If you play real-money poker, a big slice of your long-term result comes from something most players ignore: rakeback. In plain terms, every time you play a raked hand or tournament, the platform keeps a small cut (the rake). Rakeback gives a portion of that cut back to you. On Natural8 this is delivered through a loyalty program called Ocean Rewards (also known as Fish Buffet) — an 8-tier system where the more you play, the higher your tier climbs and the bigger your percentage back. This guide walks through how it works in human terms, shows the full tier table, and explains what the headline “up to 80%” actually means (spoiler: it is not a flat rate for everyone).
What rakeback and Ocean Rewards actually are
Rakeback is not a bonus you win — it is money returned from fees you have already paid. Think of it as a built-in discount on the cost of playing. The more rake you generate, the more you get back. Ocean Rewards (Fish Buffet) is Natural8’s version of this: you earn Tier Points (TP) as you play, those points push you up through eight aquatic tiers — from Fish at the bottom to Shark at the top — and each tier comes with a higher point multiplier and a higher approximate cashback rate.
You do not have to do anything special to take part. As you play eligible games you accumulate TP automatically, your tier updates as you hit milestones, and your rakeback is credited on a schedule. For the official mechanics, see Natural8’s rakeback overview or our deeper rakeback guide.
The full 8-tier Ocean Rewards table
Here is the complete tier ladder. The TP milestone is the points needed to reach that tier, the point multiplier is how fast you earn at that tier, and the approx cashback is the rough rakeback percentage associated with it. These figures come from Natural8’s official Ocean Rewards / Fish Buffet page and may vary by region and campaign.
| Tier | TP milestone | Point multiplier | Approx cashback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish | 0 TP | x1.5 | ~16% |
| Shrimp | 10,000 TP | x2 | ~25% |
| Crab | 50,000 TP | x2.5 | ~30% |
| Turtle | 200,000 TP | x3 | ~40% |
| Octopus | 750,000 TP | x3.5 | ~50% |
| Dolphin | 2,000,000 TP | x4 | ~60% |
| Whale | 5,000,000 TP | x4.5 | ~70% |
| Shark | 10,000,000 TP | x5 | ~80% |
Read the ladder this way: everyone starts at Fish (~16%) and works upward. The jump from one tier to the next is driven entirely by how much you play, so the percentages reward consistent, ongoing volume rather than a single big session.
How Tier Points (TP) accrue
TP is the fuel that moves you up the ladder, and how fast you earn it depends on what you play:
- Poker: you earn 100 TP per US$1 of rake you generate. Rake comes from cash-game pots and tournament fees, so the more you play raked poker, the faster your TP grows.
- Casino — slots: 1 TP per US$2 wagered.
- Casino — featured table games: 1 TP per US$6 wagered.
The rebate rate varies by game type, so knowing the TP rate of whatever you play helps you understand how quickly you are climbing. Poker tends to convert to TP much faster per dollar than casino play, which is worth keeping in mind if rakeback is your priority.
What “up to 80%” REALLY means
This is the most misunderstood part of any rakeback program, so let’s be honest about it. The headline “up to 80%” refers to the top tier (Shark) only. It is not a flat rate every player receives. Reaching Shark requires 10,000,000 TP — an enormous amount of accumulated play. Most players will sit somewhere lower on the ladder, earning the cashback associated with their current tier (~16% at Fish, climbing as they progress).
So when you see “up to 80% rakeback,” read it as the ceiling, not the starting point. Your actual percentage depends on your tier, which depends on your play. That is the whole point of a tiered system — it rewards the players who put in the most volume.
Auto-credited rakeback and GEMs
The good news: there is no form to fill in. Rakeback under Ocean Rewards is credited automatically on the official Ocean Rewards schedule — you do not need to manually request it. Alongside your tier-based cashback, play also earns you GEMs, a reward currency you can use per the official terms. Treat GEMs as a bonus layer on top of your standard rakeback rather than a replacement for it.
