Online Poker and Poker Bonuses

Online poker and poker bonuses are good sources of free money or, at the very least, great sources of poker savings. Through such bonuses, for instance, newbies can start building their bankroll or at least plug the leak in their bankroll. Newbies are not the only one to benefit from poker bonuses, of course. Anyone, even an expert poker player, should grab as much bonuses as they can; that’s just good business – unless of course, they have something much better to do with their time (for something better, read something much more exciting and lucrative).

What are the different types of bonuses that you can hope for in poker, especially online poker?

Welcome Bonuses or Sign-up Bonuses

This is one of the most common types of online poker bonus. Online poker sites (also online casino, bingo and sports betting sites) can offer new customers with a welcome, no-commitments bonus that they can spend at one of their tables. Welcome bonuses are usually small.

To get this welcome bonus, you will have to sign up for an account at the poker room that is offering the bonus and download the poker client software. After installation, you can log in to your account and spend your welcome bonus at an eligible game of your choosing. Whatever you win with your bonus money, you get to keep and it will stay in your account. Typically, however, you’ll have to play a certain number of hands to be able to redeem your welcome bonus winnings.

Deposit Bonuses

Deposit bonuses, on the other hand, are bonuses that are awarded to new players upon a minimum deposit into their poker site account. First-deposit bonuses are the most common type of deposit bonuses. Other types include second-, third- and nth-deposit bonuses. Some sites also give deposit bonuses to people who make a deposit through a certain deposit method (say, Moneybookers).

Deposit bonuses are usually generous, but they may be redeemed only if the player meets certain conditions. The same applies to Bingo sites, like Mecca bingo.

Referral Bonuses

Referral bonuses are exactly what they seem: they are given to players when they refer the poker site to other people. Usually, referrals must sign up for an account and make a deposit before a referral bonus can be credited to the source of the referral.

Rakeback Bonuses

Rakeback bonuses, on the other hand, refer to bonuses that poker sites give to their loyal players. If a poker site has a rakeback program, part of the house’s rake on the hands that a player played is credited back to his account.