Pokerstars Rakeback

If you are interested in rakeback, you want to know how to get rakeback at pokerstars. You may have searched the Internet already, but could not find the answer.

The short answer is that Pokerstars does not offer rakeback, because they have an internal VIP point system equivalent to a rakeback.

The best deal is to use the pokerstars marketing code PSP8181 when you sign up as a first time player at pokerstars. Entering this code in the registration window entitles you not just to the maximum 100% bonus on your first three deposits up to $600, but also gives you full access to the VIP program.

But if instead you want rakeback from a great site with huge traffic, get Full Tilt Poker Rakeback. Check our Full Tilt Poker review first if you are unfamiliar with Full Tilt. This is the best rakeback program available with a 27% rakeback rate.

Now let's talk about this mysterious pokerstars VIP system. To be honest it is not the easiest point system to understand, but the bottom line is that there are real cash rewards for savvy players.

If you want to learn more about the poker room with the most players and how they deal with rakeback, you should continue reading this article because instead of rakeback, pokerstars offer the best poker VIP program on the Internet.

And some players make over $100k per year from this system at pokerstars.

Instead of allowing rakeback, Pokerstars offers an internal VIP program which is equivalent to a rakeback. In fact for a few ultra-high volume players, the implied rakeback at pokerstars is higher than anywhere else as it can exceed 60%.

PokerStars VIP program details

The people at Pokerstars were innovators when they implemented their VIP system three years ago. It is an incremental system: the more real money hands you play, the higher the rakeback percent you get.

The way it works is not totally transparent and you need to dig into the details to find out exactly what is going on. Pokerstars VIP system is based on Frequent Player Points (FPP) and VIP Points (VPP).

The first thing to understand is how FPP work. You earn FPP by playing in "qualifying" real money hands. FPP can be gained by playing in cash games, sit'n gos or multi-table tournaments that require paying fee.

For all cash games with big blind equal to or below $2, one FPP is awarded anytime you play in a hand where the rake has reached $0.40. As the rake is taken in increment of 5%, this corresponds to a pot of $8. You need to see the flop otherwise no rakeback is given at pokerstars.

This $0.40 rule also applies to all heads-up table. For all other games with higher blinds, i.e. starting at $4 big blind, the rake must reach $1 for one FPP to be distributed. A second FPP can be distributed when the rake reaches $2 for 6-max games or $3 for other tables. Finally a third FPP might be disbursed if the rake attains $5.

With respect to tournaments, five pokerstars FPP credits are awarded for each $1 paid in tournament fees. This number might be rounded up or down in special situations.

PokerStars VIP Rewards details

Ok, so far we only know how FPPs show up in your PokerStars account, but it does not tell us how much they are worth. Please bear with us as this system is not the easiest to understand, but it is pretty much compulsory for any reasonable player to have an account at Pokerstars, so it is better understanding their VIP program. Do not worry, it is not that complicated.

There are 6 VIP levels at PokerStars defined by how many FPP you accumulate per month, or per year for the two highest levels. At the bottom is the Bronze level, then Silver (1,200 FPPs/month), Gold (3,000 FPPs/month), Platinum (7,500 FPPs/month), SuperNova (100,000 FPPs/year) and SuperNova Elite (1,000,000 FPPs/year).

For players with some poker savvy, the real money is in the VPP which are rewarded by using a multiplier to your FPP. For example at the lower level, the Bronze level you get the same amount of VPPs as FPPs. At the Silver level, you get 1.5 VPP for each FPP. Gold gives you twice as many VPPs as FPPs. Platinum is 2.5 VPPs per FPP. For SuperNova, the multiplier is 3.5. For SuperNova Elite, it is the maximum 5.

VPPs are what really matter as you can exchange them against gifts or even cash. If you are a SuperNova, you can exchange 250,000 VPPs against $4k. The highest level is SuperNova Elite and there are only about one or two hundred players reaching this level every year. The total of all benefits once you reach this level exceeds $100k.

PokerStars VIP compared to other Rakeback programs

The SuperNova Elite level is for the few gifted high-volume players, and they can make a living out of it. Just because this level grants a multiplier of five, it means that they accumulate rakeback (or VPPs) five times faster than at the Bronze level.

This program is clearly geared toward the online players who can put up massive hours of play. The equivalent rakeback increases incrementally, and the highest volume players get a much higher rakeback rate than the rest. But how does it compare with standard rakeback rates such as the ones offered here at Learn2Holdem.com.

It is not straightforward to make an exact comparison and there is no exact formula for that. It will depend on your style, the level at which you play, and if you play ring games or tournaments. Generally speaking, it is estimated that the rakeback is around 15% at the lowest level, but it can surpass 50% or even 75% for the ultra-high volume players who get also special milestones cash bonuses.

If you decide to join pokerstars, use the exclusive marketing code PSP8181 when you sign up. This code guarantees a 100% bonus up to $600, and you can even split your deposit among three deposits, as long as it is within 90 days of joining pokerstars.

And you have 6 months to grind your bonus, so our pokerstars marketing code is almost a sure thing.