Pokerstars Review – The Biggest Poker Site Online By A Long Way
Note: This review has been fully refreshed for the summer of 2012 with news of Zoom and the latest tournament offerings. I have also covered how you can get three separate welcome bonuses at the biggest poker site online!
| Pros | Cons | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
Biggest Choice Of Games Anywhere! |
Tend To Be More ‘Grinders’ | Claim Up To 3 Welcome Bonuses To A Total Of 100% to $600 |
| Awesome Software (Mobile Included!) | Not Available To US Players | Marketing Code PSP3108 (Registration) Bonus Code STARS600 (Deposit) |
| Big Rewards / Promotions | Tournament Fields Can Get Too Big! | Excellent Ongoing Rewards |
Marketing Code = PSP3108
Pokerstars have pulled away from their competition when it comes to player numbers, their peaks go well over 200,000 simultaneous players (which would equal millions who have accounts). There are a lot of good reasons to play at this site, starting with their amazing software – which is simply smoother-running and sleeker than the client at any other site.
Players should be aware that almost every online poker pro out there plays at this site, including a lot of smaller-stakes ‘grinders’ – who multi-table the lower buy-in games to accumulate profit. While this should not put anyone off – since there are plenty of amateurs and fish too – you will need to practice some game selection. If soft games are your thing then head on over to Red Kings on the OnGame network instead… more details here.
It is almost impossible to cover all of the game selection at Pokerstars in one review – there are simply too many cash games and an unblieveable tournament schedule. These start at just pennies, so you can learn while you play.
Bonuses focus on the ongoing rewards – the VIP loyalty program is the best anywhere online and the one-off special promos and offers are far bigger than other sites. I will not list them here (since it would be out of date by tomorrow!), keep an eye on the Pokerstars website for the latest great deals. In the bonus section below I show you how to get off to a great start at this site by claiming up to 3 welcome bonuses!
>> Click Here to Check Out Pokerstars.com Now
Biggest Online Poker Site – Pokerstars.com – Cash Games And Tournaments
For me there is almost too much choice of cash games at Pokerstars, you will be presented with lists of 100’s of tables of No-Limit Holdem and plenty of Omaha too. Starting with 1c / 2c blinds ($2 buy-in) and going all the way to $100+ blinds ($10k buy-ins) the variations include 9-max, 6-max, 4-max heads-up, turbo tables, deep stacked and shallow stacked. The 6-max are the most popular.
In addition to these popular games you will find plenty of variations including draw poker variations, stud and the split pot Hi-Lo games. One of my favorites is the 8-game mix, which gives you 6 hands of 8 different poker games in rotation – Pokerstars is so big that you will have a big choice of tables in that game too!
One recent innovation with cash games was the introduction of Zoom Poker. This is 4 times faster than regular poker, and works by recombining players from big pools into a new hand as soon as you fold. This is one cool game (slightly addictive!) and I recommend you check it out soon!
Marketing Code = PSP3108
Tournaments range from the weekly Sunday Million ($1 million in guaranteed prize money each week) though a full mid-stakes schedule and down to a massive choice of lower buy-in games. Nobody else comes close to matching these games, which include turbos, rebuys, knockout games, satellite qualifiers and many poker variations. One small downside is that the fields in the smaller buy-in games can get very big – like 1000’s of players big. There are capped fields for those without the time, and on the plus side the prize pools are huge compared to the buy-ins in those bigger events. Sit N Goes are the same old story… more choice, more variations and (slightly) more pros!
Pokerstars.com Review – Software, Service and Security
I already mentioned the software, which is the best of any site. For me this client just runs so smoothly that it is never a concern – you can configure the look of it, and even upload your own picture or photo as your playing avatar.
For years the customer service and security had the reputation as being the best online. I feel they are fair, though as this site has grown they have got a little impersonal. As someone within the business I do like to report anything even slightly suspicious to security – and the reply last time was both snooty and off-hand… maybe I’ll just put it down to an agent having a bad day!
Biggest Poker Site Online – Pokerstars Review – Bonuses And Promotions
Many players do not know that you can claim up to 3 welcome bonuses at Pokerstars, so I will start with that before covering some of the ongoing rewards and giving you a flavor of the promotions.
How To Claim 3 Welcome Bonuses (up to 100% to $600 in total) at Pokerstars.com
First you need to register your account:
- Download the super-cool software
- Click ‘New Account’ from the sign-in window
- Add your details, selecting ‘Marketing Code (If available)’ from the list of ‘Where Did You Hear About Pokerstars?’
- A new box now appears under the question. Add PSP3108 to this box.
- Check the age verification box and then complete your registration.
Next you need to deposit:
- Click the big red ‘Cashier’ button on the lobby (bottom right, can’t miss it)
- Click ‘Buy Chips’ (towards the top right)
- Choose your deposit method from a long list of available options
- When you deposit input Pokerstars Bonus code STARS600 for each of your first 3 deposits
>> Click To Grab Your 3 Bonuses At Pokerstars.com Now!
It does not stop there either, once you are a player at the worlds biggest poker site you will be very well looked after. The main ongoing rewards is through the loyalty program known as the Pokerstars VIP club. This is for all players, not just the high rollers, with smaller bonuses coming at you regularly – and the chance to climb the tiers of the club and earn even bigger bonuses. As well as the (very welcome!) cash bonuses, you will be able enter exclusive club tournaments, buy gadgets, books or tournament entries from the store and join satellites to live events too. This is one of the best loyalty schemes around and has contributed hugely to Stars becoming the biggest site online.
Promotions are introduced every week and are HUGE compared to other sites. You will find milestone hands (the road to 100 billion), tournament-focused events like the World Championship and Spring Championship, reload bonuses, Aston Martin give-aways and offers focused on the EPT tournaments (which Pokerstars own). These change every week, so make sure you keep a close eye on the Pokerstars website for the latest deals.
Biggest Poker Site Online – Pokerstars.com Review – Summary And Next Steps
Pokerstars deserve their success, and work hard to maintain their lead over the next biggest poker networks. While you will have to watch out for those annoying small stakes ‘grinders’, this site really does have something to offer every type of player.
Remember (in fact write it down!) the combo of Marketing Code PSP3108 and bonus code STARS600 for those first 3 deposit bonuses, the rewards and specials will keep your bankroll topped up after that. Click here to see for yourself what makes Pokerstars the biggest worldwide!
Marketing Code = PSP3108