Best Online Poker Bonuses
Knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em is the most critical step when it comes to winning at poker. However, something that can help you boost your bankroll without doing anything special or pulling off any bluffs is taking advantage of the best online poker bonuses. The top game providers compete for your business by offering superior services and giving away free perks. In this guide, we’re going to look at all of the best bonuses for online poker, how they work, and how you can cash in.
What Is an Online Poker Bonus?
A real money online poker bonus is a perk awarded to you by the poker room as an incentive to join or a reward for being a loyal patron. Bonuses come in all shapes and sizes, but they generally target two things—new signups and player retention.
Some of the most common poker bonuses online include deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, VIP rewards points, and freeroll entries. When you get a bonus from an online poker room, there are some stipulations that you usually need to meet before you can fully cash in.
Let’s look at the most common type of bonuses and poker bonus codes to show you what we mean. Above, we talked about the BetOnline 100% deposit match bonus up to $1,000. The way this bonus works is the online poker site matches the size of your first deposit dollar for dollar up to $1,000. So, if you deposit $500, you’ll get an extra $500 put into your bonus account. If you deposit $1,000, you’ll get $1,000 in that bonus account. If you deposit $1,500, you’ll only get $1,000, as that’s the max.
Now, unlike online casino bonuses, this money isn’t immediately available for you to use. You have to release the bonus funds by playing a certain threshold in the poker room. Once you meet the incremental threshold, a portion of the bonus is released to you. Once that bonus is released to you, it’s 100% your money to do with whatever you please (including cash it out).
Let’s say you make a $200 deposit, and you earn a $200 bonus. At the time of your first hand, you’ll have $200 in your bankroll to play with. The bonus funds will not be available yet. With BetOnline, you’ll earn $5 of that bonus every time you rake $50. So, once you hit that first milestone of $50 in rake, $5 is slid over into your bankroll account. Once you rake another $50, you get the next $5. This continues until all the money has been released or it’s reached the expiration of the promotion, which is 30 days with BetOnline. Most other deposit poker bonuses work just like this.
What Makes These Poker Bonuses the Best?
Bonuses From Trusted Online Poker Sites
The quality of an online poker bonus is directly correlated with the quality of the online poker room offering the bonus. You can get a million dollars in free cash promised to you, but if the poker room doesn’t honor it, what’s the point? Every one of the online poker bonuses listed in this guide comes from a trusted and reputable poker room with a great track record in the business.
Biggest Poker Bonuses Online
Let’s be honest, the size of the poker bonus you get matters. There’s no reason to take a small bonus from a trusted online poker site when there are big bonuses available from trusted online poker sites! What you’ll find on this page are the biggest and the baddest bonus promotions currently available. We’ve scoured the web and flipped up the couch cushions to find the best offers out there.
Low Playthrough Requirements
As we talked about above, your real money online poker bonuses don’t immediately go into your bankroll. You have to play to a certain threshold to release those funds. It’s important to make sure that the threshold is attainable and fair. Additionally, the best poker bonuses online give you ample time to clear the bonus. Generally, the industry standard is 30 days.
Bonuses Released Incrementally
Speaking of clearing your poker bonuses online, we want to see bonuses released incrementally. If the bonus is an all or none, you run the risk of getting nothing. All of the bonuses we’ve outlined above come with an incremental release process. This means that even if you’re not a high volume player, you’re still able to cash in on at least part of the perk.
Types of Online Poker Bonuses
Welcome Bonus
The most popular online poker bonus is a welcome bonus. Generally, the welcome bonus is some form of a deposit match bonus. You may also get a freeroll entry to a special welcome event included, which we’ll outline more below.
There are a few important factors to look at when assessing the quality of an online poker welcome bonus.
- The Percentage Match – This is the percentage of bonus money you’re given for every dollar of your deposit. Higher is always better. Generally, we see these range from as low as 50% up to as high as 200% on rare occasions.
- The Maximum Bonus – The real money online poker rooms set a maximum bonus you can get. Again, bigger is always going to be better.
- The Playthrough Process – How hard is it to clear the bonus and gain access to your funds? We expect there to be some stipulations, but we also want them to be fair.
- The Expiration Timeframe – You don’t get forever to try and clear even the best poker bonuses online. That being said, you should still get a fair amount of time to clear your bonus. Generally, the industry standard is 30 days. Anything shorter than that raises eyebrows, and anything longer is out of this world awesome.
Unlike casino bonuses, these bonus funds have no effect on your ability to withdraw your money. Once the funds are released into your main account, they’re your to do with as you please.
There are also no limitations on how much you can win with your bonus money (something common with casino bonuses).
Reload Bonus
A reload bonus operates identically to a welcome bonus, except it’s designed for existing players who have already made a deposit. Here are a few terms about reload bonuses you should be aware of:
- The bonus percentage generally is lower than that of a welcome bonus.
- There are far fewer limitations on who can use a reload bonus.
- It can be wise to make a deposit to cash in on a reload bonus, even if you don’t need extra money in your account.
- The site will monitor people who deposit to get the bonus and immediately withdraw the extra money afterward. This violates most site’s terms of service.
Rakeback Poker Bonuses
In the past, rakeback was a popular bonus offering. However, in today’s game, these deals are few and far between or are rolled into the VIP rewards programs. Every hand or tournament you play on a poker site generates rake. Rake is the small percentage of the pot or entry that the casino takes out as its profit. With a rakeback deal, you’d get a percentage of that money refunded back to you.
