PokerStars Review

With over 100,000 players online at any given time, PokerStars is the 800-pound gorilla of the online poker world. It started out as a simple place to play online poker but as time passed, PokerStars earned for itself a reputation as the most transparent and trustworthy online poker site.

The big break for PokerStars came when it was revealed that Chris Moneymaker, the winner of the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, won his entry to the prestigious tournament by playing in a $39 satellite tournament online at PokerStars. After that, PokerStars quickly became the most popular poker site for tournaments.

The very next year, another poker player named Greg Raymer played in a satellite tournament to the WSOP at PokerStars and went on to win the 2004 World Series Main Event and $5,000,000. 2005? Same thing. Another guy by the name of Joe Hachem earned his entry to the WSOP at PokerStars and won the whole thing.

The point is PokerStars has played a major role in the development of poker as an internationally recognized pastime. Major tournaments like the WSOP have grown tremendously in recent years thanks to online satellite tournaments. If it wasn’t for PokerStars, it’s hard telling where the industry would be right now.

PokerStars Deposit Bonus

Every new player at PokerStars can get a 100% bonus for up to $600 in cash just for signing up and making a deposit that matches the bonus amount you’re seeking. When you make your first deposit, you’ll see a little box that asks for your bonus code. Just type in the word Stars600 and you’ll get your bonus.

The devil in the details: Your bonus will be held in a separate bonus account and then released after you play in enough real money cash games and tournaments to earn 10 Frequent Player Points (FPPs) per dollar in bonus money.

For example, if you deposit $50 and clear that $50 bonus amount threshold, you’ll have to earn a total of 500 FPPs before getting the bonus. That might sound like a lot of work but FPPs are actually really easy to earn at PokerStars.

Devil’s Note: Use PokerStars Marketing Code “G” to ensure you get the maximum bonus amount possible upon your 1st deposit.

Stars Tournaments

PokerStars specializes in tournament like no other poker site on the planet. When you download the software and open up the tournament lobby, you’ll see tons of tournaments running around the clock.

No Limit Holdem is the most popular tournament type but you’ll also see limit Holdem and a ton of other games. You’ll be able to play in 7 Card Stud tournaments, Omaha tournaments and many more at PokerStars.

No matter how large or small your bankroll is, you’ll be able to find all kinds of action at PokerStars. Buyins start out at just a few FPPs and go all the way up to more than a thousand dollars for the more expensive tournaments.

Every Sunday they host the Sunday Million tournament and it has a guaranteed $1,500,000 prize pool. First place is always more than sixe figures and someone wins it every single week. Crazy stuff.

Stars Cash Games

PokerStars also has the largest collection of cash games out of any online poker site out there. The games offered here include Texas Holdem, Omaha, 5 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw, 2-7 Single Draw and Badugi.

Texas Holdem is the most popular but you’ll still find many other poker variants in the cash games lobby. The stakes range from anywhere between a few pennies per round to well over a thousand dollars. Some of the no-limit tables allow you to buy in with as much as $40,000. And yes, that is real money.

PokerStars Software

In the beginning, I wasn’t a fan of the PokerStars software at all. In fact, I stayed away from the site for nearly 3 years because the graphics were so hideous that it was hard to tell what was going on at the tables.

At some point the people in charge decided to give the PokerStars software a much-needed update and what an improvement it was. The lobby is now organized more efficiently and the tables can be customized almost limitlessly to make your experience as comfortable as possible.

There are now about a dozen different themes you can use, ranging from the classic view to ultra-simple themes that make it ten times easier to keep up with the action. In addition to that, the animations have been tweaked so that less time is spent watching the dealer hand out cards and more time is spent playing poker.

Depositing and Withdrawing

As a US-friendly poker site, PokerStars has had its share of difficulties in finding solid deposit options for players from the US. Things have settled down recently so it’s not as bad getting money on the site now as it once was. The most popular deposit method is the credit card but there are many others as well.

There are dozens of country-specific deposit options at PokerStars but the most popular ones include:

– Instant eCheck (MOST popular)

– Visa

– MasterCard

– Diner’s Club International

– Cashiers Check

– Money Orders

– Checks

I have an even easier time depositing at PokerStars. Players from around the world can use Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, Entropay, NETeller and many other deposit methods to get their money online. When you go to make your deposit, you’ll see a full list of options. Just pick one, follow the directions and you’ll be set up in no time.

When it’s time to withdraw your money, you can usually do so via the same method you used to deposit. People who made a deposit with a credit card will have to find another withdrawal method, whether it be a cashier’s check, bank wire or something else.

PokerStars Support

If you can get past the fact that the only way you can reach PokerStars customer support is by e-mail, the customer service team at PokerStars is quite commendable. They answer inquiries at lightning speeds and are willing to call you (and save you the long distance fee) if you need phone support.

It would be nice if they offered a toll-free number but for some reason, they don’t have that option. Other than that, the customer support at PokerStars is top notch. A lot of the goodwill that serious poker players harbor for PokerStars is directly related to positive customer support experiences