Bonus Guide
Picking the bonus for you
Different types of bonuses may suite different people. In fact, there are some which are designed only for certain people and cannot be accessed by others. For example, sign-up bonuses are specifically for people signing up with a new poker site and are not meant for current members. Reload bonuses may be suited for current members only and not accessible to new members. Regardless of the bonuses meant for certain people, others are for everyone but this does not mean that everyone should go for them.
Welcome Bonuses
We have pros in poker and we have the players who are new to poker. Pros tend to look for the bonuses which accommodate already registered members. However, some do join new rooms in order to benefit from the bonuses which come as a perk for joining in order to increase their bankroll. New players on the other hand will more often seek bonuses tailored for new members joining. Sign-up bonuses are perhaps the most common types of bonuses offered by poker sites. These bonuses are given to new members once they register. The poker sites often offer the sign-up bonuses as a percentage and match it to a players deposit. For example, a poker room may decide to offer a 100% match-up to the players deposit of up to $200. This means that if the new player deposits any amount up to $200, he/she is eligible for a bonus matching the same figure. Sign-up bonuses are most suitable for players looking to join new poker sites.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses on the other hand are specially designed for the most loyal and frequent customers in a poker room. The loyalty or frequency of playing is determined by poker rooms by awarding points for games played or even through calculating the number of raked hands by a member. Reload bonuses come in very high amounts and thus it’s regarded a VIP bonus because it cannot just be given to anyone. A member may have been in a poker room for over a year but due to the lack of consistently in play, lack the access to a reload bonus. Such bonuses are therefore suitable to current members who are frequent players and spend a lot of time at the tables.
Promotional Bonuses
Promotional bonuses are offered by poker sites with an aim of rewarding customer loyalty and support of the poker site. For example, Full Tilt Poker offered a free $100 poker bonus to all their existing members towards the end of 2009 because of the successful launch of their new software and upgraded website. Poker rooms will from time to time offer promotional bonuses as a sign of appreciation to their members and this could range from $20 to as high as even $200. Some small criteria such as logging in before a given deadline may be put in place to ensure only the most deserving members access this bonus.
Rakeback Bonuses
Rakeback bonuses are bonuses offered to players as a small percentage of their contribution to the pot. These bonuses are suitable for any poker playing person seated at a table and are a great way to recoup some of your outgoings on a regular basis. The more raked hands you play, the more rakeback you receive.