The Difference Between Internet Poker Bonuses And Poker Rake Back
April 8, 2012, Posted in Online Poker
In internet poker, a poker player has a choice between poker rakeback or poker bonuses. The problem is you can only select one of the bonuses. Many poker players have their own personal preference on which is right for them. In this post we’ll go through the advantages of each and what’s best for you personally.
Different kinds of bonuses in poker are:
Initial Deposit Bonuses: Are bonuses given when players make their initial deposit. Usually sites match the deposit given, so when you deposit $100 they will add $100 into your bonus account which will be released when you reach the correct amount of acquired points or raked hands.
Promotions: They are promotions that online poker sites run at varied times during the year that don’t require a deposit. An example of this is monthly promotions running on the network. They make a new promotion just about every month for any event or holiday that takes place in that given month. For example, in December a website runs a Christmas bonus in which prizes and cash is given to players for when they reach specific amounts of comp points.
What is poker rakeback?
To get rake back, a player needs to sign up at a rakeback provider or by contacting the individual poker network. The site won’t be able to offer rake back if you are already tracked to an affiliate who does not allow this option. Rakeback is a bonus given to players in which they receive a percentage of the rake they have generated. The money is paid into their account daily, weekly or monthly depending on the room. If you are receiving rakeback you will not be able to participate in promotions or be eligible for deposit bonuses. The percentage of rake back you receive varies on the room once more. Some offer around 25% while others are giving players the entire rake they have generated back to them.
For recreational players, it is advisable to pick the bonuses. This is because a recreational player will not generate enough rake to make the payments worthwhile. These players enjoy the fun factor more than the competition. They like to participate in the monthly promotions and bonuses offered on the website which is not available if you take the rake back route.
Rakeback is recommended however to players who play for a living or who play high stakes games. It is obvious you are playing to make a serious income and chasing bonuses is not going to interest you as much as picking up an extra sum each week. Also the amount of rakeback you will generate will be worthy of picking up and can even turn a losing month in to a winning month.
There’s web portals that have done the research for you and offer a list of rake back sites. Some have negotiated exclusive rake back deals for players. Shop around on these sites and see which sites offer the best rakeback. Also for US poker players look for a site that offers a list of us poker sites that offer rakeback.
Overall, if you don’t play poker for a living or play stakes above $2/4, it is important to stay away from rake back and take the bonus route. If you do play limits over the ones mentioned above, take rakeback and pick up a guaranteed sum of money on a weekly or monthly basis.


