PokerStars Review

Why Choose PokerStars?

Where do you begin with PokerStars? They've been the biggest online room for well over a decade, and the games keep coming.

Despite a few controversies and player segregations in Europe, PokerStars continues to attract British players in their droves. The games are always packed, cash games are on offer at all stakes, and you can even qualify online for major live tournaments like the EPT and UK & Ireland Poker Tour.

Pros

• The largest poker site on the web
• More traffic than their nearest rivals put together
• Lots of cash games and tournaments to suit all wallets
• Big-money specials like the legendary Sunday Million
• Amazing graphics and lots of features on-site
• Excellent mobile app for iOS and Android
• Top welcome bonus worth £400

Cons

• Controversial scrapping of VIP points
• Very thin spread of payouts in tournaments
• No Live Chat function on-site

Welcome Bonus

There are two separate bonuses at PokerStars.co.uk. New players get a £20 free play bonus if they deposit £10. There are also tokens to play in the £100k Privilege Freerolls.

If you're depositing a little more, there's a 100% welcome bonus worth up to £400. As well as a first deposit, new players from the United Kingdom can make two more deposits and receive bonuses within two months.

Bonus cash is earned by playing tournaments and cash games for real money. The more VPPs (VIP Player Points) you earn, the more bonus cash you can earn back. 300 VPPs are needed to release £10 of bonus cash.

Bonuses and Promotions

It's not just new layers who get to enjoy the fruits of PokerStars' labour. £100,000 was awarded at random to depositors at the beginning of 2016, with a £30 deposit all that was needed to receive a random award.

Controversially, PokerStars revamped its loyalty scheme in late 2015. Many pros, who'd spent a year building up points to reach the top 'Supernova Elite' level, were left angry that the big-stakes games would no longer earn them rewards.

While in the short-term it led to players going on strike, for now it's good news for everyone else. The aim of the site is clearly to attract more recreational British players.

PokerStars' new currency of VIP points is Stars Coin. Special 'Steps' are earned by players to earn Stars Coin. With the new bonus points players can get cashback, tournament tokens and merchandise.

Software

Both Mac and PC players can download a client to their desktops. There's also a solid Unite Kingdom app for download on iOS or Android phones.

The site's recent redesign makes navigating the lobby even easier than before. Handy tabs down the side of the screen get you to the Promotions, Cashier or Customer Support team even quicker.

There's some way before PokerStars 7 is usurped, so enjoy it now. Even the previous lousy games lobby has been revamped, with easy filtering of tournaments and cash game buy-ins. As with other major sites, any third-party software like HUDs are now outlawed.

Customer Support

PokerStars' customer service team is easily accessed via the on-site request form or by email. Support is solid and replies are quick, but a UK Live Chat function is still one of the big things missing at PokerStars.

Cash Games

If you can think of a poker variant, there's a cash game for you. No Limit Hold'em, 7-card Stud, Badugi, and even 5-card Omaha are all available in the cash game lobby. Real-money stakes start from just £0.01/£0.02.

Cash game traffic at the lowest stakes is good, with thousands taking to the tables at peak times to play. A 7-day average of around 21,000 shows no sign of waning any time soon.

Fans of fast-fold poker can enjoy Zoom Poker on-site, with stakes ranging from £0.01/£0.02 to £50/£100.

Tournaments and Sit 'N Go's

Whether you're into £11 Sit 'n Go's, regular £22 MTTs, or big-money guarantees, you'll find a table at PokerStars.

SNGs run round the clock, while much has been made of the site's 'Spin & Go' tournaments. All you need to do is pick a buy-in and cross your fingers that a random jackpot will be assigned to your table. Win the 3-man SNG and the jackpot can be yours.

The big weekly draw is, of course, the Sunday Million. Carrying a £215 buy-in, the Sunday Million regularly attracts thousands of runners each week, but the payouts are notoriously skinny.

If live events are more your thing, however, there's a packed satellite lobby offering cheap ways to win seats into the WSOP, EPT or UKIPT.