When did you stop chasing bonuses?

[twang]

I did it the stupid way: I grinded my way from the supermicro tables to small stakes without any bonuswhoring. I just recently - and way too late - started chasing bonuses.

On what limit and number of tables did you stop chasing bonuses (if you ever did, that is)? 4-tabling 3/6? Higher? I realize it's basically a math problem, but I'm too lazy and too stupid to figure it out myself.

/twang

[sammy_g]

When I moved up to 5/10 6 max, I started making much more money from just playing poker than from bonuses. Of course, I'll do a Party bonus if it's there. No reason not to.

[bicyclekick]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll do a Party bonus if it's there. No reason not to.

[/ QUOTE ]

A GOOD rake rebate will be better than those bonuses...for those of us who dont get any rakeback on party.

[admiralfluff]

how do you get a "GOOD" rake rebate?

[gazarsgo]

You should be able to get 23-25% rakeback as easily as checking the classifieds. Or maybe an affiliate will PM you. You can get 20% without even trying if you are really lazy.

[sammy_g]

[ QUOTE ]
A GOOD rake rebate will be better than those bonuses...for those of us who dont get any rakeback on party.

[/ QUOTE ]
At .5/1, a 5x raked hands bonus is more than 100% rakeback. Even at 5/10 6 max, it's something like 50% rakeback.

If your rakeback deal is that good please send me an PM! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[bicyclekick]

[ QUOTE ]
how do you get a "GOOD" rake rebate?

[/ QUOTE ]

High volume play, knowing people, having good timing, and a little generosity.

[twang]

Six replies. One on topic. Please.

[aflaba]

I chased bonuses on the party poker network all the way up to 5/10

I did some bonuses on other sites when on 3/6

On 2/4 I did most crypto bunoses

[bicyclekick]

[ QUOTE ]
Six replies. One on topic. Please.

[/ QUOTE ]

2 things:
1) The rake rebate posts are actually decently on topic. They are a big reason people stop chasing bonuses.
2) This thread hijacking that you're supposedly complaining about is nothing like what happens in lots of other threads. Don't swaet it.

[kendal14]

I thought the general consensus was that rake rebates do not offer any near the return as bonuses.

As to the topic: I have a rake rebate on a couple of Party Skins, I play 3/6 2-4 tables and I still bonus chase. I can't see myself stopping getting the bonuses for the Party skins. I have some open bonuses on Paradise, but have found the software really slow and crappy on my machine for some reason.

[twang]

[ QUOTE ]
2 things:
1) The rake rebate posts are actually decently on topic. They are a big reason people stop chasing bonuses.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ok. At what limit and number of tables did you stop chasing bonuses?

[ QUOTE ]
2) This thread hijacking that you're supposedly complaining about is nothing like what happens in lots of other threads. Don't swaet it.

[/ QUOTE ]
This thread moderation that you're supposedly complaining about is nothing like what happens in lots of other threads. Don't sweat it.

/twang

[bicyclekick]

[ QUOTE ]

Ok. At what limit and number of tables did you stop chasing bonuses?


[/ QUOTE ]

15/30

[ QUOTE ]

This thread moderation that you're supposedly complaining about is nothing like what happens in lots of other threads.

[/ QUOTE ]

While I admit what you said made me chuckle a little bit, it's not true. Not sure if you were just trying to be funny or not, but if you were seroius, it's amusing too cause it's so off.

I bet you can't even produce one thread where there was some more serious moderation to stay on topic.

[Moyer]

First off, you two shouldn't be getting pissed at each other. For some reason you're both just getting offended way too easily. From my point of view, neither of you are being total a$$holes.

Anyways, it's not really a simple math problem. Most of what bothers me about bonus chasing is game selection and crappy software on certain sites. When you're playing 4 or 6+ tables of 3/6 or above at party and getting good rake rebate, using GT+ or playerview, etc, it really sucks to play on other sites.

Opening crypto software, playing at lower limits on tighter tables, trying to keep track of your # of raked hands, and playing w/ players you don't have notes on will get to be just too big of a pain in the butt at some point.

I'm just starting to play 3/6. It's still more profitable for me to chase some bonuses, but I have given certain ones up as well. I regularly hit all the party reloads that I can(no reason not to). I usually get most of the crypto bonuses, but I've been slacking off lately. I may only do a couple this month. At least the games there have been getting a little better.

I will probably never play at Absolute again. Their bonus and their software suck really bad.

I don't bother w/ paradise reloads anymore because I don't like the way I have to import hand histories to my email.

I've never bothered to play at Full Tilt or Chip Champs or any of the new sites.

I still have an uncleared bonus at UB that I may now clear at some point since it's become PT compatable.

I think if I can do well playing 6-8 tables of 3/6, I may completely stop chasing bonuses.

Hope this helps.

