A poker bonus is simply a cash reward from online poker rooms to players who make a deposit.

An integral part of starting an online poker account is making sure that you get the best bonus at the site of your choice.

Unfortunately the process can be complex and those who are new to the online poker scene will likely have a lot of questions. We’re going to cover the fundamental aspects of getting a good poker bonus below.

The Poker Bonus

There are a lot of online poker sites and all of them are fighting for your business. That’s why many of them offer poker bonuses. In a nutshell, a poker bonus is a cash reward paid to you by the online poker room when you make a deposit.

Now, it’s important to note that it’s not always as simple as making a deposit and having the bonus money added to your account instantly. In many cases you need to play at the tables for a specified period of time in order to convert the “pending” bonus money into real money.

What’s with the free money?

An online poker site makes its money from collecting a percentage of the pot at the cash tables and by charging entrance fees in tournaments. That’s the same way land-based poker rooms do business, so don’t feel like you’re getting ripped off. They provide the outlet and in turn take a small fee. It’s standard and it’s fair.

In order to make an online poker room look attractive, players are needed. An online poker bonus is essentially an incentive to get players to the tables. They offer a bonus on your deposit, you sit down to play, other players see that there are lots of players to play with and in turn make a deposit – and the cycle continues.

Types of Bonuses

Match Bonus – You make a deposit and the poker room matches it by a set percentage. For example, if the bonus is 100%, when you deposit $100, the poker room will give you a $100 bonus. You’ll need to play a certain number of hands before you can actually get your hands on the money and that number usually varies by poker site.

Reload Bonus – This typically works the same way as a Match Bonus, but it’s designed for existing players as opposed to players who don’t yet have accounts.

Instant Sign-Up Bonus – Rather than forcing you to play x number of hands, the poker room will give you a real-money cash bonus when you make a deposit. The bonus isn’t usually very large (we’re talking under $10 for the most part) but if you’re good at poker, you can do a lot of damage with the free money.

Referral Bonus – A lot of online poker sites count on word of mouth – even the big ones. They’ll pay you to bring your friends to make a deposit and play online. Typically, the referral bonus hovers around $25-$50 and in some cases the friends you refer are also eligible for a bonus on top of the match bonus they’d get off the bat. Again, it varies from poker site to poker site.

They pay only if you play

Most bonuses aren’t handed to you in one lump sum. In many cases, the cash is released in increments of $5 and you can only get your hands on the real cash after you’ve played a certain number of hands. At some poker rooms, the bonus release rules seem ridiculous so check first before you get too excited about the free $500 you’re about to earn. It could be a ridiculously long time before you see it.

Signing up using a bonus code

To earn a deposit bonus, look for one of the following:

Deposit Code – You’ll find them in promotional emails or by scouring the internet. You can enter the code when you make a deposit and you’ll be awarded the bonus if it’s valid.

Download Link – No crazy codes to remember. Just click the link and you’ll be taken to a dedicated page where you can download the software. The download is tied to a specific bonus so everything is automatic.