PokerStars Rakeback
The biggest and best online poker room around, PokerStars, is constantly upgrading their VIP Player Program. With over 100,000 users connected at all times, the site offers a large variety of games and stakes for players of all skill levels. One of the few knocks on PokerStars is the site does not offer rakeback to their players. While there is no formal rakeback system, their VIP Program and Store have many solutions which can result in similar or even higher percentages of rakeback than other online sites.
What the site lacks in a formal PokerStars rakeback, it more than makes up with their VIP Store. The biggest and best store online, players can choose from 100’s of options including bonuses, high-end electronics, tournament tickets, and even a Porsche! Players earn VPPs by playing real-money cash game poker hands and/or tournaments. VPPs are then converted to FPPs based on VIP Levels, ranging from BronzeStar to Supernova Elite. The FPPs one earns can translate anywhere from 10% to over 50% rakeback, depending on VIP Level.
Over the past year PokerStars has changed their system multiple times at the request of their customers. It is now easier to move through the ranks all the way up to PlatinumStar (typically 20% rakeback) and Heads-Up as well as 6max cash games are now being rewarded more VPPs/hand than in the past. It is safe to say PokerStars keeps their players in mind every step of the way.
On top of this great VIP Program, PokerStars recently increased the initial deposit bonus from $50 to $600! Just follow the “PokerStars Bonus Code” link on the left side of this page to find out how you can get one of the biggest deposit bonuses in online poker today!
Breaking Down the PokerStars VIP Program
After singing up at PokerStars players will automatically receive BronzeStar VIP status. The initial level has very few benefits and is more of a stepping stone for newer players. In order to move from BronzeStar to Silver Star players must earn 1,200 VPPs in a given month. VPPs are earned from paying rake in real-money cash games or fees in tournaments or SNGs.
A first VPP is awarded for playing a hand in which the rake reaches:
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$0.40 for fixed limit poker games with stakes $1/$2 and lower
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$0.40 for NL/PL poker games with blinds $1/$2 and lower
- $1.00 for all other games
A second VPP is awarded for playing a hand in which the rake reaches:
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$2.00 for all 6-max tables (this doesn’t apply for games being played 6- handed at 10/9/8 player tables – just at 6-max tables)
- $3.00 for all other tables
A third VPP is awarded for playing a hand in which the rake reaches $5.00.
Those playing tournaments or SNGs, 5VPPs are awarded for every $1 in fees paid. For example, playing a 1-table $25+$2 SNG earns a player 10VPPs. These rates do not change, and VPPs cannot be spent until they are changed into FPPs, which is automatic. Below you will find a chart explaining how many VPPs you must earn to progress through the system and how the VPPS convert to FPPs.
PokerStars VIP Level – VPPs Required – FPPs Multiplier
BronzeStar – None – N/A (1 FPP per 1 VPP)
SilverStar – 1,200 per month – 50% (1.5FPPs per 1VPP)
GoldStar – 3,000 per month – 100% (2 FPPs per 1 VPP)
PlatinumStar – 7,500 per month – 150% (2.5 FPPs per 1 VPP)
Supernova – 100,000 per year – 250% (3.5 FPPs per 1 VPP)
Supernova Elite – 1,000,000 per year – 400% (5 FPPs per 1 VPP)
There it is, quite simple. The higher your VIP Status, the more FPPs you’ll earn per raked dollar. For example, a GoldStar playing the $25+$2 SNG earns 20FPPs (10VPPs*2 = 20FPPs) while a Supernova earns 35FPPs (10VPPs*3.5 = 35FPPs)
You can view your VIP Status at any time by going into your Account Cashier and clicking “VIP Status”. This screen will tell you your current VIP Level, monthly and yearly VPPs earned, and how many more VPPs you need to move to the higher levels.
PokerStars VIP Program – Moving Through the Lower Levels
Getting through SilverStar, GoldStar, and PlatinumStar as quickly as possible should be your main focus early on in your PokerStars career. Moving from level to level is quite simple, earn enough VPPs to move up, and you will. While it may not seem like a big deal, the difference in rakeback % can be great. Those converting their FPPs into bonuses at the SilverStar level earn around 10% rakeback, less than half of that at PlatinumStar (20-25%).