[twang]

[ QUOTE ]
While I admit what you said made me chuckle a little bit, it's not true. Not sure if you were just trying to be funny or not, but if you were seroius, it's amusing too cause it's so off.

[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, I tried to be funny and serious at the same time.

[ QUOTE ]
I bet you can't even produce one thread where there was some more serious moderation to stay on topic.

[/ QUOTE ]
I bet "Six replies. One on topic. Please." is not as unique as you'd like us to belive. My attempt to bump the thread on track is probably neither the first nor the worst in the genre.

/twang

[twang]

Thanks for the reply,Moyer.

[ QUOTE ]
Anyways, it's not really a simple math problem. Most of what bothers me about bonus chasing is game selection and crappy software on certain sites. When you're playing 4 or 6+ tables of 3/6 or above at party and getting good rake rebate, using GT+ or playerview, etc, it really sucks to play on other sites.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree for the most part. I have just started out whoring and although it's still profitable for me, I can't wait to get out of this. Fiddling around with all the new software, the new players, keeping track on things, moving money in a and out is a hassle.

I still think it's a math problem though. In Homer's post about buildning BR he talked about 4-tabling 3/6, but that sounds a bit low to me. There is probably some point where the time invested in whoring at other sites than your usual playground would be better invested in playing your usual number of tables and usual limit. I just can't figure out where that point is.

/twang

[sthief09]

the amount of money I lose not getting enough tables, not being used to the interface, not having notes on all the players, and not getting rake back outweighs most bonuses IMO

[stoxtrader]

[ QUOTE ]
the amount of money I lose not getting enough tables, not being used to the interface, not having notes on all the players, and not getting rake back outweighs most bonuses IMO

[/ QUOTE ]

we have a winner. the opportunity cost is time, not rakeback. only you can value your time.

[BottlesOf]

I still chase some, and I play a lot of different games 3/6-15/30. Whether I chase a bonus or not depends on how it compares to my standard set up. Does the bonus more than make up for the equivalent play at my home site? By how much? Do I like playing on the site offering the bonus etc. Then I decide to take it or not.

[kirisim]

After 3 months of getting rakeback playing mostly 5/10 short, I have found I make about $50 per 1000 hands. The Party bonuses the past 2 months have given me $200 for playing 1400 hands. So bonuses are worth much more.

[kirisim]

To answer the original poster: Now that I play 5/10 and above, I have stopped doing bonuses on sites that I don't want to play on. I will however do the bonuses on sites I'm playing on already (Party, Ultimate, Stars.)

[Steve565]

I disagree that a good rake rebate program can compare with the PP bonuses. I don't see it as even being close.

[James282]

If by "chasing a bonus" you mean joining a specific site to get the bonus, I did that once, with Empire, and it was one of the most costly mistakes of my poker career because it prevented me from getting rakeback for a long time.
-James

[RED_RAIN]

I still chase ones that are easy to clear (party skins) of at least $100 or more. I play 3/6 and 5/10 mostly. Sometimes 8/16-20/40.

Most of the time, it's if I want a change of pace, as I usually go to the 6-max tables.

I also will not mind doing a bonus at a new site that either doesn't have an affilate program or a new site that I want to try and get used to their software.

If I'm at all serious, I always go for an affilate program.

[wall_st]

Still chasing to this day, but I only play 50NL right now. I find I generate about 35 bucks per 1,000 hands so it's still worth it to chase to the occasional party and empire reloads.

I still chase some bonuses at other sites, but most of the time I find that they are not worth my time (i.e. Pokerroom, Ultimate bet etc).

[scrub]

[ QUOTE ]
If by "chasing a bonus" you mean joining a specific site to get the bonus, I did that once, with Empire, and it was one of the most costly mistakes of my poker career because it prevented me from getting rakeback for a long time.
-James

[/ QUOTE ]

Back when I played NL, I did Paradise and Stars bonuses playing tiny NL (I think it was .25/.5) and the games were much worse than they had been on UB. They took forever to clear and cash out, and I realized that, even at that level, the reduced game selection, the time cost of cashng in and out, and the hassle of keeping track of the bonuses weren't worth 200 bucks.

scrub

[rickr]

I've been considering these problems. I have never bonus chased. I play mostly at Party. I won't to get set up with a rake back at some of the skins. Play each when they offer a reload bonus. Bounce between the skins sort of speak. When I don't have the bonuses I would still have the rakeback. Would this solve the "not knowing the software/player" issue? What do you guys think of this idea as an alternative to true bonus chasing?

Thanks,
Rick

[Klepton]

when i hit the 5-10 6max, i started getting a huge amount of rakeback...i will only whore on party and empire, really no need to do a bunch of information work for like 200 bucks when i'm only gaining about 80 bucks if i just played normally, at least to me it is

wow grammar

[Reef]

the day I stop picking up $100 bills on the ground