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Bonus Whoring

Most online poker rooms offer sign-up bonuses. These can vary greatly with some rooms offering a bonus match of 500% and some offering only 10%. Why should you take advantage of sign-up bonuses? To answer that, we should ask – Why would you say no to extra money for your bankroll? A bonus can help you gain valuable experience, try out a new site or software and most importantly – boost your bankroll. Believe it or not, there are actually poker players who make their living by chasing bonuses. These bonus chasers are commonly referred to as Bonus Whores.

Sounds like a sweet deal, so how can you get in on the action? Well, bonus whoring isn’t easy. Every site has their own bonus terms and requirements to clear their bonuses. Depending on your bankroll and stakes, some may not be possible for you to clear. Keep in mind that just because a site has a big bonus does not mean it is the bonus for you.

How do I get started?

Check out our poker bonus page to determine which bonus is right for you. Once you have selected a bonus, sign up to the poker room through our link to ensure you get what you are looking for. To begin playing, you need to deposit funds into your new poker account. Payment processors differ by site, so be sure that the site you are playing supports the payment processor that you want to use. Some deposit bonuses also require a bonus code which needs to be entered when you make your deposit. Once you have deposited, check your account to ensure the bonus is listed as pending. If everything is as it should be – get playing and earning free money!

How many tables should you play at?

One of the most important thing when you are clearing a poker bonus is to decide how many tables you should play at. More tables means more raked hands per hour. Just make sure you don’t play so many tables that you fold a straight flush. Always make sure you only play as many tables as you feel you can handle. Many people play to many tables and are loosing more then they are winning. A good tip is to make sure you always sees your own cards on all tables.

What is a raked hand?

On most online poker rooms a raked hand is a hand where 25 cents or more has been deducted from the pot. This means that the pot has to be over $5 in order for they player to get a raked hand. On some poker networks the rake must be 50 cents or higher. On some poker rooms you don’t actually have to put any money yourself into the pot, it’s enough that you have been dealt cards in a hand to be able to get rake points. On other sites you need to contribute yourself to the pot in order to get rake points.

Avoid deposit/withdraw problems

To avoid deposit and withdraw problems and delays like sending in copy of your id card etc, it is recommended that you use a e-wallet. The most popular e-wallets are ePassport and Neteller. Choose the e-wallet you want to use then go to the web site of the e-wallet where you want to get an account. Most e-wallets operate in a similar way to Paypal. It is a free service with small deposit/withdraw fees that allows you to take funds from your bank account and sometimes credit card, and store them online in your e-wallet account. ePassporte is the most popular service that currently accepts transfers from Americans. For Canadians the best options are Click2pay and Moneybookers. For most of the rest of the world, Neteller and the e-wallets already mentioned are good choices. These e-wallets make playing poker at multiple sites much more convenient than using credit cards or checks.

Fast transfers with e-wallets

For most of the e-wallets, you can instantly transfer funds to the online card room of your choice from your account. Then, whenever you wish, you may transfer funds from the card room back to the e-wallet (this usually takes 24-48hrs, but depends on the e-wallet being used) and then from the e-wallet you can go to a different card room, or back to your bank account. After signing up with the e-wallet, you will need to verify your bank account or credit card that you will use to deposit. Once this has been done, you are usually ready to fund your e-wallet account; however, depending on the method and e-wallet used, the time needed to fund your account can be instant or take up a week or more to show up.

What does x10 mean?

When you read the bonus reviews on this page you noticed that we write x5 or x10 etc as requirements for the bonus. What this means is that you must play 5 or 10 raked hands for each $1 in bonus money. Take the Golden rivier bonus for example. This bonus is $40 plus $10 in other words $50. This means that you have to play 250 raked hands (5*$50) to clear the entire bonus. Also note that these raked hands must meet their definition, which is $0.20. Make sure to check the definition of the raked hand or points on the site’s review. A “x5 bonus” can be very different from site to site.

What is a reload bonus?

First time deposit bonuses are only open to new players and can only be used once. A reload bonus is open to everyone, so you can take advantage of it even if you are already a member of the site where it is being offered. These are offered periodically by most online poker sites to give you the incentive to keep playing at their site.

What does RAF mean?

RAF is an acronym for Refer a Friend. Some online poker sites will give you an exclusive bonus for referring friends who sign up and deposit. Depending on the site, these RAFs may or may not be available in conjunction with new deposit bonuses. Be sure to read the terms and conditions to avoid disappointment.

Can I clear more then one bonus?

Yes. When you have cleared one bonus you can go on to the next. As mentioned transferring you money goes faster when you use an e-wallet. If you are successful in clearing the poker bonuses reviewed on this site you can make a lot of money each month. Many sites also offers reload bonuses which means you can get another bonus on top of the sign-up bonus.

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