To determine on the winner in this, we have used the same quality criteria, such as those used in the biggest and best-known consumer tests. Detailed information on how the search tool processes the input data and comparing the test results come about, you will find in the ‘How Our Bonus Finder Works’ section. In the section of questions and answers some more information can be found about how the individual bonus offers can be exploited optimally.

Comparing the best poker bonus offers

The answer to the question what the best poker bonus is always depends on the particular player. Beginners usually don’t need large bonuses since their first deposits often are only a few dollars, while on the contrary, experienced players don’t see the value in a small free bankroll, because for them VIP Cashback and large deposit bonuses are crucial. Our aim and philosophy is to find the best bonus offer for you. Our smart tool helps you do that in just three clicks, and you are shown the poker room with the best combination of rewards and game offers for you. In the following paragraphs you will learn more about the comparison of different bonus types and their best offers available.

Deposit bonus

With deposit bonuses it is all about the right amount of money. Some online poker operators offer free bankroll of around $10, and there are also bonuses that may reach up to $500, or even more, with the final bonus amount usually linked to the amount of the deposit. Usually, the bonus is 100% of the deposit (e.g. Party Poker Bonus 100% up to $500), which means that the more you deposit, the larger bonus you will get. Other operators offer more. For instance Winner has a 250% bonus up to around £1200. There is no need to make any higher deposits, as the bonus amount will not exceed that mark. However, the bonus is not immediately credited to your player account, but must be played only by participating in real money games. You can read about how this works in the ‘How To Get Your Bonus’ section.

Deposit bonuses often come with some kind of freeroll tokens. These are not mandatory, but almost every poker room gives free tickets to make it possible for players to enter tournaments with real money prizes.

Cashback and vip bonus

In general, deposit bonus offers are similar with the different poker rooms and what is more interesting with them is the additional benefit you may have by taking part in various actions and programmes you can profit from. Cashback and VIP bonuses are frequently used so as to attract players to continue playing even after they have played the deposit bonus and provide an incentive to them. This is by and large a loyalty programme that rewards participation in real money games. Various kinds of loyalty points get collected through playing, depending on the rakes or entry fees, and these points can be used later. Depending on a player’s VIP status, loyalty points may be used for the VIP shop to purchase some branded items, of for getting cashback, tournament tickets or prizes. PKR’s shop, for instance, offers almost anything, from books in several languages to luxury items such as watches, jewellery, and gifts.

The most interesting of course are the premiums, which go back to your poker account – either as an immediate cash bonus or a free ticket for a tournament. The particular discounts offered vary between the different operators. At 888 Poker you may receive between 2% and 36% cashback with the Reward points that you earn. Generally, VIP programmes are made to fit different players. Higher gaming volumes (players who, respectively, pay more fees and rakes) benefit more from it than recreational players who play mainly on weekends a handful of Sit n Go’s.

The additional VIP offers of poker rooms:

Cashback (depending on the number of loyalty points collected)
Tournament Tokens (in exchange of loyalty points)
Shops (where you trade your loyalty points for goods)
Rakeback (a percentage return on your rake/fees paid)
Increased deposit limits

Some time ago one of the most popular ways to attract players was the rakeback where all players received a fixed percentage return of all the fees paid – regardless of their game volume. With the rapid spread of the rakeback, however, poker rooms got the problem that because of this fixed amount, they had to give away a large portion of their total revenue. So, rakeback deals were gradually adjusted until they were almost eliminated. Party Poker is one of the very few operators still offering this, and that can reach up to 30%. Which poker room offers the best cash back depends greatly on your game volume. At 888 you may receive up to 36%, and at Titan Poker the percentage you may get as a repayment is up to 50%.

Freerolls and free tournaments

Another type of bonus are freerolls with which you can qualify for live events or major online tournaments. One of the online poker rooms to offer such tournaments, called ‘satellites’, is Party Poker where regular satellites for international poker events like the World Poker Tour are held. Titan Poker offers satellites to qualify players for the WSOP. In addition to satellites there are daily freerolls in which you can also earn some free prize packages.

The benefits of the proper online poker bonus

Advantages of the Best Poker Bonuses As it became clear in the above paragraphs, the really important thing about bonuses is not which one is nominally the largest one, but rather which bonus is the one for you as a player. Different online poker operators offer various bonuses exactly having in mind that players differ in style. Some play often, love the competition and deposit large amounts of money, while others play only from time to time, look for relaxing entertainment and prefer lower deposits. This is where our years-long experience as online poker players comes in handy. We are closely familiar with the bonus offers of individual providers and regularly check the changes and innovations of the additional actions and promotions. For that reason we know which bonus is particularly easy to play, which poker rooms offer many organized tournaments and, of course, where the best VIP programmes are, in which players receive the most of cashback. For beginners, it is not so important to choose a poker room where you the highest cash back is. As a recreational player at the lower limits, you may never pay so much in fees for real money games, so that might not a particularly strong argument. Perhaps you’d better go for easy games, or the chance to take part in free tournaments with real cash prizes and some small free bankroll, for which one may even not need to make a deposit, as in the same time you will be learning more about poker and gaining valuable experience. With our Bonus app and its three very simple steps, we can quickly and easily find the best bonus and the best-fitting online poker room for you.

