Online Gambling Guide > Online Poker Reviews > PokerStars review
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Poker Stars Awards
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Best Poker Tournaments - Poker Stars Poker Stars received the Best Poker Tournaments award for running the biggest online poker tournaments known to man. Best Poker Traffic - PokerStars The Best Poker Traffic award was given to Poker Stars for supporting the largest player base in the world. |
Poker Stars Review
Visit Poker Stars
Updated July 8 2010
Reviewed by Michael
Poker Stars hardly needs an introduction. It is one of the largest and most well-known poker rooms in the world. Its connections with the World Series of Poker and other major tours give it a lot of publicity and the site’s global advertising campaign brings the brand to millions of people every year. All this hype creates high expectations among players – the question is, are these expectations met?
Software
Poker Stars runs on its own software and operates on its own network. The software must be downloaded and installed before members can play. Both Windows and Mac versions of the poker software are available. The quality of the software is simply unmatched. The main interfaced uses tabs for easy navigation, but most actions are done though a huge menu at the top of the screen. This menu gives players instant access to every single feature of the site, and lets them change dozens of settings to customize things to their liking. Players can even change the ‘skin’ of the site to completely alter how the tables look. Take notes, check hand histories, connect to the VIP store, search for players, and much more.
Games
Upon logging in to the Poker Stars software, players are confronted with a list of hundreds of cash tables, all sorted by game style (Hold’em, Omaha, Stud), game type (Fixed, No Limit/Pot Limit, Play Money), and table limits (High, Medium, Low, Micro). The Tournament tab offers an even bigger list, and again all games are sorted by type. Regional tournaments let players enjoy poker in with other people from their part of the world. VIP and Private Tournaments offer exclusive action for top players. Satellites let members play for seats in major poker tours all over the world. The range of games available at Poker Stars just has to be seen to be believed.
Bonuses and Promotions
Poker Stars focuses a lot more on time-limited promotions and special tournament events than on standard bonuses. In fact their signup bonus is quite average: a 100% match up to $600 across each new player’s first three deposits. There are no top-ups to speak of, though the site does run a comps program that can eventually lead to VIP rewards. But as far as promotions go, they just never seem to end. Each week new events are introduced, from special games and online championships to satellite events and massive tournament series with prize pools of $1 million or more. This keeps things fresh, and players always have something new to look forward to at Poker Stars.
Customer Support
Customer Support is Poker Stars’ weakest link. Because their network is so large, they would have a hard time maintaining a live chat system. Unfortunately, the alternative they chose to go with is email. Players can send emails with their own email system, or can use a submission form built into the poker software. The turn-around time for support emails is generally quite fast, but it hardly replaces phone support or live chat. At least the site offers a lot of online FAQs and guides to help players who don’t mind fending for themselves.
Banking
Poker Stars accepts players from dozens of countries around the world, and its banking system differs from place to place. Credit Cards are accepted in most areas, along with bank drafts and sometimes even personal checks. Online banking systems that players can use include ClickandBy, MoneyBookers, NETeller, EntroPay, PaySafeCard, and UKash. Players should check their country’s page on the Poker Stars website for full details. One limitation that is universal across all payment processors and all countries is a $10 minimum deposit. Players are given the option to choose their own maximum limits.
Conclusion
Poker Stars does, for the most part, live up to the hype. In terms of software, games, and promotions, this site is second to none. The site is not without problems though. The issues come from the fact that it is such a big site – this makes things like customer service suffer. It is also much more impersonal than many of the smaller poker rooms on the net. It is nonetheless a very strong internet poker room, and it comes highly recommended for beginners and pros alike.
Poker Stars Overview
Visit Poker Stars
About Poker Stars 
Poker Stars is a downloadable online poker room and casino using Proprietary Software licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. It is owned by Rational Enterprises.
| Gaming License: | Kahnawake |
| Software: | Proprietary |
| Owner: | Rational Enterprises |
| Type of Gambling: | Online Poker |
| Network: | Proprietary |
| Download: | Yes |
| No Download: | No |
Preview of PKR Poker
 Poker Stars Website |
 Poker Stars Software Lobby |
Poker Stars URL
Current Bonuses at Poker Stars
| First Deposit: | 100% Max. $600 bonus code - STARS600 |
| Reload: | Occasional |
| Promotions: | PokerStars Sunday Million, Moneymaker Millionaire, World Championship of Online Poker, PokerStars Millionare Quest, World Bloggger Championship of Online Poker (WBCOOP), 5 Billion Hands Poker Promotion, Cavaliers Fan Poker Tournament, etc |
| Refer A Friend: | $75 - Sign up @ PokerStars to get paid for referring friends |
| Loyalty Program: | Poker Stars VIP Club |
Games Available at Poker Stars
| Texas Hold'Em | Omaha | Omaha Hi/Lo |
| 7 Card Stud | 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo | Five Card Draw |
| 2-7 Triple Draw | Razz | HORSE |
Languages Supported by Poker Stars
 English  Spanish |
 French |
 German |
Deposit Methods Supported by Poker Stars
 E-Check  Central Coin  Visa Electron  Diners Club  Maestro |
 instaCash  Visa  MasterCard  Solo  Check |
 Neteller  Visa Delta  ePassporte  Switch  Bank Draft |
Withdrawal Methods Supported by Poker Stars
|
Switch Visa Check |
Maestro Neteller E-Check |
Solo ePassporte |
Currencies Accepted by Poker Stars
$ USD
Support and Contact Information
| Support | support@pokerstars.com |
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