubs — standalone clubs can’t compete on liquidity. Union fees are similar to PPPoker (rake-share or monthly flat fee). The platform’s strength is union maturity — Diamond Union alone has hundreds of tables running 24/7.
ClubGG: Unions exist (Massiv Union, TMT Union, Ludus, CVP, Twenty 24) but are less formalized than PPPoker/PokerBros equivalents. ClubGG clubs benefit more from agent networks than union structures. The agent brings players; the club provides the infrastructure.
Suprema: Suprema Union is the dominant aggregator, with most Brazilian clubs joining by default. Union fees are low because the ecosystem is concentrated — you’re not paying for multi-region traffic aggregation; you’re paying to share the Brazilian peak-hour pool.
X-Poker: Unions are smaller and regionally focused (Disney Galaxy for Russian-speaking, Taiwan Union, Vietnam Union). Union value is lower because base traffic is thinner. Most X-Poker clubs operate standalone or inside small 3–5 club alliances rather than large unions.
When to Join a Union
Join a union if your club’s standalone traffic can’t sustain more than 3–5 concurrent tables during peak. Don’t join a union if your club already has 200+ active players and you want to keep 100% of rake for reinvestment. The union cost is worth it when the traffic multiplier (10× more tables, 5× longer session times, deeper stake variety) outweighs the 5–10% fee.
Total Cost of Ownership: What the Spreadsheet Misses
The platform fee, chip costs, and agent cut go into the P&L. What doesn’t: the cost of a table dying mid-session because no one was there to keep it alive. A regular logs in at 11h, sees zero tables running, logs out, and joins a competitor’s club. You lose that player not because your rake was too high or your agent was slow — you lose them because your club felt dead.
The Total Cost of Ownership for a poker club in 2026 includes:
- Platform fee (PPPoker $25–45/month, PokerBros $20–26, ClubGG $0, Suprema ~$25–45, X-Poker ~$10)
- Chip inventory (varies by platform; PokerBros highest, X-Poker lowest)
- Agent commission (10–25% of rake or flat monthly fee)
- Rakeback paid to players (30–65% of rake collected)
- Union fees if applicable (5–10% of rake or flat monthly)
- Off-peak activity costs (manual props $40–80/table/week, or managed infrastructure as a one-time config)
- Withdrawal fees (0–5% depending on agent and payment method)
- Player acquisition cost (marketing, affiliate deals, referral bonuses)
A 100-player club on PPPoker running five tables during peak and three tables off-peak, paying 50% rakeback, inside a union, with manual props covering 04h–14h, spends:
- Platform: $45/month
- Props: ~$1,000/month (three tables × $80/week × 4 weeks)
- Rakeback: ~60% of gross rake (after union and agent cuts)
- Agent commission: 15–20% of gross rake
- Net margin: 10–20% of gross rake, if the club is well-run
Switch the props to managed AI infrastructure for NLH, and the $1,000/month prop line drops to a one-time infrastructure config. The rake collected during 04h–14h increases (tables don’t die mid-session), rakeback stays at 50%, and net margin climbs to 20–30% because off-peak is no longer a cost center — it’s a revenue layer.
The platform choice (PPPoker vs PokerBros vs ClubGG vs Suprema vs X-Poker) matters less than the operational model. A well-run club on X-Poker with managed off-peak infrastructure outperforms a poorly-run club on PokerBros burning $1,500/month on props that don’t retain players.