PokerStars Marketing Code and US Reviews
The launch of PokerStars in New Jersey back in 2016 was maybe the most anticipated event in the history of US online poker. Since, PokerStars has brought the heft of its international brand back into the US and re-established itself as a major player in the expanding US poker scene.
Its partnership with Mount Airy Casino in Pennsylvania and the launch of online poker in PA in 2019 brought it one step further into the US market. And PokerStars Michigan became the third state to see the return of PokerStars for online poker players when it launched, in partnership with the Odawa Casino Resort, in January 2021.
Current US states where you can play real-money poker on PokerStars:
How Can I Play on PokerStars in the US?
You can open a new PokerStars account from anywhere in the US (and play play-money poker). But you must be physically within a licensed states borders (and be of legal age) to play real money poker.
Below find a complete overview of what PokerStars currently offers poker players in the US; check back to see which new states have been or are soon to be added.
PokerStars marketing code
| PokerStars Marketing Code: | None - Use Links |
| Free Money Offer: | Play 1 hand, get $50 in free play |
| PokerStars Marketing Code: | STARS600 |
| First Deposit Bonus: | 100% up to $600 |
| Available To: | Adults 21 or older, located in MI, NJ & PA |
| Last Verified: | Oct.7, 2020 |
How to Get Free Money on PokerStars
Players that open a new account at either PokerStars NJ, PokerStars PA or PokerStars MI are welcomed with either play 1 hand, get $50 in free play, or a bonus match up to $600, not both.
After opting in and completing a Cash Hand Game of play 1 hand and get $50 in free play, user will receive a total of three (3) chests worth an aggregate total of $50 described below:
- Day 1: 2 x $5 Spin Go tickets
- Day 3: 2 x $5 Spin Go tickets and 1 x $10 ticket
- Day 5: 2 x $10 tickets
Each chest must be opened within 7 days of receipt.
PokerStars Spin Go s
Spin Go s are PokerStars signature Jackpot Sit Go tournaments which multiply the prize pool randomly before the tournament begins. Buy-ins are from $1-$25 and each tournament then awards from 2x to 1,000 times your buy-in.
Spin Go s are three-handed turbo events that play out very fast and can give you amazing opportunities for big scores (up to $25,000 prize pools) compared to the buy-in.
Note that Spin Gos are not available in Pennsylvania.
PokerStars Deposit Bonus
The first-deposit bonus for PokerStars US players, using the marketing code STARS600, is:
- 100% match bonus up to $600
That means whatever amount you deposit (up to $600) will be matched by PokerStars in bonus money.
The bonus releases in $10 increments for every 100 VIP Player Points (VPPs) earned. That is equivalent to an unprecedented 55% rakeback rate.
PokerStars awards VPPs at a rate of 5.5 for every $1 in rake paid at cash games, SNGs and tournaments. Any portion of the bonus not cleared within 120 days expires.
As part of the offer, players also get a $5,000 depositor freeroll ticket.
PokerStars Download
New PokerStars players have two ways to download the PokerStars platform and hit the tables:
- F ull PokerStars download for PC or Mac (Apple)
- Download PokerStars app for your iPhone/iPad/Android
Both are fast and simple. To start the download on your computer, just click the appropriate link below for your state to get to the main PokerStars download page. Here are shortcuts for NJ and PA:
PokerStars software works for both for PCs and Macs; itll self-prompt you to download the proper format for your computer type. Once you ve downloaded the PokerStars software youll finish the registration process by:
- Creating your Stars ID (your poker screen name)
- Setting your password
- Entering the rest of your personal details required (email, age, etc) a
- Bonus Code (see above)
Your account will be operational in minutes. You can also access your 1 million in play-money chips right away. If you want to play real money poker at PokerStars, you ll also need to:
- Download the Geolocation software to confirm you re within New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Michigan state borders
- Make a deposit to your account via any of the accepted methods via the Cashier tab
More on your deposit ( cashout) options below.
Download the PokerStars App
PokerStars has a slick and easy-to-use poker app for playing both play-money and real money poker. You can open an account via the App alone or create an account on your desktop and then log-in via the App to play.
To download the app for your iPhone, iPad or Android:
PokerStars App Game Play
The PokerStars app is made for poker players so its known for its ease-of-use and in-game functionality.
Finding cash games and tournaments is simple with a slide bar to scroll through cash games, MTTs, SnGs and Spin Go s; there s also a tab at the top to toggle between real-money and play-money games.
The Lobby, Cashier, My Stars account, Challenges, Leaderboards and Customizable settings are also easy to find and use. If you want to make a real-money deposit it s hard to miss the Deposit icon just tap and you ll be walked through depositing in a few simple steps.
As for the action at the tables, as PokerStars has always been made by poker players the betting slide bars and buttons are well positioned and easily distinguishable to avoid miss clicks.
Following the action at the table is clear and straight-forward and the betting bar allows for quick increment changes. Check/fold buttons are also big and visible as are set betting increments. Multi-tabling is also possible via the app.
