PokerStars room review, freerolls and bonuses

Pokerstars is a popular poker room where new users register every day. The company is estimated at several billion USD. It’s worth checking out what opportunities the room offers to registered players.

The room first appeared in 2001. Initially the users were having fun playing for virtual playchips, but soon poker tables for real money appeared. By 2004 PokerStars had become the largest poker room in the world, and in 2011 it broke a record by number of players in a single poker tournament.

In 2014 the company, founder of Pokerstars, was acquired by Amaya Gaming. Subsequently, two poker rooms merged into one, which allowed to increase the number of players and to boost revenues significantly.

Official Website

The main advantage of the official PokerStars website is that it is translated in several languages. The website is designed in company colors. The main page has all basic info about the room, including::

• Answers to most common questions;
• Contact information;
• Buttons to download a desktop client and a mobile application.

A user must register to start playing for real money. Creating an account will not take much time. The registration process involves the following steps:

1. Enter the official PokerStars website. You will need to find a special link to a mirror-website in case the official one is blocked in your region.
2. Install the software. You can play poker at PokerStars only via a special App available for desktop and mobile devices. Press the noticeable button on the main page to download it. When the file is downloaded, confirm the installation.
3. Registration. To register, you need to click a green registration button, then create a login, a password and fill in registration fields.
4. Make a deposit. You need to add funds to your account to play for real money.

The final step, after which you can start playing, is a verification procedure. It is not mandatory but if you plan to play high stakes, you better do it in advance. Otherwise your cashout may be blocked by the poker room later.

The verification includes identity confirmation by uploading a scanned ID. Attach it to an email and send to PokerStars support.
In 1-2 days you’ll receive a letter confirming your verification. If the support fails to verify an account, the user will receive a notification by mail.

Each poker room takes a certain amount of rake. Rake is commission, the size of which is determined by the number of players at one table. Rake ranges from 5% to 15%. The higher the stakes are the smaller % the commission is.

In spin-and-go games the rake is 5-8% depending on the amount of buy-in (the bigger the entry, the less rake). In MTT tournaments the poker room takes 10-15% of the player’s buy-in.

The following games are available for registered users who have funded their account:

1. Cash tables. The website provides an opportunity to play more than 30 types of poker. All kinds of Hold’em and Omaha, as well as Stud, Razz and other types of entertainment are available. Classic games fans will enjoy five-card Draw poker and Badugi.
2. Sit&Go tournaments. They are held when a full table is set up. The advantage of such tournaments is high speed of play. Number of participants varies from 6 to 180 people. The minimum size of buy-in is 50¢, the maximum reaches $2100.
3. Spin&Go tournaments are a variant of sit&go. Tournaments are designed for 3 people. Before the start of the game a random prize is determined, the awards range from doubling the buy-in to jackpot of $1 million.
4. Spin&Go Max. A new kind of poker tournaments that offers a guaranteed jackpot. The number of players varies from 3 to 8 people at one table. When the number is determined, the system will select three random rewards. The duration of the game does not exceed 20 hands
5. Multi-table tournaments. The advantage of such tournaments is the possibility to win big prizes for small buy-ins. PokerStars offers registered users a wide range of competitions and guaranteed big winnings.
6. Zoom Poker is suitable for those who doesn’t like to wait. Once a player folds, he is automatically moved to a new table where new cards are dealt. Multi table and Sit&Go games are also held in this format. The minimum buy-in is 50 cents.
7. PowerUp. New poker format with power ups

Live-series

PokerStars runs massive online series regularly, each of them includes up to a few dozens of tournaments covering a wide range of buy-ins. The popular series are:

• WCOOP. The championship which is held every September. Last year the number of tournaments reached 81. The maximum prize pool was $10 915 000.
• SCOOP. It is held in spring — in April or May every year. The maximum guarantee in 2019 was over $60,000,000. The contributions have significantly exceeded this figure.
• MicroMillions. The Championship attracts participants and viewers with small entrance fees and an opportunity to win large prizes. Last year more than 15 thousand players won prizes.

PokerStars hosts many live events. Players can take part in sattelites and get a chance to participate in live-event for a very small buy-in. Every year several championships are held in different parts of the world.

You can get the first gifts immediately after a registration. When a player creates an account, the following types of bonuses are available:

1. While making your first deposit ($20 or more) enter promocode “THIRTY”. You’ll receive $10 for free and $20 in freeroll tickets.
2. An opportunity to participate in premium freerolls with a prize of $ 100,000 for free.
3. 100% first deposit bonus up to $600 by using the promo code “STARS600”.

Moreover, PokerStars offers users an opportunity to take poker training courses. After completing the first three courses a player receives 5 tickets to tournaments.

Other prizes can be earned by making additional deposits during the year. For example, users can enjoy Reload Bonuses, which can be activated three times a year by making large deposits.

The more a user plays, the higher his status becomes and the more gifts he can get from PokerStars. Special attention should be paid to promotions held by the website on a regular basis. These include::

• Anniversary bonus giveaways;
• Tournament events;
• Live Tournament Satellites.

PokerStars software in widely regarded as the best in gaming industry.

Lobby has tabs in which games are grouped. Sections with tournaments, online series and current events are also present. The App is available in different languages. Important — users of third-party software need to set language to English.

The appearance of the website can be configured at convenience of the player. The same applies to game deck and avatar, which can help you enhance the experience. You can also set up the lobby, choose a specific color theme or add a tournament to favourites.

The room allows use of popular tracking software, including:

• Hold’em Manager;
• PokerTracker;
• Automatization software: Stars Helper, Stars Caption etc.

Additionally, users have access to opponents’ stats during the game. For example, you can find out the number of bets made and the winrate. Scrutinizing such data may allow you to develop a strategy and achieve great results.

The absence of a desktop is not an excuse to give up playing at Pokerstars. Today everyone can use the mobile version — a simplified version of the official site. Distinctive features include:

• No ads;
• Traffic saving;
• Fast loading of pages.

The mobile version is accessible from any device and can be opened in a browser.

Players can also use the mobile app, which is launched for iOS and Android operating systems. The program can be downloaded from the official website. The following is required:

1. Go to PokerStars website
2. Open mobile software section.
3. Confirm download.

Then just open the archive file and confirm the installation of the app. Not all games are available, but users can play in most tournaments and other game types.

PokerStars is the leader in worldwide online poker industry. Over the years, the portal has evolved into a high-quality poker client developed by professionals.

Reliability and security of PokerStars software is at highest level. Player data is stored on remote servers and protected by additional encryption. User information is not accessible to third parties, so you don’t have to worry about unauthorised access to your accounts.

Money transfers are fast. And the room offers convenient ways to deposit and withdraw funds.

Colorful design, user-friendly interface and great functionality of the room – all this attracts new users. Every day the number of players on the website is growing.

License

PokerStars is the first regulated online poker room provider in Germany. The platform is licensed in Schleswig-Holstein.

PokerStars is a recognized leader in the world of online poker. The best software, the largest pool of players, the most intense tournament program — only some of the advantages of the room. Among the downsides are low rakeback and weak loyalty program