At first glance, both FullTilt Poker and PokerStars offer the same first time deposit bonus, which is 100% up to $600. While each full match deposit bonus appears to be the same, are they? Let us examine each new player deposit bonus more closely.

Similarities between FullTilt and PokerStars First Time Deposit Bonuses

As was stated earlier, each room offers a full match up to $600. Moreover, both PokerStars and FullTilt utilize the dealt in method for playing through their respective deposit bonuses, which means a player need only receive cards to receive points towards working off their bonus.

Additionally, both FullTilt and PokerStars credit tournament poker players, as well as Sit and Go players for tournament fees. This means that MTT & SNG players at Stars and Tilt may work through their bonuses by playing the games they are most comfortable with.

How Tilt and Stars Deposit Bonus Differs

While both tournament and cash game players are able to play through $600 deposit bonuses at Tilt and Stars, there are a few key differences between the respective initial bonuses. The first difference comes in terms of timing of the deposit. FullTilt considers the initial deposit only for bonus dollars. PokerStars allows a player to make three separate deposits over a ninety-day period. While FullTilt poker players must deposit in one sitting, players at PokerStars may deposit in moderation, working towards the $600.

In addition to the timing of the deposit, players at FullTilt Poker have four months (120 days) to work through their bonus money. Any bonus that has not cleared within that 120-day period is forfeited. At PokerStars, however, a player has 180 days to clear bonus money. In addition, players making multiple deposits under the new deposit bonus plan at Stars have 180 days from the time of the subsequent deposits. For example, a player depositing $200 today and $400 tomorrow will have 180 days to clear the first $200 from today, and 180 days from tomorrow for the $400 bonus. Bonus money is released in the lesser of 10% or $20 increments at FullTilt, while PokerStars pushes cleared bonus money to players in increments of $10.

Another key difference is the value of points. At FullTilt, players are credited at a rate of 7 FullTilt points per $1 paid in tournament fees, as well as 1 FullTilt point per $1 raked. Each point at FullTilt is worth $.06 in bonus money. A poker player needs to accumulate 10000 FT points to clear the entire $600 in bonus money at FullTilt.

PokerStars tracks bonus-clearing requirements using VPP’s. A player must earn seventeen times the bonus worth of VPP in order to realize its full amount. This means a poker player needs to earn 10,200 VPP in order to collect the full $600 in bonus money from Stars. Five VPP is awarded per $1 in tournament and Sit and Go fees paid, while cash games award 1 VPP at $.40 in rake paid, while awarding a second VPP at $3 in rake, which is full rake for most tables. Shorthanded tables (six players or less) award the second VPP at a rake of $2, as opposed to $3. A third VPP is awarded at $5; however, it is worth noting that a player must play at the $100/200 stakes or above in order to hit $5 in rake. Each VPP at PokerStars is worth approximately 5.8 cents for the purposes of the first deposit bonus.