While the judge’s scorecard between FullTilt and PokerStars might look a bit even in terms of deposit bonus scoring, PokerStars is the clear favorite when it comes to reload bonuses. PokerStars offers a half match reload bonus up to $300 for poker players wishing to reload their PokerStars player accounts. FullTilt Poker, on the other hand, is absent a regular reload bonus.

PokerStars Reload Bonus

The PokerStars reload bonus is a half-match, where they will provide a 50% bonus up to a maximum of $300 in bonus money. Thus, you deposit $600 into your Stars account and will receive $300 in reload bonus money to play through.

As was the case with the PokerStars first time deposit bonus, you may achieve your maximum reload bonus through multiple deposits, as PokerStars allows up to three deposits within ninety days to reach the full $300 in reload bonus money. A player has 180 days to work through the reload bonus at PokerStars. The 180-day clock begins at the time of deposit, so a player making multiple deposits will have multiple expiration dates on his bonus money.

In order to work through the PokerStars Reload bonus, the PokerStars player must accumulate VPP’s. In the instance of the reload bonus, a player must accumulate 25 VPP’s for each $1 of bonus released. In order to clear the full reload bonus amount, a player must earn 7500 VPP by playing the cash games, multi-table tournaments, as well as Sit and Go tournaments at PokerStars.

Translated to an absolute dollar amount, each VPP is worth four cents for the purposes of the Stars reload bonus offer. As was the case with the new deposit bonus at PokerStars, VPP’s may be accumulated at the cash tables, as 1 VPP is awarded when the table’s rake hits 40 cents, while a second VPP is awarded when rake totals $3 ($2 if on a short table). A third VPP is given when rake hits $5, as it can do on the high stakes tables at PokerStars. Tournament and Sit and Go players at Stars will earn five VPP for every $1 in tournament fees paid.

In addition to the regular reload bonus PokerStars currently offers, VIP Players at PokerStars additionally have opportunities to cash their PokerStars Frequent Player Points in for special bonus offers. While this bonus is not a true “reload” bonus, it is yet another way PokerStars puts bonus money into your player account. Silver VIP members at PokerStars may receive a $50 reward bonus via PokerStars VIP Program, while Supernova-Elite players on Stars can buy a $4000 bonus to work through at PokerStars. No such VIP bonus is available by way of the FullTilt Poker store.

While Stars and Tilt were nearly evenly matched in terms of initial deposit bonuses, PokerStars clearly takes down the round when it comes to reload bonus offers. Advantage Stars in the battle of the reload bonuses.