Stars bonus

[Lori]

details (http://www.pokerstars.com/1m_tourney_bonus.html)

Usual stuff, $120 on 600.

Sorry it's 2 minutes late, must try harder.

Lori

[jaybird]

Thanks for the post!

I've been waiting for a bonus to try out Poker Stars.

How hard is it to work of the required FPP points for the $120 bonus? Easier or harder than Party's?

Thanks!

[JS0085]

Question on the bonus at Stars:

Does anyone know if it is OK to withdraw $600 from Stars to firepay, and then immediately make the full deposit back to take advantage of the bonus?

Later

[kmprsdrm]

looks like its 5 raked per dollar of bonus. Thanks Lori for the breaking news /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[jaybird]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know if it is OK to withdraw $600 from Stars to firepay, and then immediately make the full deposit back to take advantage of the bonus?

[/ QUOTE ]


It is only for "your first deposit".

[Lori]

How hard is it to work of the required FPP points for the $120 bonus?

At lower limits it is the hardest site by a mile to work off.

Anything 3/6 and bigger is okay but still quite slow.

You have been spoiled at Party, theirs are by far the easiest. (Although Paradise is pretty good too now)

Lori

[BugsBunny]

[ QUOTE ]
If you cash out any amount from your PokerStars account during the Bonus Period prior to making a qualifying deposit, you are ineligible for the deposit bonus.

[/ QUOTE ]

[CrackerZack]

I guess now I'll have to play there. I don't really like the software still but I'm starting to get used to it. Everyone likes to rant and rave about it but I don't get it. Tourneys run pretty well but limit SnGs the lobby doesn't show stack sizes. I like the timebank idea and glad paradise copied it.

[Styles]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know if it is OK to withdraw $600 from Stars to firepay, and then immediately make the full deposit back to take advantage of the bonus?

[/ QUOTE ]


It is only for "your first deposit".

[/ QUOTE ]

per the link it's not your first deposit it's the first one during the bonus period, and "NO" you may not cashout and cash back in.

"
The Bonus Period is from Sunday, February 8, 9:00 PM to Sunday, February 15, 12 Midnight (Eastern Time).

You may make one deposit that is eligible for the deposit bonus. The maximum deposit that qualifies for the bonus is $600, which will earn you a potential $120 bonus.

Only the first deposit during the promotion period is eligible for the deposit bonus.

If you cash out any amount from your PokerStars account during the Bonus Period prior to making a qualifying deposit, you are ineligible for the deposit bonus.
"

[mbpoker]

Unlike Party Stars has no limit on how long you have to claim the bonus.

[jaybird]

I recently finished a Pacific Poker bonus. Now THAT took forever. I hope this doesnt take as long =(

[fluff]

About time Stars has a deposit bonus! Thanks for the info Lori.

Now if only I can beat their tight as a frogs [censored] 0.5/1 games...

[Sarge85]

Hmmmm -

I'm torn...

Was going to get the initial deposit at Pacific - may need to redirect.

Looks like a similar system to PokerRoom's bonus system.

Are the game as tough as they used to be????

[Vehn]

Is it super annoying to anyone else that the max deposit is $600/24 hours unlike party where its $2500?

[skaboomizzy]

Ugh, I don't have the BR to play 3/6 to work this sucker off. Looks like I'll have to pass. Besides, I've been concentrating on SNGs there anyway.

[BugsBunny]

You can do it multitabling 1/2. 2/4 is better though. 2/4 6max I can clear something like this within 1 day.

[BottlesOf]

[Lori]

I've done it in .5/1 before, so it isn't essential, but god, it was long.

Lori (the one who says UB bonuses aren't that long)

[JTG51]

I was under the impression that all deposits had to be made through Central Coin to be eligible for a bonus at Stars, but I don't see anything about that this time. Was that just a one time thing with the last bonus?

[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
Ugh, I don't have the BR to play 3/6 to work this sucker off. Looks like I'll have to pass. Besides, I've been concentrating on SNGs there anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]
There is no time limit to clear the bonus. You can take as long as you like.

The terms of the bonus are clearly explained on the page Lori linked to in her message.

[Lori]

Was that just a one time thing with the last bonus?

That was a special central-coin bonus to celebrate their opening.

