Rakeback at Pokerstars
PokerStars VIP Program: The Rakeback Equivalent
PokerStars currently has the largest cardroom in the world. Over 120,000 players are online simultaneously which rises to well over 200,000 players on the weekend and bank holidays. The range of games, stakes and players is incredibly diverse and no other poker site has the same liquidity of games. Of course, the most common criticism of Pokerstars (By informed players) is the lack of Rakeback. As frustrating as it is, there is a very credible alternative which comes in the form of their VIP program.
Most poker sites pay their advertisers a fixed percentage of rake paid. Rakeback websites refund the vast majority of this money to their players. Pokerstars (Contrary to every other site) do not provide their affiliates with detailed analysis of how much each of their referrals pay in rake. This makes it impossible for affiliates to track how much their players are paying making Rakeback impossible. Offering Rakeback is also against the terms and conditions of Pokerstars’ affiliate scheme.
Every other poker site offer a range of bonuses to new players to help them grow their bankroll. In effect they are temporary reductions in rake. These incentives encourage players to stick with a particular site in the short run. Pokerstars approached the retention problem differently. Rather than allowing player’s to receive Rakeback, they instead offer a tiered reward program which reset every month.
Players willing to stick with Pokerstars for an extended period of time receive an extremely generous rebate on their rake. The average quality of opponents is higher at Pokerstars which acts as a drag on winrates, especially at the small and micro stakes. To really benefit from the Pokerstars VIP scheme you need to play solely at their site. This inflexibility is a common criticism of Pokerstars. Regardless, below is a table of how Rakeback stacks up against the Pokerstars VIP scheme. We don’t offer Pokerstars Rakeback but do have a wide range of other deals which offer the maximum Rakeback allowed by each site.