Imagine if you are breaking even playing poker. Without rakeback, you just break even. However, if you’re a breakeven player, you now are profitable thanks to your rakeback check you get at the end of the day, week, or month.
Technically, welcome bonuses operate similarly to this. In return for rake, you are getting money kicked your way. With VIP rewards programs, you might earn frequent player points (FPPS) for every dollar you rake. While these aren’t cash, they often can be converted into cash. This is effectively a rakeback program.
Free Tournament Entries and Freerolls
Many of the top online poker sites run regular freeroll tournaments for new players who haven’t deposited or for new players who recently made their first deposit. A freeroll is a poker tournament that costs you nothing to play in (except an entry ticket), but there are real prizes that you can win. Sometimes, those prizes are cash; other times, they are entries into bigger freerolls, and they can even be entries into real money poker tournaments.
VIP Rewards
The VIP rewards offered through the best online poker sites are the heart and soul of the retention efforts. The purpose of these rewards is to retain customers and keep the most active players taken care of. Generally, the programs are set up in a way where you earn frequent player points (FPPs) based on the rake you produce. In return for these points, you can cash them in for things like trips, swag, tournament entries, or in some cases, cash.
The exact details of the VIP rewards programs vary greatly from site to site. If you’re interested in putting in a high amount of volume playing real money poker online, you may want to spend a few minutes investigating these programs further through the links we’ve provided at the top of the page.
Casino Bonuses
The last online poker bonus type you may run into is a casino bonus. What do casino bonuses have to do with poker? Well, some of the online poker sites we’ve recommended also offer casino games in a separate section of the site. Sometimes, you may end up getting a casino bonus as an added perk on top of the poker bonuses you receive.
What happens if you don’t want to play in the casino? No worries. There is nothing that says you have to use these bonuses. However, if you are someone who likes getting their gamble on, this is a nice touch.
How Do I Claim a Real Money Online Poker Bonus?
Tips to Get the Most Out of Poker Bonuses Online
Understand the Terms and Conditions
Each poker bonus online comes with its own set of terms and conditions. This is where you’ll find the particulars about what you can earn, what you can do, and what you can’t do. While it’s not the most interesting of reading, it’s a smart move to take a minute and read through the terms and conditions. That way, you’re not surprised by anything, and you can maximize your bonus.
Stack Bonuses When Possible
Sometimes, you can cash in on multiple bonuses at the same time. The most common combination is getting a welcome bonus and also enrolling in the VIP rewards program. If there are no limitations against this, go for it!
Don’t Lose Money Trying to Clear a Bonus
The higher the stakes you play, the more money you rake. What that means is that people who play a higher volume or higher stakes clear their bonuses faster. It can be tempting to play outside of your comfort zone to cash in on a bonus. However, this is never a good idea. Play the normal volume and stakes you’re comfortable with, and let the bonus come as it does. If you don’t clear the whole thing, that’s okay. The best online poker bonuses are incremental, so you’ll still get a nice bankroll boost.
Use Multiple Poker Sites
If you already have an online poker home, but you see a sweet welcome bonus from another poker site, there’s nothing wrong with moving some of your action over for a little while to clear the bonus. Just make sure you understand the requirements to clear, and you should have no problems. This is no different than going to a different grocery store when there’s a sale on steaks!
Ask Questions Sooner Than Later
If there is something you don’t understand about your online poker bonuses, ask customer support. It’s literally what they’re there for. Don’t wait until you’re a few weeks into earning your bonus. If something is wrong, it’s much easier to fix on the frontend. Trying to get an online poker site to retro pay a bonus because something was wrong is an uphill battle.
Online Poker Bonuses FAQ
Why Do Poker Sites Offer Bonuses?
Poker sites offer bonuses for two reasons—to attract new players and to retain current players. By giving away attractive perks, an online poker room can help to boost its business and grow the size of its player pool. This is the same as how restaurants offer coupons, free samples, happy hour, or two for one specials.
How Do Online Poker Bonuses Work?
The most common type of real money online poker bonus is a deposit bonus. The poker room matches your deposit at a certain percentage up to a maximum dollar amount. The bonus money is put into a bonus account that is released to you as you meet the rake requirements. For example, many online poker bonuses are released in $5 increments for every $50 in rake you complete. It’s a great way to get a nice boost to your bankroll.
Can I Withdraw Bonus Cash Right Away?
As soon as your bonus cash is cleared into your main bankroll account, you can cash it out. Unlike casino bonuses, there is no playthrough requirement beyond the rake requirement to get the funds incrementally released.
Should I Play in Freeroll Poker Tournaments?
Absolutely! Freeroll tournaments are zero risk and all upside. The worst that can happen is you lose nothing, and the best that can happen is you win whatever is on the line in the freeroll. If the freeroll’s prize isn’t that appealing to you, why not at least log in and try going all in every hand to see if you get lucky and then can coast to the cash? Poker tournaments are also a great way to practice playing online poker without having to risk real money.
Conclusion
Poker sites with bonuses are a staple of the online poker industry. If you’re not taking advantage of these free boosts to your bankroll, you’re missing out. As long as you stick to reputable and trusted options, you can cash in on welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, freerolls, VIP rewards, and a whole heck of a lot more.
To get started now, head back to the top of the guide and select the online poker bonus that’s right for you.
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