2009-05-28 16:50:53
How to Unlock the Pokerstars Bonus
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Pokerstars may not offer the most aggressive sign-up bonus in the industry (they don't have to), but their bonus is certainly one of the easiest to clear.
This article will contain all of the information that you need to know when it comes to clearing the 100% sign-up bonus that Pokerstars offers to all of its new customers.
So, you have probably already downloaded the Pokerstars software, signed up for an account (while remembering to input POKER-KING as your marketing code) and deposited money onto the site (using STARS600 as your bonus code).
Now what? You see this bonus money sitting in your cashier, but you don't seem to be able to play with it. What gives?
First off, bonuses need to be earned.
How do you earn your bonus? By playing at real-money cash game tables, and in real-money SNGs and MTTs.
Pokerstars doesn't just give you the bonus money - they want to entice you to play on the site. The bonus is their way of saying "Here, try out the site. We know that you will like it, and you will be able to make some extra money while you are at it."
In order to clear your entire bonus, you need to earn 10x the amount of your bonus in Base FPPs. You can see the total of your FPPs in your cashier screen.
So, if you are eligible for a $600 bonus (the maximum that Pokerstars offers), then you would need to earn 500 Base FPPs in order to unlock the bonus.
If you are eligible for a bonus of $20, then you would need to earn 200 Base FPPs (Frequent Player Points).
Base FPPs, as mentioned, are earned by playing in real-money games on the site. This can be cash games, SNGs (Sit and Gos) or MTTs (Multi-Table Tournaments).
The faster that you earn Base FPPs, the faster you will have your bonus released to you. You could, for instance, playing 8 tables at a table and have your bonus released in one night, if you were so inclined.
Pokerstars gives all of their new customers up to six months to fully earn their bonus. As far as I am aware, this is the most generous allotment of time in the online poker industry. Most rooms will give you 3-4 months to earn your bonus.
There are a few things that I want you to take special note of:
1. The size of your INITIAL deposit on the site determines the size of your bonus. Meaning, if you deposit $20 then $30 just a few hours later, you are still only eligible for a $20 bonus. Make that first deposit count.
2. Any unearned bonus money will be forfeited at the end of the six month period.
3. Don't forget to enter POKER-KING as your "marketing code" during the sign-up process.
4. Have fun on the site! Pokerstars is the biggest online poker room in the world for a reason - they know how to treat their clients.
Filed under: Pokerstars Bonus Promotions
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