PokerStars cash games and tournaments
Cash Games
PokerStars offers the widest variety of cash games in US online poker:
- No Limit Hold em
- Limit Hold em
- Pot Limit Ohama
- Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
- Eight Game
- Limit Stud
- Limit Stud Hi/Lo
And the list goes on. No Limit Hold em games dominate the lobby with popular stakes running from $0.05/$0.10 to $2.50/$5.00. NL Hold em Zoom Poker (fast-fold) games also go off regularly, even more so when theres a cash game promotion running.
SNGs are always popular on PokerStars. The ones that do run are generally low- to mid-stakes No Limit Hold em turbo games. Most of the sites SNGs are of the 6-max variety, although heads-up games run as well.
Spin n Gos
As mentioned above, Spin Gos are arguably the sites most popular format. These three-person, hyper turbo games are known for their randomized payouts and blistering pace.
The format is available at the $1, $2, $5, $10 and $25 buy-in levels, and feature jackpot prizes of 1,000x a players buy-in.
Multi-table tournaments (MTTs)
PokerStars is the home for New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigans biggest online tournament series events. The annual New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan Championships of Online Poker and Spring Championship of Online Poker feature dozens of events and $1 million+ guaranteed prize pools.
PokerStars also host a nice selection of smaller tournament series events throughout the calendar year, and special events like PennsylMania. Thats a recurring special event which had a prize pool of over half a million dollars with just a $200 buy in on its first go.
As for its daily and weekly MTT schedules, PokerStars also makes the grade. The site offers a dozen nightly majors with buy-ins ranging from $5 to $100 and spanning multiple game formats.
Weekend tournaments guarantee as much as $50,000, and often more during special events. Heres a quick glimpse of PokerStars most popular tournament offerings in the US:
- The Big $5 (4 p.m. EST): $5 buy-in, $500 guaranteed
- The Big $30 (5 p.m. EST): $30 buy-in, $1,000 guaranteed
- The Big $50 (6 p.m. EST): $50 buy-in, $2,000 guaranteed
- The Big $10 (6 p.m. EST): $10 buy-in, $1,000 guaranteed
- The Big $20 (7 p.m. EST): $20 buy-in, $1,500 guaranteed
More daily tournaments include:
- Hot Turbos
- KO Fever
- Nightly Stars
- Moonlight Express for No-Limit Hold em
- Change-up for Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud
Sunday Majors on PokerStars US
- Sunday Warm-Up (4 p.m. EST): $50 buy-in, $8,500 guaranteed
- Sunday Storm (5 p.m. EST): $10 buy-in, $4,500 guaranteed
- SundaySpecial (6 p.m. EST): $200 buy-in, $45,000 guaranteed
- Sunday High Roller (7 p.m. EST): $500 buy-in, $15,000 guaranteed
- SundaySupersonic (10 p.m. EST): $75 buy-in, $5,000 guaranteed
PokerStars Home Games
One of the favorite features for some players on PokerStars is the Home Games feature, which allows you to set up your own private poker club. You can then invite your friends to play poker online in any format you like, from cash games to tournaments to SnGs.
If you live or play in PA and NJ you can do so against each other with real money in your accounts. You can also play with play money and settle up outside of the poker game itself.
PokerStars Deposits Cashouts
Deposits
With fully licensed and legal online poker comes a slew of easy-to-use and secure deposit and withdrawal methods. All transactions, via either the desktop or app, are encrypted, secure and protected.
Once your proper account ID and verification are set-up depositing to PokerStars NJ or PokerStars PA is virtually instantaneous. Popular deposit methods include:
- Instant e-checks (ACH)
- Skrill
- Mastercard/Visa credit or debit cards
- PokerStars Instant online banking
- PayNearMe (7/11)
- Cash at the Live Casino partners cage (check with casino to confirm: Resorts Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, NJ; Mount Airy Casino in PA; Odawa Casino in Petoskey, MI)
- PokerStars Play+ Card
Of these, players should consider Instant e-checks as their first line of offense. The Play+ Card is also a great option for players who have trouble completing ACH transactions. Those who favor in-person transactions are best opting for PayNearMe or cash at the casino cage.
Cashouts
Players are slightly more restricted with regard to withdrawals but still have plenty of options in both states:
- Instant e-checks
- Skrill
- Cash at the cage
- PokerStars Play+ Card
Generally speaking players must use a method as a deposit vehicle first before withdrawing via the same method.
Poker Stars Promotions
Alongside the Free Play and Deposit Bonuses, PokerStars NJ, PokerStars PA, PokerStars MI run plenty of ongoing promotions for players. Among the current or past promotions weve seen:
- $10,00 Summer Holidays Challenge
- Daily $20,000 Golden Button Challenge
- Monthly MTT Leaderboards
- Online satellites and Spin Gos for live tournament seats and packages
Check PokerStars promotions page in a particular state for ongoing promotions.
