PokerStars Software

The software at PokerStars is among the best in the online industry. Truly seamless, problem-free graphics and site architecture allow the player to concentrate on playing rather than peripheral problems that might arise at some other sites.

Players are allowed to upload any non-offensive avatar of their choice to represent them at the table. The basic color scheme of the table is variations of tans which are neutral to the eye. Players can also download various table skins to allow more freedom of personalizing the site to fit their style. Tables can be re-sized to allow multi-tabling on any resolution screen. Players have access to one of the best note-taking functions in the industry, as well as a very good, intuitive statistics screen. Players have leeway in turning player avatars and chat on or off, and Poker Stars offers a four-color deck option.

The main menu is both easy to understand and easy to navigate. Ring game table menus allow their players to take advantage of hands/hour, players seeing the flop percentages as well as average pot sizes, in order to facilitate table selection.

Menus for ring games, tournaments and SnGs are all easily navigated and have numerous filters to allow the player to find the right tournament, at the right time and for the right price, quickly and easily.

PokerStars Traffic

As the largest site on the internet, Poker Stars has superb traffic at all hours of the day. PokerStars also gets a good mix of traffic for games other than Texas Holdem.

PokerStars Games

PokerStars has long been known as the place to play when you are serious about tournament poker. Many players have been attracted to Poker Stars due to the success of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event Champions, the first two of which qualified through PokerStars. As the largest poker site, Poker Stars has a large variety of games to play, and a large player base to guarantee around the clock competition.

PokerStars offers Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo, Razz and HORSE. Fixed limit games run from $.02/$.04 to $200/$400. Holdem Players can play in short-handed 6 player tables, or 10-handed fullring tables. NL runs from NL2 to NL5000. PL runs from PL25 to PL600. The industry norm for NL/PL tables is 100 Big Blinds, thus a $0.01/$0.02 NL game is generally referred to as NL2. At PokerStars, however, the $0.01/$0.02 and $0.02/$0.04 NL games actually allow 250 Big Blind buy-ins. This means that big stack poker can be practiced at the micro-limits where buy-in for these tables can be as much as $5 and $10, respectively.

PokerStars has decent traffic at the non-hold'em games, allowing their players either a change of pace from hold'em or a home to play those games they enjoy.

PokerStars has a very extensive selection of Sit and Go tournaments [SnGs]. They run the gamut from $5500+$100 to $1+$0.20 buy-ins. There are also 500 and 1500 Frequent Player Point [FPP] SnGs. They offer SnG qualifiers to the weekly $1M Guaranteed tournament available in both real money and FPP buy-ins. Their SnGs also range from 2-player heads-up games to massive 180-person games.

PokerStars is well-known for it's multiple table tournaments which run 24 hours per day and have freerolls as well as buy-ins suiting all levels of play and comfort.

PokerStars Promotions

Make your first-ever real money deposit, and PokerStars will give you a 100% bonus up to $50 and an extra $25 after you have played there for an incredible 150% PokerStars Bonus. Use the bonus code ITHBONUS to begin earning your extra cash. To earn this bonus, you will simply need to play on PokerStars and collect the number of Base FPPs equal to 10 times the bonus amount. You get the additional $25, after 100 of these FPP's (easy to get) You have six months after your first deposit to earn all the FPPs you need to cash out your bonus.


Use PokerStars' Marketing Code of ITHBONUS when registering your new account.


Combine this special PokerStars Bonus with our Free Gift Offer and earn 250 FPPs and this is the best PokerStars bonus on the internet - guaranteed!

PokerStars currently belongs to the Free Gift Offer at ITH. Players who open a real money account with PokerStars through one of ITH's links or banners and deposit a minimum of $50 are eligible for the Free Gift Offer. Players will need to accumulate a minimum of 250 FPPs to qualify for the Free Gift Offer.


After satisfying your requirements, simply go into the PokerStars Free Gift Offer webpage and click on the "Finished the Requirements? Claim Now!" button and fill out the criteria to receive your free gift.


Restrictions: Players who have already opened a play money or real money account at PokerStars are not eligible for this offer. If you already have an account, opening up a new account with a different username does not make you eligible for the free book. This offer is exclusive to www.InternetTexasHoldem.com so you must use one of the links provided on this website. Accounts set up through other websites are not eligible for the free books. Please ensure that you follow the directions provided to ensure that you receive proper credit for the free books.

Sunday Million

PokerStars was the first card room to offer a $1 Million Guaranteed no- limit hold'em tournament every week. Each Sunday at 4:30PM EST, the event gets better and better. First prize in this event is always more than $100,000. The buy-in to the event is $215. For as little as $3, players can enter satellite almost any time of day and win an entry into the Sunday Million.

Asian Pacific Poker Tour

PokerStars is running satellites for the APPT Macau event now, with Cash and FPP qualifiers starting from only $2.20 or 50 FPP credits. You can also win your seat with their Steps SnG satellites, from just $7.50 or 500 FPP credits.

The APPT Macau prize package is worth $6,000, and includes tournament buy-in, hotel accommodation and money for expenses.

