The Bonus Hunter, Vol. 8 – PokerStars

I received a special request to review the PokerStars bonus this week, however there needs to be a better reason for me to review a site than simply because I haven't reviewed that particular site yet. So I glanced at what PokerStars was offering to PokerNews readers, and was glad to find out that there is some serious value to offer to crafty bonus hunters in addition to their initial deposit bonus.

As an patriotic Australian, I have a vested interest in promoting the biggest poker tournament Australia has to offer each year, that being the Aussie Millions $10,000 Main Event at Crown Casino each year in January. When I realized PokerStars was running an exclusive $15,000 Aussie Millions freeroll, along with a number of other valuable freerolls available only to PokerNews players, I was sold. I've played in a number of PokerNews exclusive freerolls, and I can tell you that the fields are small and the odds are great for picking up massive prize packages to tournaments around the world.

But we are all bonus hunters here, so I'd better review the PokerStars initial deposit bonus first, before discussing the extra value that the freerolls represent.

The PokerStars initial signup bonus:

If you signup to Poker Stars through PokerNews, once you reach 100 Frequent Player Points (FPPs), you'll receive a $25 bonus as well as access into the Team PokerNews $15,000 Aussie Millions Freeroll, access to the PokerNews $15,000 PCA WPT Freeroll as well as monthly $2500 freerolls.

PokerStars also have periodical reload bonuses which never expire and are always good value to a bonus hunter.

Clearing Rates:

The PokerStars bonuses don't clear as fast as the best online poker bonuses, however they are still very valuable as they never expire, so you can 'stack-up' your PokerStars bonuses and clear them when you don't have any other bonuses to clear.

For NL players, the best limit to accrue FPPs to clear your bonus is the 50c/$1 level. You'll clear the PokerStars bonus at the rate of $2 or $3/hour/table playing No Limit at this level.

For Limit players, the best level to clear at is $1/$2 – you'll clear PokerStars bonuses at a rate of $3-$4/hour/table. So, if you play a few tables, you should be able to get the 100 FPPs you require within a couple hours – and the $25 will be credited straight to your account.

Within the PokerStars Cashier, you can easily and quickly track how fast you are accruing FPPs. Your accrued FPPs are updated in real time.

Quality of Games:

PokerStars has had a reputation of having tough games for a few years now, but I've found that, recently, the games across the lower limits are becoming much softer than they used to be. Sure, the higher limit games are still very tough, but you won't be playing those games to clear this small bonus.

PokerStars has been recently challenging PartyPoker for that coveted No. 1 spot, and with that many new players flooding onto the tables, it was inevitable that the lower limits would start to become softer games eventually.

Other Important Info about PokerStars:

Extra value that PokerStars has to offer:

• Monthly $2500 Freerolls for PokerNews players: 8 October at 3pm EST and 12 November at 3pm EST.


• $15,000 PokerNews Aussie Millions Freeroll – scheduled for 9 September at 3pm EST.


• $15,000 PokerNews PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Freeroll (WPT) – scheduled for 10 December at 3pm EST.


• Fantastic Player Rewards Program – players can redeem their FPPs for poker books, poker merchandise or pokerwear as well as using their points to buy into other freerolls and qualifiers.

PokerStars customer support is lightning fast and always of a high quality – they are widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to support.

Cashouts are very fast – sometimes even instant to NETeller.

Strategy Tip 5 – The Preflop Squeeze Raise:

I thought I'd discuss a No Limit preflop play this week which I've been using with great success lately. I discovered this preflop play in one of Harrington's Hold'em books – Volume Two: Endgame and I really enjoy making this play.

The basic preflop Squeeze Play works best out of the blinds but I've also had some success with it in very late position (button or cutoff). The basic play involves you making an aggressive preflop raise (usually with rags) after one of your opponents has open-raised (raised first into the pot) and another player cold-calls the raise.

This play is very aggressive and requires a number of factors to be existent to heighten its chances of success. Firstly, the opponent who is open-raising has to be very loose and aggressive – there needs to be high chance that he doesn't have a strong hand and can't call or re-raise you after you raise. Secondly, the opponent who has open-raised needs to have made his raise from late position – there needs to be a strong chance that he is just attempting to steal the blinds. Thirdly, the opponent who has cold-called the aggressive player's raise needs to be a good player – there needs to be a strong chance the cold-caller is only calling the aggressive player's raise as he knows the aggressive player has a very loose open-raising raise. This lowers the possibility that the cold-caller actually has a strong hand. Fourthly, your table image needs to be very tight – the two players who you are trying to squeeze both have to view you as a rock. Never try this play if you have a loose, gambling, action image.

When you then make your aggressive re-raise, there is very strong chance both players can't call you and you'll pick up a nice preflop pot with rags. If you make sure the above factors are there, you should have a lot of success with this move – you can pull this move once every 50-100 hands or so, but I wouldn't try it too often as good players will start to work you out. However, even if they do start to clue onto what you're doing, they still run the risk of walking into one of your big hands.

Here's an example:
You're playing in a tricky 3/6 NL game online.

It's folded around to a loose and aggressive (but otherwise good) player in the cutoff, who makes his standard pot raise. It's obviously likely that he's attempting to steal the blinds. A good player, on the button, simply cold-calls the aggressor's raise. It's very unlikely that the button player will have a strong hand, otherwise they would raise the loose, aggressive player as just calling with a strong hand in this spot is a poor time to slowplay preflop. So there is a good chance the button player likes his hand compared to the hand range the loose, aggressive stealer is likely to have, but does not like his hand enough to raise.

The SB folds and you look down at your cards in the BB and are delighted to see 93o. Rag hands like this are perfect for Squeeze-Play raises, as if you've gotten the timing wrong, you can easily get away from the hand preflop and, more importantly, postflop. There is now $51 in the pot after the open-raiser bet pot ($21) and was called.

To execute the Squeeze-Play, you raise it to $64 more to a total of $70 (you're already in for the $6 big blind). It is now $49 more to call for the initial preflop raiser. Here is the beauty of the Squeeze-Play: most of the time, you will have caught the loose, aggressive player stealing and he'll insta-fold as you have a tight image and this big raise out of the blinds shows massive strength. Even if he does have a big hand, he may still have to fold as you've shown such strength and he also has to worry about the other player who can reopen the action, even if he calls. This player will fold the vast majority of the time you try this play. The 2nd player will now likely also fold as their hand never wanted to see this much action in the first place, otherwise they would have raised the initial raiser. They likely only wanted to play the initial loose, aggressive raiser and they almost certainly don't want to play the tight rock player who just made a big re-raise from the big blind. The vast majority of times, if you make sure all the conditions are right, both players will fold, and you'll pick up that nice $51 pot.

If your Squeeze-Play raise works, you can then show the table your cards and you are almost guaranteed to get action in the future! It is a great move to loosen up a tight table.

If the Play doesn't work, you shouldn't necessarily give up on the pot if one of the two players call you. If the flop brings an Ace or King without any draws, lead out with a strong 60% of pot into your caller/s and they will be very unlikely to call.

Try it sometimes but make sure the spot is right. And, don't try it too often, or again that session if you've shown the big bluff, as you are going to get too much unwanted action.

Good luck and happy bonus hunting!

• 
• Email to a friend
• Print