Why the bonus whoring?

[maxpower72]

I am new here so I don't know if this is the right forum or if this has already been answered but I'll ask it anyway. The math of all this bonus whoring doesn't make sense to me. If you are playing eight tables at a time of even 3/6 and making just one big bet per hour that is still approx $50 per hour. Just 40 hours of poker a week makes you $2000 per week. Some posters on this site claim to make much more than one BB per hour and play more than 40 hours. So if you are making in excess of $2000 per week why chase these hundred and two hundred dollar bonuses?

[Corey]

First off, adding 200 to a weekly income of 2000 is quite significant. Would you ever turn down a 10% raise in a real job?

Secondly, most people here are not 8-tabling 10-20 6-max. In my case, I 4-6 table 1/2 and sometimes 2/4. Since the start of 2005, over 65% of my poker income has been bonus related. I don't take steps up because I withdraw much of my winning on a semi-regular basis for unrelated personal reasons.

[Shoe]

Because it's free money. I agree, eventually you will reach a point where it's probably not worth the hassle, however, most people on this site are nowhere near that point yet.

According to bonuswhores.com, you can make 17k+ a year just doing reloads at the sites listed on their site. It adds up.

[ClaytonN]

[ QUOTE ]
So if you are making in excess of $2000 per week why chase these hundred and two hundred dollar bonuses?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because it's an easy pool of money. Disregard relativity to income.

Would you ever pass up an easy shot at a couple of hundred? Noooooope!

[crownjules]

Why not? If you're already there and playing, why pass up an extra c-bill or two? Free money is +EV.

[LinusKS]

Because most people would be break-even - or losing players - without the bonuses.

[IronDragon1]

[ QUOTE ]
I am new here so I don't know if this is the right forum or if this has already been answered but I'll ask it anyway. The math of all this bonus whoring doesn't make sense to me. If you are playing eight tables at a time of even 3/6 and making just one big bet per hour that is still approx $50 per hour. Just 40 hours of poker a week makes you $2000 per week. Some posters on this site claim to make much more than one BB per hour and play more than 40 hours. So if you are making in excess of $2000 per week why chase these hundred and two hundred dollar bonuses?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto what everyone else said about not playing at such a level as described in your (hypothetical) example.

Also, for their to be any conflict at all, players would have to be incuring some opportunity cost in order to get the bonus. This is not the case as there are enough poker rooms offering enough bonuses to where, with some minor modifications to their play/game selection they can still retain at least some semblance of their win rate while earning a particular bonus.

I do realize I am ignoring a few important things-namely the differences in the quality of games between different sites- for simplicity's sake but the fact remains that bonuses are free money and there are

[Piers]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are playing eight tables at a time of even 3/6 and making just one big bet per hour that is still approx $50 per hour

[/ QUOTE ]

Now arrange to be collection $5 per hour in bonus at each of these tables, then you are earning $90 per hour not $50 per hour.

Whats wrong with doubling your income with a little bonus whoring?

[BradleyT]

[ QUOTE ]
Just 40 hours of poker a week

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, "just 40 hours"....

[maxpower72]

Thank-you for the responses. I was under the impression that the bonuses were more work than they appear to be.

[pyroponic]

Believe it or not, 8-tabling 3/6 is optimal for bonus whoring. First, i'd have to say at least 80% of the hands are going to be raked, and since you're playing 8 tables you can clear them twice as fast. I clear bonuses in lightning speed ever since I started 8-tabling 3/6.