Terms vary: tiers, multipliers, percentages, GEMs and the credit schedule are set by Natural8’s official Ocean Rewards / Fish Buffet page and eligibility & terms vary by region and may change — rely on Natural8’s latest official terms.
How to maximize your rakeback
Rakeback rewards behavior, not luck. Here is how to get the most out of Ocean Rewards:
1. Play consistently to climb tiers
Because each tier carries a higher cashback rate, steady ongoing play moves you up the ladder and increases the percentage you get back. Spread-out, regular sessions tend to compound better than sporadic bursts.
2. Let the multiplier compound
Higher tiers come with a higher point multiplier (from x1.5 at Fish up to x5 at Shark). A bigger multiplier means each future session earns TP faster — so progress accelerates as you climb, helping you hold or advance your tier.
3. Know your game’s TP rate
Poker earns 100 TP per US$1 of rake, while casino slots earn 1 TP per US$2 and featured table games 1 TP per US$6. If building TP efficiently matters to you, understand the rate of whatever you are playing so you know how quickly you are progressing.
4. Use your GEMs
Don’t let GEMs sit idle — they are part of the reward package and can be used per the official terms. Factor them into your overall value from the program.
An honest note on what rakeback is — and isn’t
Rakeback is genuinely valuable, but let’s be clear-eyed about it. Rakeback is not guaranteed profit, and it does not mean you will win. No platform and no loyalty program can promise winnings. What rakeback does is lower your long-term cost of play by returning a portion of the fees you have already paid. Over many hands and sessions, a lower effective rake can be the difference between a small loss and breaking even, or between breaking even and a modest edge — but the cards, your skill, and variance still decide the outcome. Always play within your budget.
Next steps
If you want to put Ocean Rewards to work, here is a sensible path:
- Understand the program fully via the rakeback guide and the Ocean Rewards guide.
- Get the client from the official download page — Windows, Mac, Android and iOS are supported via official direct download. Note the real-money app is not on the Apple App Store or Google Play, so avoid fake apps and always start from the official site (see the download guide).
- New players can choose one welcome offer — a first-deposit bonus up to 200% (up to US$1,000, activated within 60 days) or a Newbie ticket reward worth up to US$100. There is a low threshold per official terms; see the bonus page and bonus guide. Eligibility and terms vary by region.
- Plan for KYC identity verification (usually required before your first withdrawal; can take up to 5 business days) — see the KYC page and register & KYC guide.
- Know the cashout basics: typical payout time is 24–72h (operator-stated) with a daily withdrawal limit of US$20,000 (operator-stated; higher tiers/periods may differ) — details in the withdrawal guide.
- For trust and safety details, see safety and the safety guide, learn why players choose Natural8, or read our full review.
A quick note on the network: Natural8 is the official Asia-facing entrance to the GGPoker network — two doors to the same network, sharing the same software and player pool. The GGPoker network is one of the largest online poker networks in the world, with deep, genuinely international player pools at every stake, from cash games starting around US$0.01/US$0.02 to tournament buy-ins from about US$1, across NLH, PLO, Short Deck, Rush & Cash, Spin & Gold and more. For GGPoker specifics, defer to GGPoker official sources. Natural8 is owned and operated by Run Good N.V. (reg. No. 150149), Curaçao, under a licence from the Government of Anjouan, Union of Comoros (No. ALSI-192407036), with payments handled by MoneyMatrix Ltd (C64593) and Run Good N.V., and RNG tested by BMM Testlabs (per official natural8.com/rng) — all operator-stated; verify with the official source or regulator. New here? Start with how to play. Remember: 18+ only, play responsibly, and check your local laws — if the registration page does not list your country, that region cannot register.
Player note: This is the official Natural8 entrance, run by an authorized affiliate partner — not Natural8’s official website itself. This page contains affiliate links and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We do not guarantee any bonus, rakeback, payout or winnings — eligibility and terms vary by region and may change; always rely on Natural8’s latest official terms. 18+ only; play responsibly and check your local laws.