Important information about bonus offers

In this section, we would like to share some more specific information about deposit bonuses, which could be of interest to you. We will also do our best to answer some questions submitted by our users. First, however, I’d like to clarify a couple of general points. For those of you who would like to know in better detail what criteria have been used for our bonus app, we have that information in the ‘How Our Bonus Finder Works’ section.

Why poker rooms offer bonuses

The bonuses of poker rooms serve as a means of advertising and player retention. For a poker room, it is as important to have sufficient long-term players as it is to stay attractive for them. The deposit bonus is an incentive for new player to opt for this poker room. Further, it helps the player during the bonus playback phase to get used to the poker room and its software. Ultimately, you benefit as a poker player because of the competition between the poker rooms. Players may look for the operator offering the best terms for you, and you may earn some extra money with the deposit bonus, which you would not get otherwise.

How to get your online poker bonus

Usually, an online poker bonus is credited automatically when you register, whether or not you download the software or choose instant play. Sometimes, operators offer exclusive bonuses with much better conditions, which are only subject to certain affiliate sites. To benefit from such offers you normally need to enter a specific bonus code, and that is usually done at registration. The specifics differ between the operators.

What you need to consider

As has already been mentioned, the bonus will be credited to your account immediately after you make the deposit, but in order to withdraw any winnings from it, it must be played first. This is done by collecting player points, which are obtained by participating in real money games. For every certain number of points a specific bonus amount is released to your player account. Apart from using the points to get your bonus, you may also use them in the shop to exchange for rewards, tournament tokens or branded gifts. In that way, during the playthrough time of the bonus you will benefit from the player points twice. How many points you earn by playing depends on the particular scheme of each poker room, your game volume and fees and rake. Another important thing is the play time is limited, but again that differs between operators, so you should always make sure and check.

The main framework for playing the bonus amounts:

the period of time available for playing
how quickly you can earn the player points
how many player points you need for the bonus to be released

The bonus playthrough period are usually between 30 and 90 days, and within that time you should try, to get all you can from the extra cash, as much as possible. All unplayed amounts expire at the end of the bonus period. A good thing to remember is that the bonus that has been released to your account will not be cancelled, and you will still be able to use it.

Questions by our visitors

Here we want to address the questions most frequently asked by our visitors. If you even have a question about poker bonus, you can send them to the email address ask@bestbonus.net.

What is more important: to play the bonus or to take part in freerolls?!

Some providers give players not only the deposit bonus, but also the occasional free token for participation in exclusive tournaments. The answer to the question of what you should focus on first depends on you bonus. The higher it is, the more likely you are to use the playthrough period to collect player points. In the cases of free tokens for freerolls, you have to take a closer look at the conditions. You have to compare the potential gains from these freerolls to your bankroll. If there is a freeroll where the first place prize is just $20, perhaps it’s much better to invest your time in playing cash games, so that you can release your bonus. Freerolls with large prize pools (e.g. a $100,000 First Depositors Challenge offered at 888), however, should always be used.

Cash games or tournaments are better for playing the bonus?!

The question of which games are most suitable for clearing the bonus is somewhat difficult to answer. This is because the player points calculation is very complex. That may depend on the limit and the size of the pot with cash games. In addition, poker rooms have different rules and players earn points to a certain extent of the fees. In general, playing in a cash game is faster, as you are constantly involved in pots and you also receive player points. In tournaments, you pay rake in addition to the buy-in. Generally, players should only play the poker games, in which they feel comfortable. For SnG players, for instance, it is much better not to play in cash games in order to upgrade and unlock even more bonus. If you’re not a good cash game player, you might lose more money than what you can earn through the bonus.

How our bonus finder works

We are poker players and have known various poker rooms and their bonus offers for years. For players who like playing SnG, it is important that the poker room offers it with good playthrough rates, or a bonus is not so useful. If a poker room offers a huge bonus, but doesn’t feature good SnGs, that will not be the best bonus for you. So, with our Bonus Finder we have tried to bring the most significant criteria together, so that you may be presented with both a good game and a good playable bonus.

With well over 100 different poker rooms, selecting the right deals will be very hard. Therefore, the answers to our questions will help if you prefer playing some poker games. By the questions we try to narrow down the selection of suitable offers. For example, people ready to pay between £50 and £100, will not be interested in the largest bonus offers. For them free instant bonuses, like the one offered at 888 Poker, together with some freerolls, will be really suitable. In case you prefer to deposit above £800, then the up to £1200 first deposit bonus offered at Winner Poker is just for you. If, in addition, the playthrough rate and the existing offer meets your requirements, you have found an ideal start to your new poker room.