Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

I'm playing 2/4 SH and I have a choice to play pokerstars without a bonus, pokerroom with a bonus, or absolute with a bonus. I don't have any rakeback, maybe I could open a pokerroom skin and get rakeback if that works out best.

I think I read somewhere that pokerroom with a bonus+rakeback was comparable to pokerstars with no bonus due to pokerroom's [censored] rake. It seemed like whatever BB/100 you gained from the rakeback/bonus at pokeroom was almost negated due to pokerstars rake structure. I couldn't find the page I was looking for but if anyone can post the rake they've paid over so many hands at pokerroom or absolute maybe we can compare. I have 7830 hands at pokerstars with 546.50 total rake paid, average players at the table is 5.3.

7830/(546.5/5.3) = ~1.32

About 1.32BB/100 in rake paid. Anyone know how accurate this is due to the smallish sample size?

Also pokerstars is probably the softest site so that has to be taken into consideration.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

Not that I'm a forum Nazi or anything, but wouldn't this be better posted in either the Affil/RB and/or Internet Bonuses forum? I would think that you'd see a better response.

It is a good question. I believe that $600 bonus @ PR/Eurobet equals about 70% RB for full ring and 35% at their 5-max tables. With 25-30% RB it would add a little bit more, too. Bonuses are deducted from the MGR.

The softness and rake considerations at PS would probably make it more worthwhile to play their, but if you like to play around then just playing the bonus off is okay, I suppose.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

I'm thinking about leaving the PokerRoom network once I finish up the Eurobet bonus, even though I have RB at Hollywood. I checked and I've payed about twice as much per hand in rake on the PokerRoom skins. I didn't think it was that bad until I checked my PT the other night. After ~8K hands at poker room $2/4 5M, I've payed something like $1,200 in rake (not on my home CPU right now).

Plus at PokerStars PAHud works better and you can see the hands at showdown, so that's a plus as well.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

Is pokerstars really softer? Well, maybe when there isn't a reload going the games are much better but I always thought PR was a total fishfest at SH while at stars the donkey count was a bit lower. Absolute is kind of meh, although I did play in some GREAT games there over the weekend.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

A quick rought calculation and it looks like about 2BB/100 difference paid! That looks like more than what the bonus is worth if you go by bonuswhores' $8.12/hour, which I'm guessing is probably a bit less, add in the softer players and that you get to see holecards at showdown and pokerstars looks the winner unless maybe if you've got a good rakeback deal.

What about absolute, anyone?

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

Some of the players I've seen at PokerRoom are absolutely horrendous. I've taken some horrendously bad beats there, but I'm still convinced there's a lot of money to be made, but a lot of rake to be paid as well.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Not that I'm a forum Nazi or anything, but wouldn't this be better posted in either the Affil/RB and/or Internet Bonuses forum? I would think that you'd see a better response.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought I might get better responses posting here as I'm guessing more 2/4 SH players frequent this forum than the other 2.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

pokerroom's short-handed games are surprisingly jello-like

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

[ QUOTE ]
pokerroom's short-handed games are surprisingly jello-like

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I should have mentioned in my original reply that I haven't played on PokerStars...

Anyway, do you think that the SH games softness on PR compensate for the horrendous rake assuming you have a bonus going + some RB?

I would think that playing NL would be a better alternative...or SNGs, if they count those toward bonuses...I'm sure they do.

Re: Is pokerstars without a bonus better than pokerroom with a bonus?
 

[ QUOTE ]
pokerroom's short-handed games are surprisingly jello-like

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It's pretty LAG from my experience at 3/6