[playersare]

you probably won't need to worry about rakeback (vs. bonuses) until you're playing at least $2/4 limits, if not closer to $5/10. that or you end up playing a lot of tournaments on a site where fees are MGR applicable.

that being said, it never hurts to sign up through an affiliate for any new site you want to play at. use the classified ads link at the upper left corner of this site and see what's available.

there's no fee for rakeback. just play and you'll get rebated at the same time each month (your affiliate may have a minimum amount you need to accumuate before making a transfer, usually $20-25). and you are free to pursue any and all bonuses that sites offer you directly. some sites may deduct the bonus from your rake revenue (though many sites also do not), but since the bonus is worth more at low limits, that's what you'll be concentrating on until you have enough bankroll and skill to play the limits listed at the beginning of this post.