PROS:
-Accepts US Players
-Fast and reliable software
-Tables can be resized
-Excellent Traffic at all games
-Great MTTs
CONS:
-Tough competition at higher levels
-Low sign up bonus
PokerStars Summary
PokerStars was first released in 2001 and since then has grown into one of the most recognizable poker rooms in history. The poker room, which is home to more than 100,000 players, and endorsed by Daniel Negreanu and Chris Moneymaker has quickly become one of the favourites among beginners and high limit players and still accepts USA players. Pokerstars hosts millions in weekly tournaments with the biggest match by far “The Sunday Millions”. Tournament players will be able to compete in two separate leader boards, one specifically for MTT’s and the other catered to SNG players. Pokerstars is available in 16 different languages, offers first class support and is now accessible for both Windows and Mac players.
Competition
In terms of competition Pokerstars is slightly different than most online rooms. They support a massive player base and because of this you will find the number of players seeing a flop is significantly lower than a medium-sized poker room. During peak hours the low limit games up to $2/$4 typically range in the 45% - 49%.
PokerStars Marketing Bonus
Earlier this year Pokerstars.com released a brand new marketing code for players as well as re-structured their player rewards program. All new depositing players will be able to claim the 100% match bonus up to $50 by entering the Pokerstars marketing code “thepokerfish.com”. This is the maximum offer currently available and reload bonuses are provided during special promotions. The bonus is released by earning the necessary comp points which can be done by playing in any real money game. Points are awarded at a ratio of up to 2 frequent player points for every $1 in rake and/or 5 FPP’s for each dollar paid in tournament fees. A player who receives the full $50 bonus will need a total of 500FPP’s to clear the full amount.
Ring Games
Pokerstars has some pretty impressive features and one of these is the ability to play more than just Holdem and be able to do so at any time of the day. The poker room supports Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi Lo, Stud, Stud Hi Lo, 5 Card Draw, 2-7 Triple Lowball, HOSE, HORSE, and Razz with stakes starting at $0.02/$0.04 and reaching as high as $100/$200. Each of the games listed is active throughout most hours of the day and you should have no issue logging in and finding a stake within your bankroll.
Tournaments
Tournaments are always popular and often you will find many of them reach 1000+ players in a single event. The biggest tournament by far is the Sunday Millions, which has a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000 and is available through qualifiers or with a direct buy-in of $215. This game alone attracts several of the top players online in addition to the pro players from Team PokerStars. The poker room is consistently creating promotions for players to win seats to live events such as the World Series of Poker and European Poker Tour. Sit and Go players now have their own leaderboard which is divided into two categories based on skill level and buy-ins. In addition to this the SNG lobby provides the widest selection in SNG tournaments with single table, multi-table, shootouts, heads-up and qualifiers available. Each of the above mentioned variations is supported in tournament style and Pokerstars is the only online poker room who hosts millions of dollars worth of guarantees each week.
Software
The software is first in its class, offering a very simple to use platform while supporting advanced features and options for the more experienced player. The PokerStars software is proprietary and was developed by players for players. It provides 100% security, stability and more impressive is the speed of the software given the amount of players they support daily. You will very rarely if ever experience any lags or downtime with the software client. The lobby features all the available games separated into their corresponding categories and with game stats displayed in the lobby. All of your options can be found in the main menu which includes; hand histories, advanced multi-table options, preferred seating, friend finder and even tournament dollars. Graphics are excellent with the room supporting custom avatars and backgrounds. The PokerStars software will support up to eight games while multi-tabling. They have made sure to provide the necessary resizing tools or cascading tiles to prevent overlapping windows.
Support
PokerStars provides one of the best support teams for their players. They only offer email as your means of contacting them but you should receive a reply within a few hours which is amazing considering the number of players they have. The support reps are very efficient in handling any questions and concerns and should you have any issues they will work with you until it is resolved.
Depositing and Withdrawal Options
PokerStars supports a wide range of payment solutions for all players including those from the USA. They have an impeccable reputation for security. All of your personal information is encrypted. If you are having difficulties creating an account with any of the listed payment options, or your payment is not processed, Pokerstars is now offering a Payment Support center. When the popup box is displayed simply enter your phone number and one of their support technicians will call you.
Current deposit options include; Neteller, Diners Club, Solo, VISA / VISA Delta / VISA Electron / Gift and Prepaid VISA / MasterCard, Webmoney, eChecks, ELV, Online bank transfer, money orders, Western Union, ClickandBuy, eWalletXpress, Eco Card, QuickTender, and Moneybookers.
Withdrawals are typically processed within 24-48 hours from the time you make your request. Current options include; Maestro, Solo, NETeller, Check, Wire Transfer, Moneybookers and ClickandBuy. USA players can also receive their own debit card which allows you to withdrawal your funds anywhere where an ATM machine is found.
Quick Summary
- Created in 2000
- Located in: The Isle of Man
- Audited by: Price Waterhouse Coopers also referred to as PWC
- Most Popular Tournament: Sunday Warm Up - available each Sunday at 12:35 EST with a buy-in of $215 or qualifiers starting at $3. Guaranteed prize pool of $500,000
PokerStars Sunday Millions hosted every Sunday at 4:30 with a buy-in of $215 or qualifiers starting at $2. Guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000
Game Variety: Texas Holdem ( PL,NL,FL), Omaha (PL, FL), Omaha Hi Lo (PL,NL,FL), Seven Card Stud (FL), Seven Card Stud Hi Lo (FL), 5 Card Draw ( PL,NL,FL), Razz(FL), 2-7 Triple Lowball (NL, FL), HORSE, HOSE
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