Being patient can certainly turn your FPPs into bigger bucks. Those spending their FPPs at lower VIP Levels (Silver and GoldStar) will not be receiving nearly as much rakeback as they would by waiting to reach PlatinumStar or Supernova levels. For those who cannot wait to spend their FPPs, you’ll find a quick guide on spending them at the lower levels
SilverStar – Those spending their FPPs at the SilverStar level will find few options in the VIP Store. The best option here has to be purchasing one or two educational poker books from the SilverStar section. Books such as the “Theory of Poker” or “The Poker Mindset” can help players improve their game while they move through the smaller stakes games on PokerStars. There is a $50 bonus offered at this level, but at 5,000 FPPs it is clearly not a good option.
GoldStar – The $285 Bonus, costing 25,000 FPPs, is a slightly better deal than the $50 SilverStar bonus. While it might be appealing, those willing to wait for the $650 PlatinumStar bonus will be awarded with an even better rakeback %. All in all there isn’t much reason to spend your FPPs at the GoldStar level, as you’ve shown an ability to generate enough VPPs to reach PlatinumStar in a given month.
PlatinumStar – This is the level where players should start spending their FPPs, especially if they will be unable to reach Supernova over the course of the calendar year. The $650 bonus costing 50,000 FPPs is a nice deal, paying approximately 20% rakeback to the player. This bonus gives a player approximately 33% more rakeback than the SilverStar bonus and about 20% more than the GoldStar bonus. Please note, these bonuses are not instantly turned into cash, they must be worked off by earning more VPPs, although this process is usually quite easy.
For those who will be putting in enough volume to reach Supernova and/or Supernova Elite, waiting to spend your FPPs will pay off big time.
PokerStars VIP Program – Supernova and Supernova Elite
Most poker sites offer anywhere from 20-30% rakeback for their players. While PokerStars does not actually provide a rakeback service, the highest levels or their VIP Program can account for even more than other sites. First of all, Supernova is not an easy level to achieve; players must earn 100,000VPPs over the course of a year to start earning their benefits. For the $25+$2 SNG player we mentioned earlier, this would be 10,000 SNGs, or about 27 per day. Those playing higher-stakes SNGs/Tournaments or cash games can get to Supernova quickly; some have even done it in less than a month!
The $1500 and $4000 bonuses are clearly a great value at these levels, ending up being 25%+ rakeback for players. On top of earning these bonuses, milestone cash bonuses are given to those who earn 200,000-1,000,000 VPPs through out the year. The following is a list of cash bonuses gained at each “milestone” level.
* $800 at 100,000 VPPs
* $2,000 at 200,000 VPPs
* $3,000 at 300,000 VPPs
* $4,000 at 400,000 VPPs
* $5,000 at 500,000 VPPs
* $6,000 at 600,000 VPPs
* $8,000 at 800,000 VPPs
All in all players can earn nearly $30,000 in extra bonuses by reaching Supernova Elite. Reaching the highest level of the program is quite an accomplishment, as it can take over 3,000,000 cash-game hands at some stakes. With great time come great rewards, as players earning Supernova Elite status will make more than $120,000 in bonuses and live tournament entries over the course of the year. The following bonuses are available to those who surpass Supernova Elite and continue to earn more VPPs:
* $10,000 bonus at 1,250,000 VPPs
* $10,000 bonus at 1,500,000 VPPs
* $10,000 bonus at 1,750,000 VPPs
* $20,000 bonus at 2,000,000 VPPs
* $10,000 bonus at 2,250,000 VPPs
* $10,000 bonus at 2,500,000 VPPs
* $10,000 bonus at 2,750,000 VPPs
* $20,000 bonus at 3,000,000 VPPs
All of these bonuses cost 50,000FPPs to purchase and are instantly turned into cash. In the end, players reaching Elite status will be receiving more than 50% rakeback, by far and away more than you’ll find at all major online poker sites. In fact, some players have even reported earning more than 100% rakeback with the help of the Supernova Elite milestone bonuses.
Learn More about PokerStars Rakeback and VIP Club
For more information on earning FPPs, converting them to bonuses, and rakeback percentages, visit the poker strategy forum, FlopTurnRiver. Those wondering how the program compares to the 27% rakeback offered by Full Tilt can find a detailed article there.
Those signing up for the first-time at PokerStars should use the “flopturnriver” Marketing Code as well as listing flopturnriver.com as their online poker forum reference. Using these codes will make new players eligible to play in many of our monthly money-added events including over $1,000 of free-money. These tournaments, along with the added value of the PokerStars VIP Program, are a great way to pad your bankroll while moving through stakes.
