Online Poker Bonus

So, now that we understand the different kinds of bonuses available, how should you use this information to find the poker site with the best poker bonuses? Well, it’s all about evaluating the bonuses on offer against your playing schedule and seeing which provides the best value.

Recreational Player VS. Poker Grinder

Let’s look at two different types of players who are trying to pick between two different poker rooms. The Recreational Player is a player who plays once or twice a week. They make regular deposits to the site but don’t play much volume. The Poker Grinder is a committed player who plays a couple of hours a day most days of the week. They’re a winning/break-even player and don’t make many deposits when they play. The poker sites they’re picking between are Site X; a site that offers 100% matched deposit reload bonuses up to $100, and Site Y, a site with no reload bonuses but a rakeback program where players receive 25% of their rakeback as cashback.

Recreational Player

Given what we know about these sites and our players, who do you think would be best matched to which site? Well, let’s take a look. The Recreational Player doesn’t play a lot of volume, and likely won’t rake very much during their time on the site. If they rake $50 every two weeks, they’ll receive around $25 a month playing on Site Y. However, with Site X, they can get a maximum of $100 in bonus funds every time they make a deposit. Recreational Player is far more likely to deposit $100 in a month than they are to rake $400, so Site X is the best value proposition.

Poker Grinder

The Poker Grinder on the other hand is a hardcore poker player and puts in a lot of volume each month. They easily rake $1000 per month, meaning that they’ll receive at least $250 per month in rakeback rewards. This player would need to make multiple deposits in a month to get this kind of value – something that they’re not likely to do given their player profile. So, by choosing Site Y, Poker Grinder can receive substantially more rewards each month than if they choose Site X.

When picking a poker site based on the bonuses they offer, make sure you weigh up the value of each promotion they offer to see which one is more beneficial for you.

PLAYTHROUGH REQUIREMENTS

Before you can get your hands on any winnings from a poker bonus, you will need to make sure you meet the playthrough requirements. Playthrough requirements are the number of times you will need to play through the bonus funds in order to withdraw them. In most cases, the playthrough requirements also referred to as wagering requirements, will include both the deposit and bonus amounts.

For example, a 10x playthrough requirement would mean that you have to play through the bonus amount 10x. So, if you deposit $100 and receive a bonus of $100, you will have to play through $1,000 (your $100 bonus multiplied by 10x) before you can withdraw your bonus funds.

It is important to remember that this doesn’t mean you have to lose the amounts, you just have to wager it. If you lose your bonus amount, then you will no longer be tied to any playthrough requirements.

How Have Poker Bonuses Changed Over The Years?

Despite the world of online poker changing dramatically over the years, poker bonuses have remained relatively unchanged over the years. The most popular bonus has always been the matched deposit bonus, where players receive a percentage of their deposit as bonus funds, and it’s still the most common bonus offer you’ll find at online poker rooms. However, the way this bonus is awarded has changed over the years; poker sites used to give you this money as soon as you made your deposit, but nowadays sites require you to unlock your bonus by paying rake.

We’ve also seen the introduction of new types of poker bonuses, where players can earn rewards by completing missions, such as playing a certain number of sit and gos or winning a cash game hand with a certain holding. These promotions don’t provide as much value to the player as matched deposit bonuses, but they can often be claimed without a qualifying deposit, and add an interactive element to the process that better engages the player.

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR ONLINE POKER BONUS

There are tons of ways that players can make the most of their poker bonuses. The following are just a few examples of things players should do to make the most of their online poker bonuses.

Find the Best Bonuses to Suit Your Needs

As you can see above, there are a number of different poker bonuses on offer, and not all of them may be right for what you need. If you’re playing on a budget, you may look to find a no deposit offer or a referral bonus that allows you to play for real money without risking any money yourself. However, if you’ve got money to spend, you may look to find a large deposit match bonus that will maximize the amount of money you deposit.

Find the Best Playthrough Requirements

Another factor that people forget to look for when choosing a poker bonus is the wagering or playthrough requirements. These requirements dictate how much you need to play through the bonus before you can withdraw it, so the lower the playthrough requirements, the better.

Always Read the Terms & Conditions in Full

A common mistake that new players make is that they don’t read the terms and conditions before accepting a bonus; they just see the free money and sign right up! The Ts&Cs are full of important information about your bonus, such as the wagering requirements, the expiry date, and even how you unlock your bonus. So, to make sure you get the most from your poker bonus, always read the terms and conditions.

Give Yourself Time To Play

Most poker bonuses require you to unlock your poker signup bonus by paying rake, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to play and unlock all of your bonus funds. Plus, many bonuses have expiry dates and will prevent you from claiming all of your bonus if you don’t do it in time.

Summary

Poker bonuses are a great way to make your bankroll go that little bit further and extend your playing time. There are many different kinds of poker bonuses you can claim, and the best sites will offer multiple generous bonuses to their players. You should now have all the information you need to find the best poker bonuses and enjoy all of the benefits they have to offer.