PokerStars Live Tournaments Packages
PokerStars hosts some pretty spectacular live events around the world and players in the US can take advantage of low buy-in satellites online to win seats and packages. Players can win seats and full travel packages to live events including:
- European Poker Tour
- PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
- PokerStars Live London
and more. Also expected to return in 2020 was the:
- PokerStars Players NL Hold em Championship (PSPC)
The first edition ran in 2019 and awarded over $26 million in total to players that cashed.
Buy-in is 22,500 (approximately $25,000) but you can win your way there for much, much cheaper via the online satellites. Find the full daily and weekly satellite schedule for live events in the Events and Live tabs in the lobby.
PokerStars player rewards
All real money poker players at PokerStars are eligible for reward prizes through the Stars Rewards Program. Players get personalized rewards based on their playing preferences across all of the sites products casino and sports betting included.
Players who play real money games earn Rewards Points as they play. As you accrue points youll fill up an on-screen progress bar. When you reach the end of the bar for that reward level you will earn a Reward Chest to open.
Inside the Chest will be personalized rewards that best suit your level of play. There are six chest levels of increasing size and average value:
- Blue Chest ($0.25-$5)
- Bronze Chest ($0.60-$12)
- Silver Chest ($1.50-$30)
- Gold Chest ($5-$100)
- Diamond Chest ($12.50-$250)
- Black Chest ($35-$700)
Chests can contain StarsCoin a virtual currency that players can spend at the sites rewards store tickets, and goods tailored to players preferences. Players can also win Top Rewards, which are massive prizes divided randomly among chests.
Boosts are also available whereby players will earn points at an augmented rate for a limited time.
PokerStars Customer Service
PokerStars offers an extensive FAQ portal divided into four primary sections:
- Support
- Deposit and Cash Out
- Security
- Account
Most of the common questions people have when creating/using a PokerStars account can be solved right there. Players can also fill out the sites support form to request a callback or written response from an agent.
Is PokerStars Safe?
Beyond being one of the most reputable online poker brands in the entire world, every PokerStars US poker site is subject to rigorous vetting and regulations by the individual states Department of Gaming Enforcement.
- In NewJersey, PokerStars has been approved and licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE).
- In Pennsylvania, PokerStars has been approved and licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PCGB).
- In Michigan, PokerStars has been approved and licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MCGB).
Its more than accurate to say PokerStars stands apart as one of the safest poker sites online.
PokerStars VR
Virtual Reality has come to poker in the form of PokerStars VR. If you choose to dive in, your perception of live poker will never be the same.
You ll need the proper VR equipment (and graphics support) to try it out but if you do you ll be rewarded with a one-of-a-kind, authentic, free poker experience like you ve never seen before. PokerStars VR offers:
- Dazzling realism from chip to cards to players to dealers
- Real opponents in free ring games
- Immersive, total poker experience with authentic body language, props and accessories
- Play against your friends on private tables or against other players across the world
- Streaming media integration
- Free chips and in-game purchases
- Exotic playing locales including Macau 2050, Monte Carlo Yacht, Showdown Saloon and Galaxy Space Station
- New SnGs plus weekly leaderboards
You can download PokerStars VR from:
- Oculus Store
- Steam
- Viveport
PokerStars US FAQ
Is PokerStars Legal in the US?
Yes. PokerStars officially relaunched to players in New Jersey on March 21, 2016. It launched in Pennsylvania on Nov. 4, 2019. It arrived in Michigan on January 29, 2021. These are currently the only 3 states where PokerStars can legally offer online poker games for real-money but more are soon to come.
Can I play at PokerStars in states outside of New Jersey?
PokerStars is currently licensed to offer games in three US states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania Michigan.
Players from anywhere can sign up and create a new account but to play real money poker online (either cash games or tournaments) you must be physically within the
How does PokerStars know Im in NJ, MI or PA?
In order to abide by official state gaming regulations PokerStars must guarantee players accessing its real-money games are within state borders. To do so, players on PokerStars must download a geolocation app along with the PokerStars software or PokerStars App.
Can PokerStars US players play against international PokerStars players?
No, PokerStars US only includes players within the US as of 2019. There is a current compact that allows for a shared player pool between online poker players in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware but PokerStars does not have a site in Nevada or Delaware.
PokerStars PA and MI players are also ring-fenced and only able to play against each other. There is a likelihood, though, that all state player pools will eventually be merged among similarly licensed online poker states.
One day there is hope the full international player pool (or a portion of it) will be available again to US players.
What caused the delay of PokerStars in New Jersey?
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement had concerns about the past legal issues of PokerStars involving the US Department of Justice. The original PokerStars founder had not yet settled with the US Government at the time of the sale to Amaya Gaming.
The sale of PokerStars satisfied any issues New Jersey regulators had with the company.
Are SNG tournaments available ?
Yes. PokerStars has SNGs. Michigan and New Jersey (but not Pennsylvania) have Spin and Gos as well.
Why does PokerStars have a casino partner in each state?
New Jersey interactive gaming law requires software providers to partner with Atlantic City casinos through their existing license. Casinos can host up to five gaming sites on a brick-and-mortar license.
