When poker players move from site to site picking up bonuses, that is bonus hunting. By grabbing all the bonuses on offer, players can get the most possible profit. Bonus hunting in poker is a concept that is also used for sports betting and online casinos.
Online poker rooms that want to attract players and increase traffic need to have bonuses. Most of the time, poker sites have similar bonuses, but there are a few unique ones.
The main kinds of bonuses poker rooms offer are:
- Matched Deposit Bonus: deposit an amount and the poker site matches it
- Freeplay Bonus: the poker site gives you cash and/or tickets after a deposit
- No-Deposit Bonus: Get cash or tournament tickets without any deposit
Is Bonus Hunting Worth it for Poker Players?
If you are able to have a decent win rate and can afford to pay the rake, bonus hunting can be profitable. The thing is, bonuses are well structured by game operators. Poker sites have a system in place for bonus cash so players need to unlock it by playing. This makes it tricky for bonus hunters to get in and get out quickly.
Bonus cash and rewards are usually released in increments. The more you play, the more rake (poker site commission) you generate. As you generate rake, some of your bonus money will be released to you in small chunks.
For this reason, hopping from one poker site to the next just to collect bonuses isn’t the quickest process. It can still be done, but not in a short-term window.
If you want to go on the hunt for bonuses, it’s a good strategy to start with the biggest and best ones first. Once you’ve unlocked your bonus funds, you can think about heading on to the next site.
888poker is a Bonus Hunter’s Dream
Bonus hunters usually start their journey at 888poker because of the $88 No-Deposit Bonus and soft opponents at lower stakes. There isn’t any other site with a deposit-free bonus this big or easy to get. Casual players regularly cross over to 888poker from the 888sports and casino businesses.
There aren’t many hoops to jump through to get the No-Deposit Bonus. Sign up on the website and make sure your details are all correct because they will need to be verified later on.
You will get instructions sent to your email regarding the $88 No-Deposit Bonus. Some users may receive a slightly smaller bonus depending on where they live.
888poker will give you a nice selection of cash and tournament tickets, delivered into your account in small increments. The great thing is, you can use the bonus to start playing real money poker right away.
Additional 100% Welcome Bonus: Get your deposit doubled and dropped into your account in increments. (Minimum deposit $10)
Partypoker Matches 100% and Gives Your Freeplay Cash
There are two bonuses available at partypoker. This site was one of the first online poker rooms in the world, so you can expect great traffic and game variety here.
The unique one is the $30 Free Play Bonus, which you can get with a minimum $20 deposit. If a $10 deposit is more your size, you can still get a $20 Free Play Bonus. Both bonuses will give you the equivalent value in SPINS tickets, which are 3-way spin & go tournaments.
The First Deposit Bonus is a typical matched deposit bonus. The minimum deposit to qualify is $10 and the maximum is $600. Bonus money is given out in increments just like other matched bonuses.
GGPoker: $50 in Rewards or a 100% Matched Deposit
The player traffic and bonuses are big at GGPoker. You have to make a choice between 2 different bonuses.
- Option 1: Get $100 in tickets and cash games dollars by depositing $20 or more over the first 6 days at GGPoker.
- Option 2: Get a matched bonus up to $600, with a minimum of $20 deposit.
Trying to decide which GGPoker bonus to hunt? Most poker players are going to choose Option 2 since it will reward them with real cash in small increments. Option 1 gives you tickets for a specific poker format called All-in or Fold, which gives players small stacks and high blinds at the table.
America’s Cardroom Biggest Matched Deposit Bonus
The largest matched deposit bonus is at America’s Cardroom, one of the premier US-facing poker sites. They have a solid reputation, lots of casual players, and a big upside for bonus hunters.
The matched bonus is simple; 100% up to a maximum of $2000. Most sites only offer $600-$1000 matched bonuses.
America’s Cardroom is offering such a large bonus because it will take a long time to unlock the full amount. If you are willing to put in the time, there’s a lot of potential profit here.
ACR has good player traffic at their cash game tables and in the tournament lobbies. America’s Cardroom lets you take advantage of the huge matched bonus, while playing on a trusted site.
