Click here for your PokerStars Deposit Bonus: 100% up to $50

About PokerStars
Despite the fact that they are independent of any networks, PokerStars is the largest poker room in the world. And they still accept U.S. players. Being the world's largest site, obviously the traffic is massive. Real-money player statistics as of August 2008 show 22,500 ring-game players at peak hours and 155,000 tournament players at peak hours.


PokerStars Games
You'll find Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7Card Stud, H.O.R.S.E., H.O.S.E., 2-7 Triple Draw, Five-Card Draw and Razz. games start for as little as $0.01/$0.02. Full-table games are available, as well as short-handed and heads-up tables. No rake is taken from the micro-limit tables. As a matter of fact, PokerStars boasts the lowest rake in the industry. Ring games at the higher levels tend to present some pretty tough competition, typically having lower-than-standard players-to-the-flop percentages. The lower stakes games are a bit looser, as plenty of new and inexperienced players are attracted to the site due to it's popularity. Games vary between No-Limit, Pot-Limit and Fixed-Limit.


Tournament Action
PokerStars runs a Million Dollar Guaranteed tournament every Sunday. It's $215 to buy in or you can win your entry through smaller buyin tournaments that run every day from as little as $2. Most of the tournaments that run often have low to medium buy-ins. But there are also plenty of $500+ buy-in tournaments for the big stakes players. Tournament buy-ins range from $1 to $1,000. $500 Freerolls are held 3 times daily costing only 10 poker points to enter, and a $1,000 Freeroll every Saturday asking 50 points. Poker Stars also hosts many satellites to major land-based tournaments, including WSOP, EPT, WPT, Aussie Millions, World Cup of Poker, and World Championship of Online poker. If you win a live poker tournament seat at PokerStars, they will provide your accomodation if you choose to wear their gear in the event, which is a nice change from some sites that simply insist.



Software
The PokerStars software is extremely fast, reliable, and secure. The data and statistics give you every piece of info you need to select the right game for your style of play. The lobby supplies player notes as well as game statistics. Resizable tables allow for multi-tabling and supports up to eight cash games at a time and at an unlimited amount of tournaments. Players can upload their own images to use as their personal avatars. The software is available for both MAC and PC.


Support and Customer Service
Issues and requests are handled via e-mail support.


Rewards and Promotions
Frequent Player Points are part of the Frequent Player Program of the site. Players earn FPPs for each qualifying raked real money hand they play. Points can be used to enter other tournaments or to buy items from the PokerStars Store. They offer reload bonuses, which are typically 20% up to $120, and they generally occur about once every month or so. PokerStars runs a VIP club that rewards players as they progress through the various tiers of membership. You can become a bronze, silver, gold or platinum star before reaching the Supernova and Supernova elite levels. The more points you earn, the greater the rewards you become eligible for. Some of the pros who play on PokerStars include Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Isabelle Mercier, Barry Greenstein, Humberto Brenes and William Chen.


Banking Options
Minimum Deposit: $25
Banking options include NETeller, ePassporte, Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, Western Union, Bank Transfer, PaySafeCard, Online Bank Transfer, Solo, Delta, Visa Electron, Instant eChecks and Money Order/Cashier's Check.

Click here to visit PokerStars

i'm playing a private tournament at pokerstars, and it is like being at a live table. there is about a minute of lag between hands, and i like the extra time to think about the previous hand. though i will not see as many hands consequently.

i was just eliminated on the river by a four outer after getting my opponent committed and then all-in on the turn ... i love poker, lol!

That's a very good report on PokerStars! I've played there for a year or so off and on. I started out on line poker with PokerStars. I haven't been playing there much since the first month or so that I started playing on line, due to playing some other sites and having to work for a living too. I'll probably start playing there more this winter(construction worker in IL) because I'll have more time now.

To add to the Tournament segment:

For those here that might be interested.... PokerStars also has micro tourneys scheduled. There are $.10 entry fee ones (with $50 added) scheduled at 4 AM, 10 AM, and 4 PM. They have a daily $.25 entry (with $100 added) at 10 PM and a $.50 one at 8 PM (all times are eastern).
Don't want to wait for scheduled tourneys, or want to play micros with a lot less people entered? They have sit & go tourneys all the time, for example, you can get into a $.10 sit & go that starts as soon as 360 players sign up(and it doesn't take long at all to fill em and pays out 36 places, first being $8.50) The $.50 tourney has a prize pool of $1200 to $1600 depending on amount of players and so on with the other $.25 and $.10 entry tourneys. check em out when you get there. Not a bad place to start out there.