To register for an APPT satellite tournament, open the PokerStars lobby, click ‘Events’ and ‘APPT’.

The PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour is back for Season 2, with new events and bigger guaranteed cash prizes than before.

Tournament Venues:

APPT Auckland, Skycity Casino, Auckland, NZ, October 9-12

APPT Manila, Hyatt Hotel and Casino, Manila, Phillippines, November 13 - 16

APPT Sydney, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia, December 2-7

European Poker Tour

Satellites for EPT 2008 Season are running now, with Cash and FPP qualifiers starting from as low as $2.22 or 111 FPP credits. You can also win your seat with PokerStars Steps SnG satellites, from only $7.50 or 500 FPP credits.

The EPT prize packages includes tournament buy-in, hotel accommodation and money to cover expenses.

To register for an EPT satellite, open the PokerStars lobby, click ‘Events’ and ‘EPT’. You can also use the Event Filter to find the exact EPT satellite you are looking for. In ‘Events’ and ‘EPT’, click Event Filter and type in the details you want to find. The lobby window will update automatically with the available satellites for your chosen options.

Tournament Venues:

EPT Budapest, Sofitel Hotel, Budapest Hungary, Oct 28 - Nov 1

EPT Warsaw, Hyatt Regency Warsaw, Warsaw Poland, Nov 15 - 19

EPT Prague, Hilton Hotel, Prague Czech Republic, Dec 9 - 13

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Atlantis Resort, Nassau Bahamas, Jan 5 - 10

EPT Deauville, Casino Barriere, Deauville France, TBD

EPT Copenhagen, Casino Copenhagen, Copenhagen Denmark, Feb 17 - 21

EPT Dortmund, Casino Hohensyburg, Dortmund Germany, Mar 10 - 14

EPT San Remo, San Remo, San Remo Italy, Apr 18 - 23

EPT Grand Final, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, Monte Carlo Monaco, Apr 28 - May 3

WCOOP 2008

The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) returns September 2008, with a guaranteed prize pool of $30,000,000, that’s double the total guarantee of last year, making it the biggest online poker tournament series in the world.

There are 33 different events in total, covering a wide range of poker games, including Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Razz, HORSE, 2-7 Draw and more. Each event has a huge guarantee prize pool, with many reaching more than $2,000,000.

The series culminates with the $10,000,000 guaranteed Main Event, September 21. Last year’s Main Event was won by ‘Ka$ino’, who took away prize money of $1,378,330. With cash prizes this big and a bracelet for the winner of each event, the WCOOP is THE series to be a part of. Don’t miss out on taking your seat.

You can buy in directly to any WCOOP event, or win your seat via one of the many PokerStars satellites running now. To register, open the PokerStars lobby, click ‘Events’ and ‘WCOOP’.

The 2008 WCOOP runs from September 5-22.

$1,000,000 Turbo Takedown

Have you been looking for a way to put your Frequent Player Points to good use? Well look no more because it's time to buckle up and put the pedal to the metal with the PokerStars Turbo Takedown. With a total prize pool of $1 Million up for grabs and at least one in every three players getting paid, this is one tourney you truly cannot afford to miss.

The $1 Million PokerStars Turbo Takedown runs at 2:30PM EST on the last Sunday of every month. This no-limit hold’em event has a $1 Million guarantee for your 5,000 FPP entry fee, with a first place prize of $100,000. At least one out of every three players will walk away with money, so you stand a great chance of turning your FPP credits into real cash.

If you don’t feel like using that many of your Frequent Player Points, don’t worry. You can qualify for this one-of-a-kind tournament.

PokerStars is running satellites to the big one around the clock. You can get into the main event for as little as 10 Frequent Player Points.

Battle of the Planets

Get ready for blast off, because PokerStars new weekly Leader Board promotion is truly out of this world. The Battle of the Planets gives PokerStars SnG players a chance to compete against each other for prizes worth more than $3,000,000 per year.

In the Battle of the Planets, PokerStars multi-player SnG tournaments have been separated into eight divisions, all named after planets in our solar system. Everyone can take part in the competition, no matter how high or low stakes they play. Each planet represents a different range of buy-ins, from Mercury ($1-$2.99) to Jupiter ($300+).

Each of the eight planet divisions are split into two individual Leader Boards. The first is the Low Orbit Leader Board, which is tailored towards casual and recreational players. The second is the High Orbit Leader Board, which is more suited to high volume players.

Each planet division has its own weekly prize pool, distributed evenly between the two Leader Boards. This gives all players a chance to win some serious cash prizes, no matter what their level of experience or the size of their bankroll.

Every player that finishes in the top 10 of any weekly SnG Leader Board will receive an exclusive ticket to a monthly tournament. This “Battle of the Planets” will see the highest ranking players from each division come together to fight it out in a triple shootout, for a monthly prize pool of $50,000.

Stability

With a very large and loyal player base, PokerStars is among the safest, most stable internet poker sites available. Cashout speed is the fastest in the industry. A variety of well-known poker personalities back the site. PokerStars has been around since 1999, making it one of the oldest and most established poker sites. Their attention to security and their consumers, and the best customer service in the industry make them a very stable place to play.

