Poker Stars Software

The software at Poker Stars 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.

Poker Stars Traffic

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

Poker Stars Games

Poker Stars 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.

Poker Stars 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.

Poker Stars 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.

Poker Stars 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.

Poker Stars Promotions

Make your first-ever real money deposit, and Poker Stars will give you a 100% bonus up to $50. Use the bonus code stars50 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 have six months after your first deposit to earn all the FPPs you need to cash out your bonus.


WORLD’S BEST POKERSTARS BONUS: $140 Value includes $50 Deposit Bonus and a Free $90 Poker Gift. Use Marketing Code ITHBONUS.

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. Click Here For the PokerStars Free Bonus 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 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 gift. 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 gifts. Please ensure that you follow the directions provided to ensure that you receive proper credit for the free gifts.

Sunday Million

PokerStars was the first card room to offer a $1.5 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 or 400 FPPs, players can enter satellite almost any time of day and win an entry into the Sunday Million.

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 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

Latin American Poker Tour

The PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour is back for Season 2 - with new events added to the schedule. The first event takes place in San Jose, November 3-5 2008. The tournament has a buy-in of $3,700 and a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000. After San Jose, the tour will then move on to make stops in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

The world’s best players will no doubt once again make the trip to South America to compete in the tour, including Team PokerStars Pro and scores of PokerStars qualifiers - all looking to become the next LAPT champion. With so many exotic locations, the Latin American Poker Tour gives you the chance to win huge cash prizes in some of the world’s most beautiful places. Win your seat with PokerStars satellite qualifiers now.

Tournament Venues:

LAPT Uruguay, Punta del Este Uruguay, March 18-20, 2009

LAPT Argentina, Mar del Plata Argentina, TBA

As PokerStars and the LAPT provide more information on sites and dates, we'll update that information here.

Australia New Zealand Poker Tour

Satellites for the ANZPT Adelaide event are running at PokerStars now, giving you the chance to win a prize package that includes event buy-in, hotel accommodation and money for expenses - worth $3,250 in total.

Introducing ANZPT Season 1
Prepare to jet off to some of the world’s most exotic locations and play poker for life-changing money, because the same people that gave you the APPT are now ready to bring you the first ever fully-fledged Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT).

If you’ve never been to the region before, here’s the perfect excuse to go. With great beaches and the weather to match, Australia is always a popular destination for people looking for fun in the sun. New Zealand meanwhile is famous for its vibrant cities and beautiful landscapes. Both nations also deal a mean hand of poker, so what better way to prove your skills to the world than sitting down at the table with the locals and the best players from all over the planet.

Online Satellite Finals run every Sunday through January 25th at 3:30AM EST. Satellites run daily for as little as $2 rebuys or 800 FPPs.

Tournament Venues:

ANZPT Sydney, Star City Casino, Sydney Australia, April 30th - May 3rd

ANZPT Queenstown, Skycity Casino, Queenstown New Zealand, TBD in July

National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Now in its fourth year the National Heads-Up Poker Championship provides players with a unique challenge – playing one-on-one against the best in the world until the last player is left standing.

To win your seat at this exclusive event, simply enter PokerStar's Round 1 freerolls. Get through those and the next stage is Round 2 - finish in the top 56 there and you will qualify for the Grand Final where there are two prize packages worth over $21,000 each ($20,000 tournament entry, four nights accommodation, and $1,000 for travel) up for grabs.

The event will be staged at Caesar’s Palace, the venue for many historic sporting events, and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship lives up to that reputation.

How to qualify for the freerolls
PokerStars is running daily freeroll qualifier tournaments to win two National Heads-Up Poker Championship prize packages.

Round 1
Round 1 tournaments run every day from December 20 2008 - February 20 2009, at 7:00PM and 10:00PM EST. Finish in the top 200 places and you will move on to Round 2.

Round 2
Round 2 tournaments will take place December 27, January 3, January 10, January 17, January 24, January 31, February 7, February 14 and February 21 at 4:00PM EST. Players that finish in the top 56 positions will get to play in the Grand Final.

Last Chance: There will also be a bonus tournament providing a last chance to make it to the Grand Final. This one-off tourney will take place February 21 at 7:00PM EST. Players finishing in spots 1-8 in this tournament will win seats to the Grand Final.

Grand Final
The Grand Final will take place on February 22, 2009 at 3:00PM EST - with two National Heads-Up Championship prize packages awarded to the players finishing in first and second positions. The National Heads-Up Championship itself will take place March 5-8 2009.

$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.

PokerStars 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.

PokerStars 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 with Poker Stars

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 at PokerStars

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

Multiple PokerStars 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.

PokerStars 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.

PokerStars 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 Poker Stars Bonus

$50

Bonuses Cleared During PokerStars 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 PokerStars Bonus

Bonuses at PokerStars now have expiration dates of 6 months.

PokerStars 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 PokerStars Deposit

100% up to $50

Are PokerStars Bonuses Stackable?

Bonuses are stackable at Poker Stars.

PokerStars Bonus to Table or Cleared?

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

Can PokerStars Bonuses be Chased on 1+ Skin?

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

Piscivorous Discretionary PokerStars 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. 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. Click Here For the PokerStars Free Bonus 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 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 gift. 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 gifts. Please ensure that you follow the directions provided to ensure that you receive proper credit for the free gifts.