Poker Sites with Cash Back Rewards
The Best Cash Back Deals at Online Poker Sites
For some players, tournament tokens and free (logoed) merchandise are ample reward. Others prefer hard cash! While not as common as it was a few years ago, there are still several poker sites which offer cash back (also known as rakeback) bonuses.
The idea with this type of bonus is that sites return a percentage of the fees that they take from cash game pots and tournament entries, and give them back to players. Loyalty schemes which offer these rewards are often tiered. Players get a bigger percentage of their rake returned as they progress through the levels. Some sites offer a flat rate instead, for example the US friendly America’s Cardroom offer 27% for their players, paid weekly.
Cash back bonuses reward players that put in a lot of hours – and play a lot of tables at once. This style of play is known as ‘grinding’. The idea is that you grind out a small profit at many tables, which adds up to a good hourly rate. One factor to keep in mind is that the sites which offer cash back bonuses encourage grinders to join. This can make the games tighter / tougher overall. Depending on your style, you might find these games less enjoyable than the crazy tables offered by sites which attract more recreational type players.
- Location: Isle of Man
- Established: 2004
- Mark. Code: MIK500
- Traffic: 235,929 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
In the past, PokerStars rewarded super-high volume players with a special ‘SuperNova Elite’ level which would guarantee some very high cash back bonuses. While their VIP club still runs, this has been refocused on the smaller to mid-stakes players. To earn cash back, you need to collect points in real money cash games and tournaments. These can then be swapped for tournament entries, goods from a special store, or for good old fashioned cash bonuses!
At the lower levels you will earn 10% to 15%, which goes up to the equivalent of 25% as you hit the ‘Gold’ and ‘Platinum’ levels. In addition to the cash bonuses, players at each level can access weekly and monthly free to enter tournaments with some big prize pools.
There are a lot of grinders at the tables of PokerStars, though the size and poker pro endorsements keep new players coming in. With amazing software and the biggest poker events online, there are plenty of great reasons besides the cash-back to check out the games.
More About Cash Back Poker Sites
Poker sites offer cash back programs in an attempt to attract as many different types of players as possible. Most poker players like to use their points for free items from the VIP store but there are still plenty of players out there who prefer straight up cash. It’s a nice way to choose your own benefits for playing online poker. The cash can also be used to help you build up your bankroll and move up in stakes faster.
Before you trade in your points for cash, you may want to check the VIP store to make sure there isn’t anything you want in there. In most cases, you’ll get better value for your points by trading them in for items rather than cash. Cash back programs are not a bad deal, but the flexibility offered by cash comes at a premium.
The cash back poker sites listed here all max out at $1,000 per month, which is not too bad at all. If you play a lot of online poker, you can earn a nice extra income from cash back rewards alone. Combine that with your regular poker winnings and it’s not hard to make a few thousand a month playing part time poker.
Pros and Cons of Cash Back Poker Sites
Poker sites have diversified the way that they reward players recently. In fact, many of the sites which once offered cash bonuses now reward players differently. One common format is to use missions. These are small challenges – for example, make a flush in a cash game, or cash in 2 sit n goes in a row. As they are completed, players are rewarded with tournament entries or bonuses. These fulfill the dual purpose of keeping players entertained, as well as adding value. Other attractions include entry to qualifiers for live events – and one off promos, which are often linked to holidays or to major sporting events.
The type of site which offers these ‘recreational player’ bonuses, instead of cash back, generally feature much softer games. If you are an experienced player you will find these games much easier to beat. If you are a less experienced player then you will enjoy them more – and your money will last longer too.
Sites that offer cash back bonuses are ideal for those players who enjoy (and are capable of) multi-tabling. This generates a lot of rake, and increases your returns proportionally. Sites with a lot of grinders can still be beaten, though the bar is a little higher – as there are fewer seats available for fish in each game.