Likewise, Pennsylvania and Michigan require online poker sites to have a land-based partner.
Which Atlantic City casino is PokerStars partner?
PokerStars is partners with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Which Pennsylvania casino is PokerStars partner?
PokerStars is partners with Mount Airy Casino in Pennsylvania.
Which Michigan casino is PokerStars partner?
PokerStars is partners with Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey.
Does PokerStars offer casino games?
Yes, PokerStars offers casino games via Stars Casino. You can also sports bet with its sister set, FoxBet.
How big are the Sunday PokerStars tournaments in New Jersey?
Due to the markets low-population cap, the tournament prize pools on PokerStars New Jersey are not nearly as large as they on the operators international site.
At present, the biggest Sunday major is the Sunday Special, which guarantees $50,000. Following that is the Sunday High Roller ($500 buy-in, $15,000 GTD).
There is also a bevy of nightly and weekly tournaments that guarantee a minimum prize pool of $10,000.
PokerStars US Review
PokerStars Quick Review
Summary
The PokerStars client is nothing short of stellar, matching the quality of its award-winning international platform nearly every step of the way. PokerStars also offers two generous, first-time deposit bonus; one tailored toward recreational players and another to regulars. Biannual tournament events that guarantee over $1.2 million each and an eclectic mix of game formats round out New Jersey's most complete online poker package. Now if only customer service were more accessible.
PokerStars History
PokerStars is the worlds largest online poker site. It peaks in the neighborhood of 20,000 players daily, according to PokerScout.
In addition to its international poker site, it also holds licenses in the ring-fenced markets of Italy, France and Spain. It is the largest site in two of these three regulated and ring-fenced countries.
PokerStars was not always the largest online poker room in the world. PartyPoker held that distinction until October 2006, when it left the US market. PartyPoker has the most cash-game players, but PokerStars had more tournament participants.
As a result, PokerStars immediately became the largest cash-game site when it announced it would stay in the US market after 2006. It raked an estimated $2 million per day after this decision.
PokerStars legal woes
Because of this success, the US Department of Justice took notice. PokerStars became the target of an investigation from the US Attorneys Office in the Southern District of New York.
On April 15, 2011, an indictment was unsealed that named PokerStars and two executives. The charges related to violating the Illegal Gambling Business Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Furthermore, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker were also named on the same indictment.
PokerStars immediately withdrew from the US market, as did Full Tilt and Absolute Poker. Most noteworthy is that PokerStars was able to reimburse account balances for US players within 10 days. Full Tilt and Absolute Poker were unable to pay.
Subsequently, PokerStars acquired Full Tilt through a corporate settlement with the US Justice Department worth $731 million. Part of this settlement went toward paying Full Tilt Poker players that were victims of what the federal government described as fraud.
Once these charges were settled, PokerStars attempted to gain licensing in New Jersey for the states new interactive gaming industry that launched in November 2013. They partnered with Resorts.
PokerStars previously attempted to buy the Atlantic Club. They infused the ailing casino with much-needed cash while it attempted to get licensed. Atlantic Club backed out of the deal after the guaranteed closing date passed.
It appeared Atlantic Club was hoping to fetch a higher sales price. That never materialized. Atlantic Club fell into bankruptcy and closed in January 2014. Subsequently, its assets were divided between Caesars Entertainment and Tropicana Entertainment through a bankruptcy auction.
While PokerStars resolved its case through a civil settlement, executives of PokerStars never resolved their charges. This was the reason cited by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement for suspending its gaming license application for two years.
PokerStars new owner and eventual entry into New Jersey
Rational Group, the parent company of PokerStars, decided the solution was to sell the company. Amaya Gaming was the suitor.
Amaya Gaming acquired PokerStars in July 2014 for $4.9 billion. As a result, PokerStars equity holders left the company at the close of the transaction.
It appears that this merger was the catalyst that gave PokerStars the green light in New Jersey. The Division of Gaming Enforcement is satisfied that PokerStars is now suitable.
Amaya Gaming was already licensed in New Jersey. It maintains several casino platforms, as well as Betfairs poker platform.
The path was more straightforward to PokerStars to get licensed in Pennsylvania and Michigan, and it managed to be the first online poker site regulated by the state gaming control boards to launch in each state.
Amaya Gaming would either need to defeat that language in bills before they become law or prevail in court challenges under the position that the so-called bad actor clauses are unconstitutional.
Additionally, online poker regulations in Nevada include a tainted asset clause. This means that the sale of PokerStars does not clean the brand in the eyes of regulators. Unless current Nevada law changes, or is found unconstitutional, PokerStars will never operate in Nevada.
Delaware has no such language in its online poker regulations.
Special Offers at the world s largest online poker site
Copyright 2001-2021, Rational Intellectual Holdings Limited. All rights reserved. This website is operated by TSG Interactive Gaming Europe Limited, a company registered in Malta under No. C54266, with registered office at Spinola Park, Level 2, Triq Mikiel Ang Borg, St Julians SPK 1000, Malta. License No. MGA/B2C/213/2011, awarded on August 1, 2018. Maltese VAT-ID MT24413927. Online gambling is regulated in Malta by the Malta Gaming Authority.
