Poker Bonus Requirements

Understanding Poker Bonus Requirements

Poker bonuses are effective marketing tools used by online poker rooms to attract new players; accordingly, the best poker sites in the industry offer generous welcome bonuses or sign-up bonuses or first deposit bonuses absolutely free to welcome new players who register and make initial deposits at the site. Most new players make the mistake of believing that poker bonuses can be taken home, but nothing can be farther from the truth.

The term “free” associated with poker bonuses has a catch in the sense that poker bonuses are not really “free” because players have to work hard to get them. As soon as players register and make their initial deposits, the site credits their bonuses into their pending bonus accounts, which means that players can neither withdraw nor use the “free” money. These bonuses need to be cleared by playing poker, and that’s why understanding poker bonus requirements is so important.

Importance of Clearing Bonuses

Players who claim poker bonuses must try their hardest to clear them. While poker bonuses do not make winners out of players, they go a long way in helping players build a huge bankroll in no time. If players d not make any attempts to clear their bonuses, they will lose a lot of free poker money; and some of the first deposit bonuses offered by online poker sites are very large indeed.

How to Clear Poker Bonuses

Players need to read and understand the poker bonus clearing terms very well before claiming their first deposit bonuses. Since these terms and conditions are not that palatable, they are put in fine print, and players must make it a point to read and understand them.

The only way to clear a poker bonus or, in other words, to have it moved from the bonus money account to the real money account is to play as much poker as possible. The online poker room will clear the bonus in increments or in lump sum as soon as players have successfully played the required number of hands. Poker sites award points whenever players play ring games or poker tournaments and players are required to collect points equal to their bonus amounts multiplied by a certain number. For instance, if players have claimed a first deposit poker bonus of $100, they might have to collect 10x the bonus amount in points or 1000 points or more before it can be cleared.

Online poker sites might give players anywhere between 30 days and 90 days or more to clear their bonuses. If players cannot clear their bonuses within that time, they will lose their bonuses.

Therefore, before claiming a bonus, players should carefully calculate how many hands they must play within a particular time frame without depleting their bankrolls to clear their bonuses.