First Deposit Bonus Question

If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

These double your deposit bonuses look like a pretty good deal, on the surface. Just play break-even poker and double your money.

But on deeper analysis, it seems that you have to play alot to release that bonus money; and you could easily lose your stake without earning any of it.

So, I wonder, how does this actually work out for people who have deposited with hopes of collecting the bonus? Are some sites better than others with regard for having laxer rules for earning the bonuses?

if you're bonus whoring I guess it makes sense to have faster clearing bonuses, but in the long run it doesn't really matter. I mean you can't really make a living off bonus whoring anyway, so just focus on improving your game and play +EV poker while clearing it, kill two birds with one stone.

The deposit matching limitations are there for a reason.

If the poker sites just gave unrestricted 100% first deposit matching bonuses they would go broke. Thousands of people would deposit $100, then cash out their $200. The poker site is out $100.

Even if people planned on playing with their full roll, a lot of people spew money. They'll deposit $100, sit at a table with $1/$2 blinds, then blow it all the first day. They might generate $5 or so in rake. If they got the $100 bonus they'd pay maybe an additional $5 in rake, so the site's out $90.

To keep themselves from hemorrhaging money sites usually make you get enough points that you've paid for your bonus in rake. So to clear $100 you will have paid $100 in rake.

They market it as "100% First Time Deposit Bonus!" because it sounds a lot better than "Temporary Rakeless Play!"

Mainly with bonusses its important to have a look at these things:

- Clearing rate (how much fpp/generated rake)
- Time (how long can you take to unlock it)
- Increments or complete unlocking (is the bonus unlockable in small bits or lump sum)
- 100%/200%etc deposit bonus/reload bonus

This pertains to Full Tilt.

I think it depends on the stakes you play. I've played almost exclusively 2NL (.01/.02) and 1+.25 SNGs and it took me 21 days to get my first $10 bonus. And I play about 2 hours a day, at the most 2 tables at a time.

They release your bonus in $10 increments. So you can have $9.50 in bonus earned and you won't get it until you get that last $.50. But the moment you do it goes into your account.

I deposited $100 initially, so for me to get my full $100 by the 12/30 (4 month) deadline I'll have to step up my playing (or winning) more than double. Probably won't make it, but that's okay. The bonus is a nice grace period for losses you incur just getting used to playing online poker for real money.

Yes, you could conceivably lose your whole stake before you make a cent in bonus.

Is the bonus really equivalent to the amount of rake you (would have) paid?

No, I don't think so...the biggest bonus at full tilt (6c/point) was ~40% rakeback or so, not sure how that compares to their deposit bonus as far as points/$ release.

On pokerstars you needed 500 points for their old $50 bonus, so was possible to get 100% rakeback by playing 500 1.10 tournaments (which are rounded up to 1 fpp)...but most people would get closer to half their rake back if they completed the points requirement. Many probably never clear it, either because they didn't play enough or went broke before finishing.