PokerStars
Pokerstars is the largest poker site in the world, offering a massive volume of cash games and tournaments 24/7. It sets the industry standard for how many games and varieties are available. Although other poker sites are catching up in traffic, Pokerstars enjoys higher volumes, especially for Sunday events. The flagship Stars Group brand has been around a long time with a solid rep, and operates under a Malta Gaming Authority license. Also, worth noting that player funds are separated to protect players.
Skip to:
Most poker rooms will offer some Hold em or Omaha. However, if you re into more obscure poker variants and mixed games, PokerStars games are for you. You ll also find 7-card Stud, Razz, H.O.R.S.E., 2-7 Triple/Single Draw, Badugi, and 8-Game and Short Deck (6+) Hold'em. There are several Hi/Lo games, and you ll find most regular games in pot-limit, no-limit and limit options. They ve also added an unmatched selection of Spin Gos at multiple stakes.
The software s smooth with multi-tabling and plenty of customization, with several features you ll rarely find, especially on smaller poker sites. For example, private Pokerstars home games - now also available on mobile with dedicated support. Unfortunately, you can only ever get Pokerstars support via email (no live chat) - but they re fast and friendly.
There s also a loyalty program that often awards free tickets, cash and cool merch. The Pokerstars rake is also consistently one of the lowest compared to other major poker sites, especially at NLH tables. This obviously favors the grinders in the group. On the downside, it s a huge player base with some fierce opponents if you walk into the wrong game. However, this is one of the biggest and best poker rooms we partner with. If the competition wasn't so tough at the higher stakes, we d probably have ranked it even higher.
Looking for PokerStars in the USA? Try our PokerStars New Jersey review:
POKERSTARS BONUS CODE PROMOTIONS
PokerStars deposit bonus offers tend to change, but as of late you can choose which sign up bonus you want. As with most bonuses, you may need to play Pokerstars for real money if it s a deposit bonus - to clear the full bonus. But it can happen reasonably fast if you play regularly. Make sure you check the terms and conditions before you sign up for any bonus just in case.
- Be sure to use the relevant Pokerstars Bonus Code: STARS600 or THIRTY
- For Pokerstars UK players: Use TWENTY.
BONUS DETAILS
| Bonus | Amount |
|---|---|
| Match Bonus | % |
| Freebie Bonus | $30 free |
Pokerstars Promotions
The promotions can be pretty amazing with a series of $1 million freerolls a year, for example. Plus ongoing opportunities to win amazing packages to PokerStars Live events at cheap buy-ins, including Road to PSPC and EPT.
Aside from the multiple welcome bonus offers and deposit bonus options, you can find promotions for most of their games. Including Zoom poker, SGs, and 6+ Hold em. You ll play and generate points to climb the leaderboard and win cash prizes and tickets. Don t forget to enter any Pokerstars promo code required when registering. Here are some other promos you may find:
- The Deal - turns Stars Coins (loyalty points) into cash rewards
- High Roller Club - Daily high-stakes tournaments with millions GTD leaderboard rewards
- Pokerstars VR - exotic locations and interactive Pokerstars play (hardware required)
- Play Money Leaderboards - Earn points from Pokerstars free play online
Stars Rewards Loyalty Program
You collect reward points by playing real money games and see your progress bar fill up. You ll get 45 reward points for every USD $1 in scheduled tournament rake. And 100 points for every USD $1 in Zoom, cash games or other tournament fees. (Translates into 130 points for every ?1, 80 points for C$1, and 110 points for 1). There are no points in $5/$10 pot-limit and no-limit games, and other $20/$40 games or higher.
Get enough and you ll earn a Chest full of prizes, including loaded with rewards you ll want to use. Including free play and StarsCoin - which you can exchange for cash bonuses and tourney, SG entries and qualifiers. Otherwise, you can go shopping in the official Store and Rewards Store for physical prizes and merch.
There are six different Chest levels of increasing value: Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Black. You need to win at least one chest within a 28-day period to retain your level. Meanwhile, if you win more than 10 chests, you get upgraded to the next level.
POKERSTARS TOURNAMENTS AND FREEROLLS
The high traffic here ensures you ll find a tournament that suits both your wallet and game preference. Most events have low-medium buy-ins and run often and the smaller buy-in tournaments tend to be quite loose and juicy.
For high-stakes players, there are plenty of $500+ tournaments, with prize pools often passing the $1 million mark. The bigger buy-in events, however, tend to have some very tough competition and are not very easy to win or cash in. Thankfully, the opposite is true for the smaller buy-in tournaments offered which see thousands of beginners battling it out. Thus, making some of the small guaranteed events very profitable for more skilled players.
Aside from the guaranteed online tournaments, this is the only place to win seats into Pokerstars European Poker Tour (EPT) and APPT events. Not to mention qualifiers for a Platinum Pass (all expenses paid package) to the massive PSPC - Poker Stars NLH Championship (currently postponed due to the pandemic).
