Online Bonuses

by Matt Lessinger

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I was recently interviewed on a California radio show along with 1991 WSOP Champion Brad Daugherty on the topic of online bonuses. Just about every poker site offers some type of bonus to its players, but, while some of them are worth your time and effort, others should probably be avoided. Below are some guidelines that I use when deciding whether a particular bonus is worth considering.

Have I Heard of the Site?

I don't care how much of a bonus a site is offering me; if I haven't heard of it, I'm usually not going to waste my time with it. I'd rather take advantage of a $120 bonus from a site such as PokerStars than a $1,000 bonus from something like "Big Mamma Jamma's Poker Room."

Don't get me wrong. Even if I haven't heard of a site, it could still be legi timate. But at a minimum, I want to know of someone who has played there, been comfortable with the experience, and most important, cashed out with no problems. Even if I can't find someone I know personally, I can at least go to a well-populated online poker forum and ask around about the site in question. I'll usually receive some unbiased feedback, which then gives me a good idea of whether I want to bother trying out the new site.

How Many Players Are on the Site?

My next step is usually to download the software, go to the lobby, and see how many players are there. If it seems well populated, I'll be more likely to give it a try. On the other hand, when only a handful of players are there, not only are the games limited, they are also probably very tough. They are probably players like me, enticed by the bonus, putting in their hours to try to collect it. I would expect them to be solid players, not giving an undue amount of action, so in general I'd rather spend my time elsewhere.

What Are the Terms of Release?

Some people focus on the size of the bonus, but that is definitely not the most important factor to consider. It's much more critical to know how many raked hands it will take before you earn the bonus, and how long you have before it expires. Before depositing money to take advantage of a bonus offer, I always read the site's terms and conditions for releasing the bonus into my account and making it available for withdrawal.

A few sites release their bonuses at the rate of $1 for every five raked hands you play, and I think that is extremely reasonable. Some other sites offer $1 per 10 hands, which is obviously worse, but is still within reason. Then there are other sites that release their bonuses at the rate of $1 per 20 hands, 40, or even more, and that is simply too much.

You essentially become a slave to the site, putting in insane amounts of hours to essentially earn two or three pennies per raked hand. If I like the site and would play there anyway, then that is one thing. But, if I'm just trying out the site to earn a bonus, and the site doesn't thrill me, then I'm certainly not going to play thousands of hands simply to collect my bonus. I know players who have gone through thousands of dollars to collect a bonus of a few hundred dollars, playing on a site they didn't even like. It's just not worth it.

The other consideration is whether the bonus has an expiration date. Some last indefinitely, and of course those are the most favorable. At the other extreme, I've seen bonuses that need to be earned within five days. Again, if I am prepared to play five full days of poker anyway, then maybe I'll go for it. Otherwise, why should I force myself into being an indentured servant of the site, voluntarily giving up five days of freedom just to earn a bonus? It's almost certainly not worth it. I'll wait for a better offer from another site; it usually isn't long before one comes along.

Don't Sacrifice Comfort for Bonus Hunting.

If you've been playing online for any length of time, you've probably found a site that you've designated as your favorite, for whatever reason. Maybe you like the software; maybe the game selection is good; or, maybe you simply feel lucky there. The reason doesn't matter. The point is, you should not leave a site that you are comfortable with just to chase a bonus from another site.

Sure, serious poker is about making money. But it's still a game, and as such, it should be enjoyable. Putting in long hours on a mediocre site against tough opponents can hardly be a pleasant experience, and if you've put yourself into that situation just to earn a bonus, it wasn't worth it. Go back to the site where you feel most comfortable and, in doing so, give your online poker business to the site that has truly earned it.

Matt Lessinger's Book of Bluffs is now available everywhere. You can purchase it at www.cardplayer.com by clicking "shop online." You can also find other articles of Matt's in his "Bet With Less" column in Card Player magazine. Please visit his website, www.mattlessinger.com, to learn more about him.

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