Security

PokerStars uses a high level of security at it's internet poker site. It's gametime software and download are both encrypted to deny potential invasion of both their software and your privacy. Their random number generator has been audited by two independent firms, BMM International and Cigital and deemed truly random by both. They have anti-collusion software which allows their security personnel to detect and thwart collusion. Your money and your play are very safe here..

PokerStars Customer Service

PokerStars customer service is a top priority and their handling of all of their customers questions and concerns happen quickly and efficiently. Most customer service issues are handled within a few hours. PokerStars' customer service is the best in the industry.

Poker Tracker Compatibility

PokerStars is fully compatible with Poker Tracker. In the PokerStars software you can direct where your hand histories are to be recorded, and can have Poker Tracker automatically download them from your computer. PokerStars hand histories are available for Holdem, Stud and Omaha cash games and tournaments.

Ability to Multitable

There is no limit to the number of tables you may play concurrently at PokerStars.

Multiple Accounts per Household

PokerStars has security features set up to disallow more than one account to operate from the same computer. Players wishing to set up multiple household accounts with PokerStars will be asked a variety of questions regarding the relationship between the players involved. If PokerStars grants multiple household accounts, players will not be allowed access to the same tables.

Reload Bonus Frequency

PokerStars offers reloads 6 or 7 times a year. Reloads usually proliferate in the months leading up to the World Series of Poker [WSOP], World Championship of Online Poker [WCOOP] and during the months of September through December.

Tournaments with Overlays

A tournament overlay is the result of guaranteed prize money that is not offset by the participant's buy-ins. As such, all freerolls and FPP freerolls always offer an overlay.

As one of the largest internet poker sites, PokerStars has a vast array of online tournaments. Very few of these tournaments will offer an overlay as a result of the sheer number of participants involved. Any overlays will usually occur in less than peak hours in the United States.

Maximum Amount of Bonus

$75

Bonuses Cleared During Tournaments

Bonuses can be cleared playing tournaments, SnGs and satellites. Players receive 5 FPP for every $1 in tournament fees [rounded up].

Time Allowed to Clear Bonus

Bonuses at PokerStars now have expiration dates of 6 months.

Withdrawal Restrictions

Withdrawals can be made prior to clearing a bonus, but PokerStars suggests waiting 48 hours after your deposit before requesting a cashout.

Bonus as a %age of Deposit

150% up to $125.

Are Bonuses Stackable?

Bonuses are stackable at Poker Stars.

Bonus to Table or Cleared?

The full amount of the bonus must be cleared prior to having access to the bonus money.

Can Bonuses be Chased on 1+ Skin?

Poker Stars is a sole proprietor as they have no skins or other pokersites sharing their tables.

Bullajami Discretionary Poker Room Bonus Rating

If you're a poker bonus chaser, and have not yet chased the initial deposit bonus at Poker Stars, STOP what you are doing and go chase that bonus. You have been missing out on a hugely +EV opportunity. Poker Stars is the most reputable online poker room. The initial deposit bonus, while small, clears very quickly. Add to that the Internet Texas Holdem Free Gift Offer for signing up at Poker Stars, and you are GETTING PAID to play poker. That's a beautiful thing!

Piscivorous Discretionary Poker Room Bonus Rating

There is virtually little to complain about with regards to Poker Stars and it's bonus[es]. Although the initial deposit bonus is small by industry standards, there are so many good things about their bonuses that it outweighs the small problems. The bonus clears at 50% rakeback with regard to tournaments. They give players 6 months to clear, which is ample time. The site is the largest on the internet, so players can always find games and tournaments for which to clear bonuses. Their reloads are historically in the $120-$150 range, which is quite lucrative. Their bonuses stack, there are no withdrawal restrictions other than the courteous 48 hour grace period. Just to add more incentive to play here, ITH has them on the Free Gift Offer where players can gain access to up to 3 standard gifts once the player breezes through the 250 FPP requirements. Here's a complaint: They are sole-proprietary software, so I can't play on other PokerStars skins and take advantage of more of their great bonuses!

Internet Texas Holdem Free Poker Bonus Gift Offer Items Rating

Use ITH's Marketing Code of ITHBONUS when registering your new PokerStars account. Poker Stars currently belongs to the Free Gift Offer at ITH. Players who open a real money account with Poker Stars through one of ITH's links or banners and deposit a minimum of $50 are eligible for the Free Gift Offer.
Click Here For the PokerStars Free Bonus Gift Offer
Players will need to accumulate a minimum of 250 FPPs to qualify for the Free Gift Offer.
After satisfying your requirements, simply go into the Free Gift Offer webpage and click on the "Finished the Requirements? Claim Now!" button and fill out the criteria to receive your free gift.
Restrictions: Players who have already opened a play money or real money account at Poker Stars are not eligible for this offer. If you already have an account, opening up a new account with a different username does not make you eligible for the free book. This offer is exclusive to www.InternetTexasHoldem.com so you must use one of the links provided on this website. Accounts set up through other websites are not eligible for the free books. Please ensure that you follow the directions provided to ensure that you receive proper credit for the free books.

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