Sunday Tournaments Still the Greatest
This poker room also hosts some of the biggest guaranteed tournaments. Including the renowned Sunday Million and Billion events with buy-ins as low as $109 - a steal for such guaranteed prize pools. However, if that s too high a hit to your bankroll, there are countless satellites to enter, starting from 0.01c! But this isn t the only reason Sunday is the best day to play. It s also the day with the most player traffic (obviously) and many other major weekly tournaments including:
- Sunday Warm-up
- Sunday Kick Off
- Women Tournaments
- Sunday Storm
- Knockouts (KO)
Huge Online Poker Series Pioneers
In 2002, PokerStars ran the first-ever World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) to recreate the World Series of Poker vibe. That online poker tournament series became a central part of online poker's playbook. Since then, they ve been going bigger and better every year - even adding a SCOOP (Spring version) with similar prize pools.
WCOOP, SCOOP Turbo Series (TCOOP)
Since the initial nine-event 2002 WCOOP, it has continually set the bar, awarding $30 million prize pools. The Spring Championship of Online Poker then started in 2009 following WCOOP s success, immediately offering three buy-in levels: Low, Medium, High. Both high roller and low stakes players flock to these events every year for the lucrative prizes and glory.
Micro Millions
The Micro Millions is one of the most popular annual online tournaments. Because it has super small buy-ins, massive fields and ridiculously big prizes. Despite the small buy-ins, millions have been paid out in the MicroMillions series. It s one of the most egalitarian online poker tournament series ever because literally anyone can play, and anyone can win.
Greatest Game Variety Around
We can t think of anything we d miss here because there s literally something for every poker player in the lobby. With 40 variants for tournaments and 30 for cash games, no other poker site can compete with game variety.
There s Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Holdem at virtually any stake level and cash games and tournaments on demand.
Pokerstars Poker Games:
- Hold em
- Omaha (+Fusion Showtime)
- 5-Card Omaha
- Courchevel
- 7-Card Stud
- Razz
- Mixed Games
- HORSE HOSE
- 8-game
- Badugi
- 2-7 Triple / Single Draw
All with No-Limit, Limit and Pot-Limit options, even some hi-lo games for most varieties.
Sit Gos and New Spin Gos
Besides the biggest guaranteed MTTs in the industry, players are particularly keen on the fast-play, high-reward SnGs offered. Needless to say they offer up some of the best and most addictive play online. Just 3 players per game with 500 chips regardless of buy-in - which can be as low as $0.25. With Spin Gos, you spin the wheel for a randomized prize every game, then it s hyper-turbo pace.
- How to consistently beat Spin Gos.
Zoom Poker
Zoom Poker is also a huge draw with dozens of games starting up every few minutes. Its popularity is due to the fact that when players fold, they instantly get another hand at a different table. So it's great for action junkies because there s no waiting and you re playing more hands per hour. Of course, this is more fast-paced so it depends if you re up for the task or not.
6+ Hold em
This popular 'short deck' poker format plays like Texas Hold em, but with 36 cards instead (6 and higher). This means there are a few differences in the hand rankings. For example, flush beats full-house and Ace, 6, 7, 8, 9 is classified as a straight. It s becoming increasingly popular among pros and recreational alike so you ll find action any time. You can learn and practice for free with play money too.
KO Tournaments and Bounties
In these tournaments, every player has a cash bounty on their head which increases (progressive bounties) with every player they eliminate. Also, if you eliminate a player, you instantly get a cash reward - their bounty. So you can walk out of these with a decent prize even if you don t make final table. When the bounty Builder events happen, there s over $25 million guaranteed, so it can be quite lucrative.
Cash Games and Tempest Hold em
Tempest Poker is another version of All-in or Fold. A unique poker cash game format, played as No-Limit 6-max, with antes that increase until you get to showdown. You also have to put in an extra pre-flop blind. The catch is that players have just two options: go all-in or fold. It s very gamley and not the way to grind long-term, but it;s great fun and good for blowing off steam after a bust-out.
Otherwise, you ll easily find cash games for 30 poker game types, multiple buy-ins and max player amounts. Just go to the tab and filter your search. You can even observe a table to get the feel of the action, players and pace.
Pokerstars Home Games Now on Mobile
- Everything About Online Home Games in 2021
Home games have been upgraded to be playable
on both Android and iOS with mobile support.
Pokerstars home games are a big plus, especially during quarantine. Because you can set up private games and tournaments for real money for just your friends or groups. If you re playing on Pokerstars US, these home games are also available to you, but using play money.
Players can now choose which tournaments to create, from Hyper (3-min levels) to Slow (15-min levels), with late registration included. And time banks that grow later in the tournaments. Setting up or joining a private club is free and you get game/club management tools and stats. Playing on Pokerstars for real money in home games also earns you rewards points.
Playing on Pokerstars with friends:
Get the Pokerstars download by clicking PLAY HERE on this page.