Lori

[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
I was under the impression that all deposits had to be made through Central Coin to be eligible for a bonus at Stars, but I don't see anything about that this time. Was that just a one time thing with the last bonus?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. This is a general bonus; there is no restriction on method of deposit.

[Lori]

There is no time limit to clear the bonus. You can take as long as you like.

There is the downside that it ties your roll up for a few days, however nothing says you have to get the maximum if you are not comfortable with that.

I have taken less than the max before, it effectively pays your rake in tourney and sngs.

Lori

[JTG51]

I was worried I'd miss this one waiting for my money to get to Central Coin.

[JTG51]

[fluff]

I think they're about 1 shade tougher than same level Paradise games.

Also the bummer is, they don't have very many full ring games, mostly 6 handed stuff.

If I'm gonna deposit there, it's probably going to be for the "learning experience". Either to simulate a Party 5/10 table at 0.5/1 cost, or learn playing short handed, or maybe try out SNGs...hehe.

[M.B.E.]

The bonus period began today (Sunday) at 9pm EST. The bonus was announced on PokerStars shortly after that time.

You are not eligible for the bonus if you made a withdrawal during the bonus period but before your first deposit. (Thus you can't get the bonus by churning funds already in your PokerStars account.)

As far as I can tell, however, there's no penalty for making a deposit and then withdrawing all or part of it immediately afterward.

[Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
Ugh, I don't have the BR to play 3/6 to work this sucker off. Looks like I'll have to pass. Besides, I've been concentrating on SNGs there anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

FPP's earned for playing sit and go's and multi's count towards working the bonus off.

[M.B.E.]

No word yet on what you get if you win tourney number 1000000.

[Lori]

11k for 1st

$40 for 180th

Prizes can be found under "tourney info" in the lobby for that tourney.

Lori

[M.B.E.]

Thanks. I thought it was going to be like the two-billionth hand contest, where you had to try to get in it as it came up naturally.

[mosch]

Well, that worked like a champ. Now I just need to get 600FPPs to clear the sucker. Looks like I need to play a lot more SNGs /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[jaybird]

I've decided to work off my 600FPPs by using SnGs too.

Thats only 120 $10 SnGs! =)

[Fraubump]

And a note: $5 SnG's pay 3 FPP's, 20% better than the 5 FPP's for a $10 SnG so they are actually a better value than higher ones at least as far as risk/variance goes.

Also remember: KOTZ tourneys on Stars also earn FPP's, a modest added incentive to play in them.

[pretender2k]

I did notice in the fine print that if you cash out before the bonus is earned you become ineligable for it. Is this normal on Stars? I have never done a bonus there. Normally this would be a problem as this month I am jumping all the money I have set aside to collect as many bonuses as possible. I wouldn't normally have enough time to play it off before I wanted to move it again but lucky for me I will be laid off next week and all I planned on doing is playing about 8-10 hours a day so I should be able to play enough that week. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
I did notice in the fine print that if you cash out before the bonus is earned you become ineligable for it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Where does it say that? I don't see it anywhere.

[TylerD]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this normal on Stars?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes

[MicroBob]

"I did notice in the fine print that if you cash out before the bonus is earned you become ineligable for it."


ummm...this is absolutely incorrect!!

if you make a withdrawl BEFORE you make any deposit, then you do not get the bonus.
this is to prevent people from taking out all of their funds just to put them back in for the bonus-money.

once you make a deposit, you are free to withdraw and deposit back and forth as much as you like and the bonus-dollars will sit there waiting to be earned.

you can deposit now....withdraw right away....not play a single hand for 6 months....and then play-off all of the bonus dollars in august orf whenever.


