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- Software
- Traffic
- Games
- Promotions
- Stability
- Security
- Customer Service
- Poker Tracker Compatibility
- Ability to Multitable
- Multiple Accounts
- Tournaments with Overlays
PokerStars Software
The PokerStars software is very user-friendly and nearly seamless.PokerStars is first and foremost a Windows driven system. However, PokerStars on OSX or PokerStars for Mac machines are available for download from the PokerStars site itself. PokerStars' software requires Mac OS 10.4.10 or later to run. At this time, PokerStars java, PokerStars Linux and PokerStars Ubuntu based native languages are not available and PokerStars has no immediate plans to incorporate such software into their system. Players running Linux may wish to use a PokerStars Wine configuration to run the PokerStars software.
PokerStars layouts are found in the main lobby toolbar under "View" and are called PokerStars Table Themes. There are currently 16 different PokerStars themes to choose from, so it should be easy for each player to customize their tables for their own comfort. Players can also upload their own PokerStars backgrounds for use on their tables. Unlike some sites, players are not represented by a PokerStars avatar, but rather by a PokerStars icon or PokerStars image. Players can select and upload any image they want, as long as it passes PokerStars' standards for acceptability and good taste. Beneath each image, are the player's PokerStars names, which that player will always go by. PokerStars allows only one image change and players may not change their screen name once accepted.
PokerStars has three different card-fronts to choose from, including 4-color, standard and an alternative card-front. Players may also change the card-back color to any of six different colors. PokerStars notes are easy to bring up by double clicking on the player image or name, right-clicking the player or by clicking on the "Notes" tab in the lower left and scrolling to the player. The note function has an auto-wrap function. There is also, now, a PokerStars hand replayer [it's in beta], that allows players to play back any hand at their table. In the upper-left part of the table screen is a red button that takes you to the replayer.
There are not currently any PokerStars keyboard shortcuts built into the software. However, players looking for PokerStars hotkeys can find several solutions through third party software, although whether certain programs are allowable at PokerStars, is up to the discretion of PokerStars.
The PokerStars lobby is chock full of information. There is a task bar along the top with a lot of sub-menus to make your experience at PokerStars easier. Among the best inclusions are the availability of your PokerStars hand history information and your PokerStars player stats. Both the PokerStars stats and hand history information are valuable tools for correcting your leaks.
Each of the table tabs from cash games to events allow players to filter their menus according to each player's tastes. Want to concentrate on NL Holdem only? You can set each menu's filters to only show NL tables. Looking for 6-Max games only? Once again, the PokerStars menu filters are very powerful in helping you identify the tables you want to play with a few clicks of the mouse.
Finally, PokerStars is constantly improving their software and functions available to their players. A PokerStars update will generally run every few days and it's so fast and convenient that you won't lose any valuable playing time whatsoever.
PokerStars Traffic
PokerStars is, by far, the largest and most popular poker site on the internet. On any given day at any time, more than 60,000 players are on line and most times more than 200,000 players. With this tremendous traffic, players can find the games, tournaments and SnGs at any time day or night.PokerStars Games
PokerStars offers a variety of cash games, tournaments and SnGs. Players can play real money PokerStars games as well as PokerStars playmoney games.Players can gain access to PokerStars play money chips by sitting down at any play money tables and clicking on the dealer's tray. Should you run out of playmoney chips, you may click on the dealer's tray again and PokerStars will allow you to get more play money up to three times per hour.
PokerStars offers a variety of cash games with Texas Holdem being the most prolific. Players can find Limit Holdem tables from $0.02/$0.04 to $1000/$2000. Players who prefer No-Limit will find games from NL2 to NL40,000, whereas Pot-Limit players can find PL25 to PL600. These tables include full ring, 6-max and Heads-up tables. PokerStars heads up tables offer lower rake than 6-Max and full ring tables. PokerStars also offers a wide variety of non-Holdem games and traffic in most venues are the best on the internet.
PokerStars offers a wide variety of SnGs with player able to play everything from heads up, satellites, including the great PokerStars steps SnGs which allows you to turn a small buy-in into a big pay-out or tournament ticket. Players can find massive 180 and 360 player SnGs and turbos. Players can play Double or Nothing SnGs which requires a special PokerStars double or nothing strategy, because these SnGs are completely different in terms of how you play them.
PokerStars is the king of online tournaments. The PokerStars tournament schedule is filled with buy-ins, formats and prizepools certain to cater to all bankrolls, big and small. Players can play in the weekly Sunday $1.5 Million either by direct buy-in or satelliting in. Freerolls, FPP and inexpensive $0.10 tournaments are available for the players of smaller bankrolls.
PokerStars Promotions
Players at ITH are entitled to a PokerStars bonus of 100% up to $600 by utilizing the PokerStars marketing code>/b> and PokerStars bonus code provided below.Simply click on one of our banners or links and start your PokerStars download at the ITH/PokerStars webpage. Once the download is complete, you are ready to start the PokerStars install process.
Once you have installed PokerStars, you are ready to set up your PokerStars account . The software will open into the PokerStars lobby and you click the "Login" button in the lower right. This will bring up a process wizard for setting up your new account.
It is important when you get to the section listed as "How did you find out about PokerStars" that you enter the code ITHBONUS in the PokerStars marketing code box on the bottom. This is, for all purposes, the PokerStars promotion code. Once you open your account by following the PokerStars procedures, you are ready to deposit.
Having filled out the account registration, PokerStars will give you a list of depositing options to choose from that are geared towards your geographic location.
The PokerStars first deposit bonus is 100% up to $600. In order to receive the PokerStars deposit bonus you need to enter the PokerStars bonus code STARS600 into the Bonus Code box above the Submit and Cancel buttons. Your deposit bonus will be added to your cashiering screen and you can track your progress from within that screen.
It is important to note that there is no PokerStars rakeback available, so taking advantage of their bonuses, reloads, VIP Program and our ITH Free Gift Offer are the best ways to enhance your earning potential at PokerStars.
ITH Free Gift Offer
PokerStars currently belongs to the Free Gift Offer at ITH. Players who open a real money account with PokerStars through one of ITH's links or banners and deposit a minimum of $50 are eligible for the Free Gift Offer. Players will need to accumulate a minimum of 250 FPPs to qualify for the Free Gift Offer.
After satisfying your requirements, simply go into the Free Gift Offer webpage and click on the "Finished the Requirements? Claim Now!" button and fill out the criteria to receive your free gift.
Restrictions: Players who have already opened a play money or real money account at PokerStars are not eligible for this offer. If you already have an account, opening up a new account with a different username does not make you eligible for the free gifts. This offer is exclusive to www.InternetTexasHoldem.com so you must use one of the links provided on this website. Accounts set up through other websites are not eligible for the free gifts. Please ensure that you follow the directions provided to ensure that you receive proper credit for the free gifts.
PokerStars Sunday Million
PokerStars offers the biggest weekly tournament online every Sunday. Although still referred to as the PokerStars Sunday Million, this tournament is actually a $1,500,000 Guarantee. Players can buy in directly for $200+$15 or satellite in through a wide variety of means. The tournament runs every Sunday at 4:30PM EST.
PokerStars 2009 World Championship of Online Poker
The world’s premier online poker tournament series returns, and this year the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker will be bigger than ever. This is the King of PokerStars promotions where the rewards are huge and the best players gather to play for millions of dollars. In this year’s series there’s a guaranteed combined prize pool of $40,000,000 and you can qualify for as little as $1. Legends of the game will be made, fortunes won, and you can be part of it.
WCOOP 2009 will run 45 events, including three High Roller events, and will conclude with the No Limit Hold’em Main Event which has a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000,000.
For a full list of the PokerStars WCOOP schedule please click here.
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure [PCA] is held every January at the Atlantis Resort and Casino. The PokerStars PCA attracts some of the best players around the world for their headline event. Team PokerStars members attend the PCA each year and in 2008, Team PokerStars Member Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier won the $2,000,000 Main Event. Look for satellites to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
PokerStars Asian Pacific Poker Tour
The Asian Pacific Poker Tour [APPT] starts with PokerStars' Macau tournament.
Season 3 of the record-breaking PokerStars APPT starts August 2009 - and you can qualify now with PokerStars satellites, available now in a range of different buy-ins that give everyone a chance to win a seat at an APPT event - no matter what level you play or the size of your bankroll.
The new season sees a return to all of the biggest stops from Season 2, kicking off with Macau on August 24. In addition to China, the tour will also visit Seoul in South Korea, Auckland in New Zealand, a new stop at Cebu in the Philippines and Sydney in Australia.
PokerStars European Poker Tour [EPT]
Poker Stars is currently hosting daily satellites for EPT Season 4 events with buy-ins starting from as little as $7.50.
Season 6 will see the PokerStars EPT return to all of the most popular venues on the circuit - places like London and Barcelona. But this time round PokerStars has added some new locations to the mix, including Kiev and Vilamoura in Portugal. The tour will also once again include a trip to The Bahamas for the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. As ever, Season 6 will finish with the prestigious Grand Final - an event with one of the biggest prize pools in poker.
PokerStars Poker Tours Expanding
In addition to the Asian Pacific Poker Tour and the European Poker Tour, PokerStars offers other Poker Tours to their players:
All of these great tours are open to every player who can win a satellite or pay their direct buy-in costs. With so many new tours and poker stops world-wide to choose from, there is only one question left to be answered. Do you have space in your passport?
PokerStars Battle of the Planets
Get ready for blast off, because the new weekly PokerStars Leaderboard promotion is truly out of this world. The Battle of the Planets gives PokerStars SnG players a chance to compete against each other for prizes worth more than $3,000,000 per year.
In the Battle of the Planets, PokerStars multi-player SnG tournaments have been separated into eight divisions, all named after planets in our solar system. Everyone can take part in the competition, no matter how high or low stakes they play. Each planet represents a different range of buy-ins, from Mercury ($1-$2.99) to Jupiter ($300+).
Each of the eight planet divisions are split into two individual Leaderboards. The first is the Low Orbit Leaderboard, which is tailored towards casual and recreational players. The second is the High Orbit Leader Board, which is more suited to high volume players.
Each planet division has its own weekly prize pool, distributed evenly between the two Leader Boards. This gives all players a chance to win some serious cash prizes, no matter what their level of experience or the size of their bankroll.
But that’s not all. Every player that finishes in the top 10 of any weekly SnG Leaderboard will receive an exclusive ticket to a monthly tournament. This Battle of the Planets will see the highest ranking players from each division come together to fight it out in a triple shootout, for a monthly prize pool of $50,000.
Here’s how it works:
Every time you cash in a regular multi-player SnG with fewer than 40 players, you will receive Leaderboard points. You have a set number of games to accumulate as many points as you can in a given week, starting at 12:00:00AM Sunday and finishing at 11:59:59PM Saturday.
Low Orbit Leader Board:
For the Low Orbit Leader Board, your points total is recorded in blocks of 20 tournaments. You may play up to five 20-tournament blocks per division in any given week.
The 20-tournament blocks will be recorded in sequence, i.e. 1 to 20, 21 to 40, 41 to 60, 61 to 80 and 81 to 100. Only your best block score will count towards the Leader Board, and only completed blocks of games will be eligible for the leader board.
For example:
You play 42 tournaments in a given week, and they were all 9-handed $5 tournaments. You therefore have completed two 20-tournament blocks for the Venus Division: Low Orbit Leaderboard. The completed blocks were games 1 to 20 and 21 to 40. The block in which you scored the most points will be the one that gets ranked on the Leaderboard.
The final two tournaments were not part of a complete block, so they do not count towards the Leaderboard.
High Orbit Leader Board:
For the High Orbit Leader Board, your points total is recorded in blocks of 100 tournaments. There is no limit to the number of high volume blocks you can play in a given week, and no limit on the number of divisions in which you can participate.
The 100 tournament blocks will be recorded in sequence, i.e. 1 to 100, 101 to 200, 201 to 300 and so on. Only your best block score will count towards the Leaderboard.
Example 2:
You play 106 tournaments in a given week. They were a mixture of 9-man and 18-man tournaments, but all of them had a $25 buy-in. The first 100 tournaments comprise a complete block for the Neptune Division: High Orbit Leader Board.
The final six tournaments were not part of a complete block, so they do not count towards the Leader Board.
PokerStars Refer A Friend
Unfortunately at this time there is not a PokerStars referral program. Should this change in the future, we will update this information.
PokerStars Stability
PokerStars has been in the business since 2001. With the best customer service in the business and a strong commitment to it's players, most players who have played at PokerStars over the years will agree. PokerStars is a name they trust and a site they feel secure to play at.PokerStars holds its license with the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.
The Gambling Supervision Commission is an independent corporate body initially established in 1962 and consists of a Chairman and four members.
The Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency located between England and Ireland in the Irish Sea. The Island has the world’s oldest continuous parliament called Tynwald which legislates for the Island.
The regulatory core principles the Commission upholds are:
to keep the gambling industry crime free,
to protect the young and vulnerable, and
to ensure that the facilities offered by license holders are fair and that players receive their true winnings.
Online Gambling licenses are only awarded to companies that have passed a rigorous vetting process. The Online Gambling act 2001 provides that the Gambling Supervision Commission shall not grant a license to any company unless it is satisfied:
(a) that the company is under the control of a person or persons of integrity;
(b) as to the beneficial ownership of the share capital of the company;
(c) that the activities of the company are under the management of a person or persons of integrity and competence; and
(d) that the company has adequate financial means available to conduct online gambling of the descriptions in question.
PokerStars Security
All communications between PokerStars client software running on client computers and their servers is encrypted.Security Highlights:
Software Download:
The first point at which security becomes an important factor is when the client software is downloaded from the PokerStars site. PokerStars ensures that the client software is downloaded unmodified. To address this requirement, they built the following features into the download process:
For Internet Explorer the validity of downloaded executable is verified by the browser using their key and Thawte certificate
For other browsers PokerStars uses a 1024-bit RSA key and a Thawte server certificate to protect their HTTPS web server & download.
Play-time security:
PokerStars has a number of built-in features to ensure the security of the game itself:
The PokerStars client software uses the certificates issued by their own Certificate Authority (CA) to authenticate their servers
PokerStars' CA certificate key is 1024 bit length.
The client software uses the industry standard SSLv3 protocol. It is configured to use RSA for authentication and key generation and triple-DES (EDE3, in outer-CBC mode) for encryption. Currently PokerStars is using 512-bit RSA key, which is sufficient for short and medium-term (up to several years) secrets. As PokerStars update server private keys every three months, they are secure with a good safety margin. The use of Triple-DES EDE3 for session encryption is considered even safer.
No private data, such as pocket cards, is ever transferred to other players.
PokerStars prohibited software is listed on their website. Along with PokerStars prohibited software, they list the PokerStars allowed software that players may use.
PokerStars Customer Service
PokerStars customer service is among the best in the business. Customer service is handled via PokerStars email and average response times are generally under 30 minutes and consistently within 15 minutes. Although there is no PokerStars phone number for PokerStars support, players have access to a FAQ system that can answer a fair number of common questions. PokerStars help is available around the clock, so if a problem occurs, email PokerStars and your problem will be addressed quickly.PokerStars Poker Tracker Compatibility
PokerStars is fully compatible with all versions of Poker Tracker. Players can track their ring games and tournaments through Poker Tracker 3. Players still using Poker Tracker 2 still get access to both tournaments and ring games for Texas Holdem as well as Stud and Omaha.Ability to Multitable at PokerStars
Player may play on as many tables as their computer and monitor can handle. In fact, certain players have set up incredible promotions of turning small sums of money into huge sums by way of playing as many tables as they possibly can.Multiple PokerStars Accounts per Household
PokerStars has security features set up to disallow PokerStars multiple accounts to operate from the same computer. Players wishing to set up multiple household accounts with PokerStars will be asked a variety of questions regarding the relationship between the players involved. If PokerStars grants multiple household accounts, players will not be allowed access to the same tables.PokerStars Tournaments with Overlays
A tournament overlay is the result of guaranteed prize money that is not offset by the participant's buy-ins. As such, all freerolls and FPP freerolls always offer an overlay.As the largest internet poker site, Poker Stars has a vast array of online tournaments. It is a rare occurrence for a PokerStars tournament to show an overlay. In fact, in a lot of their guaranteed prizepool tournaments, it is commonplace to see their guaranteed amounts doubled or tripled, especially on the weekend.