- Sign in to pokerstars
- Go to More from the main lobby
- Choose Home Games
- Join a poker club with club ID if you ve been invited
Or Create a Club yourself (501 players max.)
SOFTWARE AND GRAPHICS
The software is privately developed and is one of the best in the business. Aside from its great feel, stability and aesthetic, it's also fast, highly customizable, stable, and caters well to multi-tablers. With a constantly growing number of players, the software is continuously updated and improved. The aim is to accommodate over 100,000 real-money players at peak hours and offer a seamless experience.
The lobby has a Quick Seat tab where you can get to the hottest games, like Zoom, in seconds. You can even save your Favorites in the relevant tab. Otherwise, you pick a variant, then filter your game, stakes and max players, and your perfect poker game is there for you to register. The highlighted table shows the names of the players seated and their stack.
Interesting Features
Then once you re playing, you have your regular game info, stats and chats visible. Plus, note-taking function to type reads on your opponents for future reference. But special features are constantly added to keep up with the competitive poker world. Here are some of our favorites:
- Emotes to throw at other players - including tissues and balls, to blow off steam/ tilt
- Side-bets within a poker game
- Hand history - which you can choose to visualize
- Time banks - how many you have left and which ran out
- Your Chip Graph - how your chip stack has progressed throughout
- Early payouts (min cash) for most MTTs
- Pokerstars VR - exotic locations and interactive Pokerstars play (hardware required)
Customization and personalization
To personalize the software, players can also upload an image to use as their avatar. Thankfully, there's also the option to block player images and rid your poker table of cats, dogs and the occasional Playboy bunny. The software has several backgrounds and table layouts. With some tinkering, you can make the poker environment look and sound exactly how you want it to.
- Table theme and felt
- Four-colored decks
- Stack size in big blinds
- Show/hide hole cards
- Dealing animations
- Seat preference
- Bet slider / mouse wheel
- hotkeys
Multitabling
The software supports advanced multi-tabling with resizable tables and up to 24 cash games possible at a time. An unlimited amount of tournaments and sit-and-gos is also possible, basically letting the user decide how many tables he can play before he reaches his limit. Players can automatically tile or cascade all open tables and custom game profiles can be edited and saved, letting the player customize his entire playing experience.
List of Pokerstars HUDs and Tools accepted
- CardRunners EV
- ChangeMyHUD
- DriveHUD
- Flopzilla (1.8.6+)
- Gam Poker Analyzer
- GTO+
- Hand2Note (3.2.5.0+)
- Holdem Indicator
- Hold'em Manager 2 3
- HoldEq (1.1.8+)
- Hypertracker
- iHoldemIndicator
- InstaGTO
- iOmahaIndicator
- Jivaro
- Koculator
- NiceHandOmaha
- Omaha Indicator
- Oranges 6Plus Calculator Oranges Calculator
- PioSolver
- PlaceMint
- PLO Ranger
- PokerAid
- Poker Analytics
- Poker Copilot
- Poker Indicator
- PokerJuice
- PokerProLabs Profiler, Calculators, Smart Buddy, Super HUD, Top Shark, Tournament Shark
- Poker Range Editor
- PokerSnowie
- PokerSolver
- PokerStrategy SideKick
- PokerTracker 4
- PSHandler
- SharkScope HUD
- SharkyScanner SharkyStrator
- SimplePostflop
- SiQnotes
- SitnGo Wizard
- StackAndTile
- StarsCaption StarsHelper
- Stud Indicator
- Table Ninja II
- Table Optimizer (1.8+)
- Table Tamer
- TiltBreaker
- TimeMojo
- Xeester
POKERSTARS MOBILE APP
The killer Pokerstars mobile app features the popular, turbo-paced Zoom Poker, which translates very well to mobile. Just one table of Zoom Poker is enough to keep most casual poker players entertained but you can actually fire up two tables if you re into even faster action. Multi-tabling is also an option, but limited to four tables on iPad and mobile - perhaps better for your focus too.
In June 2020, home games were also added to the
Pokerstars mobile app by popular demand.
Though the product is extremely polished and smooth, we found everything to be just a tad too small. It would be nice if there were a way to enlarge the size to avoid potential misclicks. But all in all we were impressed by how they managed to stuff so many offerings into a mobile app.
A long-awaited Mac version of the software is now available.
So Pokerstars Mac players can download the software directly.
PokerStars Awards from PokerListings
We awarded PokerStars this award, purely for outstanding software that they have maintained from the start. With the leanest interface, finest features and graphics, it's much more advanced than the competition. And Stars are basically the innovators of most modern internet poker features, like ever online home games. Another is their multi-tabling experience, which is second to none.
PokerStars won this award for hosting the best tournament series event this year - WCOOP. Yes, we've had lots more online series events than usual this year, for obvious reasons - with some giant guarantees. Yet this series still stood out for its overall organization, structure, branding, prize pools and number of entries recorded. Not to mention the 10M main event pool loaded with added value.
POKERSTARS PLAY MONEY VS REAL MONEY
You can toggle between Pokerstars play money and real money games from the client with a similar cash game and tourney schedule. And all the same great games too, which is incredible and something you won t find everywhere. Some poker rooms will offer very basic play money options for practice. You get a 50,000 free chips bankroll to start with, which you can reload every 4 hours, even if you bust out of everything you play. Alternatively, you can purchase play money chips - 500,000 would cost you less than $3.
TOUGHER COMPETITION AT TIMES
Ring games at the higher limits tend to be pretty tough at Pokerstars. The viewed-flopped percentages at these limits are fairly low - meaning tighter than industry standard for similar limits. On the positive side, there are many games to choose from and plenty of good players know how to exploit the tighter games.
With a steady influx of new players - thousands daily - there's never a problem finding suitable competition for all skill levels. Although tournament player quality varies more than the ring games and tends to be much softer. Of course, there are mostly strong players in high-stakes sit-and-gos and the main fixed schedule events.
You ll find bad players in the microstakes. However, as soon as you start climbing your way up the ladder you ll run into seasoned online grinders waiting for prey. That s not to say the games are unbeatable but there are definitely some easier sites. There s a Pokerstars school of you need to brush up, but we recommend our extensive guides for beginners and more advanced grinders:
For a direct and free Pokerstars download, click the PLAY HERE link on this page or below.
PokerStars Casino Promotions & Promo Codes November 2021
Find all the latest online casino bonuses & promotions along with coupon codes of PokerStars Casino . Signup for free to redeem these codes and win real money!
Showing 3 Bonuses
Earn Points to Get Instant Bonuses With PokerStars Casino Stars Rewards Program
Bonus available for New & Existing Players
No Code Required
Exclusive Offers
$25
Not Available
daily weekly monthly
Win Free Spins, Bonuses & More Via PokerStars Casino Spin of the Day Promotion
Bonus available for New & Existing Players
No Code Required
$1000
$25
Not Available
Register at Pokerstars Casino and Get Up To 2020 Free Spins Plus $1500 Match Deposit Bonuses
Bonus available for
PokerStars Casino Bonuses & Promotions Guide
PokerStars Casino has emerged as one of the leading names in the gaming industry. The games that this casino brand provides are not just limited to casino but, as the name suggests you get to enjoy a world class poker as well. Being a part of a global brand, the casino is available in multiple languages and can be accessed by downloading the app or by using instant play which adds to the ease of players.
The players of this casino get to enjoy an extensive collection of games and an equally elaborate list of bonuses to make most out of their gaming experience.
A list of deposit and no deposit bonuses available at this casino brand has been given below to give you an insight to mesmerizing gaming environment of this casino -
PokerStars Casino New player bonus
PokerStars Casino extends a heartiest welcome to the players signing up at this online casino with its welcome bonus. The welcome bonus at this online casino is periodically renewed and gives the players a chance to win free Spins, exciting match bonuses, cash bonuses and even tickets to progressive jackpots. There is never a wrong time to do a right thing. So, sign up for an account whenever you want, login to your account and your welcome bonus will be waiting right there for you!
PokerStars Casino No Deposit Bonus
If you want to try your hands on the amazing games available at this casino for free, you get a chance to do that with the no deposit bonuses of this online casino. The no deposit bonuses may be given away as instant casino bonuses, Free Play bonuses or Free Spins! Keep checking the promotions lobby to grab these offers.
PokerStars Casino Live Casino Bonus
If you are the one who loves playing live casino, there is a bonus waiting for you as well. Redeem the promo code and enjoy lucrative bonuses that include Free Spins, match bonuses, instant casino bonuses and a lot more! This casino also gives a chance to win additional bonus funds with by giving away tickets to the bonus wheel with its live casino challenges.
Stars Reward Program at PokerStars Casino
This online casino also rewards all the existing players by giving stars points every time they play. These rewards points get you Stars coins that help you win cash bonuses, instant casino bonuses and a lot more just by doing what you love play at this casino. Click on the Stars Widget to be a part of the rewards program and check the progress bar to win exciting bonuses with this reward program.
Other Bonuses at PokerStars Casino
Apart from the ones given above, PokerStars offers numerous other bonuses for its players. The bonuses like Progressive jackpots, tournaments and challenges keep you engaged in enjoying the amazing games and bonuses at this casino.
-
How to win easy money on roulette
Playing online roulette in India: real money games and casinos Get chances to play roulette online for fun and for real money. Have a great time! Top...
-
Planet 7 $200 no deposit bonus codes 2019
Planet 7 Coupon Codes for No Deposit Bonuses Planet 7 Casino is an online casino that is based on the Realtime Gaming platform and welcomes U.S. players....
-
Play; n GO Slots Play'n GO Slots Play'n GO is a company dedicated to developing quality online gambling products. The headquarters of the...
-
Free Online Keno Games Welcome to CasinosLists page dedicated to everything about online keno. Find out more about its rich history, how to play keno,...
-
Online poker with same day payouts
PrimaPlay Casino That's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. PrimaPlay Mobile, PrimaPlay Online, and the free casino download enable you to play in...