PokerStars Site Review
PokerStars is the biggest poker site in the world, with over 14 million players worldwide, 10 billion hands dealt and a tournament or SNG starting literally every second. Their software, customer service and security are all excellent, and they have the widest selection of games that can be found anywhere online. PokerStars is currently considered the undisputed leader in online poker.
Software
The PokerStars software is generally considered to be the best in the industry, and they are always adding new games and features for their players to choose from. The table graphics can be personalized by selecting one of the many “themes” available. The lobby itself has a very effective filtering system so that only the buy-ins and types of games that you are interested in show up. The sound effects are helpful and non-intrusive, such as a polite “ding” notifying you of when your time to act is almost up.
You can also upload a photo to serve as your player avatar, and if you decide that you don’t like that particular picture, you can easily change it. Another benefit of the PokerStars software is the “replay” function, which allows you to watch an animated replay of a previous hand with just the click of a button. You can also search for a specific player or a particular tournament, if you want to watch a friend play for example.
Traffic
PokerStars has more traffic than any other website. By far. There are usually between 70,000 and 200,000 players online at any time. There is always a game (or lots of games) running at whatever buy-in that you want to play. Large tournaments with hundreds or thousands of players start every 15 minutes or so, and SNGs are going constantly. For any buy-in less than $100 it’s unusual to have to wait more than a few minutes for a tournament or SNG to start.
Competition
The calibre of opposition on PokerStars is generally soft at the lower stakes as is usual for online poker, but the players get significantly tougher at mid-to-high stakes. Due to the huge amount of traffic at PokerStars, it’s one of the most popular sites for the professional online grinders who play 16 or 24 tables simultaneously. There are usually at least one or two of these players on each table from the 50c/$1 limits upwards.
In SNGs it’s a similar story. The lower limits are filled with people just having fun, but from about the $27 buy in upwards you will usually find one or two multi-tabling professionals on each table. This doesn’t mean that you can’t make money of course; it just means that some of the players at these levels aren’t going to be soft targets.
First deposit bonus
PokerStars is currently offering to match 100% of your first three deposits, up to a maximum of $600. This is one of the most competitive bonuses in the business, and it’s simple to claim. Make your first-ever real money deposit using the bonus code ‘STARS600’, and PokerStars will give you a 100% bonus up to $600. The bonus has to be “cleared” by playing a specified amount of poker before the money is released. As you play, you accumulate Frequent Player Points (FPPs), and your bonus is released as these accrue. Which brings us to:
FPPs and VIP Club Rewards
PokerStars has a VIP club that you automatically become a member of from the moment you play in your first real money cash game or tournament. The more you play, the more Frequent Players Points you can accumulate, which in turn moves you up to a higher VIP level, and allows you to earn points even faster.
You can trade these FPPs in for cash bonuses, merchandise, tournament or satellite tickets, travel vouchers, and even luxury cars. . . seriously. You can get a Porsche if you collect enough FPPs. Pretty cool. Have a look at the clip below for more information about VIP benefits.
Summary
As mentioned, the high quality of PokerStars and the excellent rewards for the frequent players means that PokerStars is the site of choice for many online professionals. If you are playing cash games of 25c/50c or less, then the play will be generally soft. At 50c/$1 and above however, you will start to see a lot of serious grinders. Unless you have a fair bit of experience, you will probably find those tables quite challenging.
If you like playing in big tournaments with thousands of players however, then PokerStars is probably the best site for you. If you are a very strong player who runs multiple tables at once, then you will definitely appreciate the high volume there aswell. PokerStars is the biggest online poker site with good reason; it really is an excellent site to play on. The software is smooth, there are cash games running all the time, and they have more SNGs and tournaments than any other site. They even have “play money” tables for newer players to practice on. It’s also the only site that you can buy a Porsche with your FPPs.
If you decide to join (or just want more information), click on the link below. Also be sure to use the bonus code ‘STARS600‘ to get your first deposit bonus.
