Poker bonuses are available at every online poker room. They come in different forms such as deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, refer-a-friend bonuses etc.
The most common poker bonus is a deposit bonus which is where a set percentage of your first deposit at a poker room is added on top of the amount you deposit.
for example, if the deposit bonus at Full Tilt Poker is 100% up to $600 then if you deposit $10 you will receive $10 bonus, giving you $20 to play with. The same being if you deposit $300 you will receive a further $300 free and have a total of $600. You get the idea.
Now, it isn't always that simple. The majority of poker bonuses available online are not added to your poker account straight away after making your first deposit. Most poker rooms require you to meet certain terms in order to receive the bonus money and either play or withdraw it.
This article will help explain these terms and how to successfully receive all of your poker bonus.
Step 1 : Choose your Poker Room Carefully
First of all before you sign up to a poker room and deposit, read what the conditions are for clearing your poker bonus.
Most poker rooms require you to play a certain amount of raked hands before you can collect your bonus. Others give your bonus to you in increments such as $10 for every 50 raked hands you play etc.
Some poker rooms have 'poker points' systems. These are where you collect points for the number of hands you play, the stakes you play at, amount of time you spend at a table and how many tournaments you play.
A lot of sites (but not all) allow you to collect points/clear your bonus by playing tournaments. This is a great way to clearing you bonus faster as normally you are credited with a larger number of points for tournament play and you don't risk losing as much as in a ring-game.
Step 2 : Don't get above your level
It can be tempting to try and clear your bonus amount as quickly as possible by playing higher limits, collecting more poker points and therefore receiving your poker bonus quicker.
This is a very bad move!
Only move up limits when you have gained the experience and bankroll to do so. If you move up limits before you are ready then you are likely to lose all your deposit before you get even close to collecting your bonus money.
Stick to a limit you are comfortable at, forget about trying to work off your bonus and concentrate on playing poker. If you are always thinking about clearing your bonus then it will no doubt affect your game play on the poker tables.
Once you have collected your poker bonus use it wisely. Think of it as money that you have just deposited from your hard earned bank account. Do Not think of it as expendable free money that you have won. If you do then you will likely lose it making rash calls that you would not normally make.
There are some great poker bonuses out there, just be sure to collect them efficiently.