"Are the games as tough as they used to be????"

absolutely not. they aren't as fishy as party....but they certainly aren't the rock-gardens of the past.

stars used to have 2000 players or so on a typical to strong weeknight. now they eclipse 8k to 10k regularly.
a lot of newbies and novices have been brought in by the Chris Moneymaker boom.
the games can still be kind of tough....but not nearly as much as in the past. i'm starting to think the UB games are tighter.



there is absolutely no reason not to take advantage of this offer. they don't come around that often (maybe 4-5 times a year i guess). if you are going to play on stars AT ALL in the next year then you should deposit now and withdraw (if necessary) so that you will be earning bonus-dollars.
you get FPP's for SNG's and multi's as well as ring-games.

it does take quite awhile to clear the necessary points....but you have as long as you like to clear it.
and after you clear the points you can also order yourself a sporty Stars-Cap or Stress-Star (or you can save up the points like me and get a book....or you can earn them all this week and get into that 500fpp tourney).

i'll probably have 1 stars ring-game up while multi-tabling at empire.
well, i also have those ub dollars to clear as well so i might be playing 3 sites at once which i will call
'bonus-whore-multi-tasking' or maybe i'll change that to
'multi-whore-bonus-tasking'.


i'm surprised there are so many questions. these are the same conditions that have applied to all of their previous bonuses (excepting the Central-Coin only bonus)....but i guess it just shows that there are a few newcomers who haven't bonus-whored at stars in the past.
now that i think about it....i guess the last pre CentralCoin bonus (which i didn't take part in) was around october or so for the 2-millionth hand. wow, time flies.

[HavanaBanana]

Faster to clear their bonuses now with their 'speed' tables going, less time to think but fater game , saw it for the first time today.

[pretender2k]

Upon rereading this statement:

If you cash out any amount from your PokerStars account during the Bonus Period prior to making a qualifying deposit, you are ineligible for the deposit bonus.

I see that I did take it the wrong way. Thanks for setting me straight there microboy.

[Sarge85]

[ QUOTE ]
if you make a withdrawl BEFORE you make any deposit, then you do not get the bonus.


[/ QUOTE ]
[quote}once you make a deposit, you are free to withdraw and deposit back and forth as much as you like and the bonus-dollars will sit there waiting to be earned.

[/ QUOTE ]

Aren't you contradicting yourself here??? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Maybe you mean

1) I can deposit my $600
2) They credit my bonus account for $120
3) Before I play a single hand I can withdraw $600
4) I can go back later on deposit however much I feel like depositing and go for the bonus.

Sarge needs it "dumbed down" today /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sarge/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[Graham]

I dunno - I thought Stars usually requires you to leave your deposit in there until you've generated the FPPS to clear the bonus - no withdrawal until you clear the bonus, or you lose the bonus, was what I understood from before. Maybe it's different...doesn't say anything on the requirements page (http://www.pokerstars.com/1m_tourney_bonus.html) , so we can assume we can deposit, then withdraw before clearing the FPP's. I'd like someone else to try it out first though...

[Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
if you make a withdrawl BEFORE you make any deposit, then you do not get the bonus.


[/ QUOTE ]
[quote}once you make a deposit, you are free to withdraw and deposit back and forth as much as you like and the bonus-dollars will sit there waiting to be earned.

[/ QUOTE ]

Aren't you contradicting yourself here??? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Maybe you mean

1) I can deposit my $600
2) They credit my bonus account for $120
3) Before I play a single hand I can withdraw $600
4) I can go back later on deposit however much I feel like depositing and go for the bonus.

Sarge needs it "dumbed down" today /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sarge/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, although I think Stars has a 48 hour wait from deposit to withdrawal. But, you can definitely deposit, then withdrawal whatever you wish and the bonus will still be pending. That should answer your question Graham.

The only stip is once the bonus is announced, you can't make a withdrawal PRIOr to making a qualifying deposit. once you make the deposit though, it's alright to withdrawal anything and everything.

[M.B.E.]

Read Microboy's post (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=518383). The information in it is accurate.

The information in the last posts by Sarge85 and Graham is wrong.

(The only error in Microboy's post is that the last bonus four months or so ago was to celebrate PokerStars joining the WPT. It was not for the "2-millionth hand". They're presently at hand 280-million and change.)

[alfman]

What's the best way to fund a new Stars account, if you want to take advantage of this deposit? It looks like with Neteller's InstaCash, you can get funds in Stars in a matter of minutes. Has anyone used this? If so, any problems?
Thanks!

[jaybird]

I used Neteller without Instacash and my account was credited within seconds. (I already had funds inside my Neteller Account).

[Graham]

[Graham]

I never gave any information in my post, MBE. Just my woolly thoughts.

And I concluded that it looks like we can withdraw before clearing the bonus. Now we're going to confuse everybody... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif