PokerStars Summary
PokerStars is currently the largest online poker room in the world, attracting more than 150,000 active players at peak hours from all around the world (US players accepted). PokerStars operates on its own private network and software platform that is unsurpassed in stability, features and functionality, not to mention speed. The online poker room is the home of the most lucrative, longest running weekly guaranteed tournament, the PokerStars Sunday Million. PokerStars has an extensive game variety, with all variations available in tournaments as well as ring games.

PokerStars Software
PokerStars is powered by its own privately developed software that goes far and beyond that of the standard poker clients. It’s fast, extremely stable and highly functional, packed with customizable features to fine-tune any poker player’s experience. PokerStars takes great pride in listening to their members and providing frequent updates to make the software even better on a regular basis. In 2007, PokerStars introduced the long-awaited Mac-compatible software version to match its Windows platform.

Players can take notes during play and view a plethora of personal statistics. The hand history function is as about as good as you’ll find anywhere, with a graphic interface and replay of hands. PokerStars is also compatible with just about any poker odds software available. The poker lobby supplies all vital statistics – viewed-flop percentages, average pot size and hands played per hour. Highlight a game to see the seated players, their respective chip stacks and who is waiting to be seated.

The multi-table options are well suited and user-friendly, allowing up to 8 simultaneous ring games at once, plus an unlimited number of tournaments. The graphic are clear and crisp even when using 4-tile mini-view windows. Players can customize their multi-table views and preferred seating position so that every game starts the same, without the need to readjust any settings.

PokerStars Bonuses & Promotions
New members of PokerStars can take advantage of a welcome bonus of 100% up to $50 using the Bonus Code “First2008”. The bonus is released once the player has earned enough points to equal 10 times the bonus amount. For example, it would take 500 points to release the full $50 bonus, 250 points for a $25 bonus. Points are accumulated in raked ring games and by paying tournament fees. New players have 6 months to release the bonus before it expires.

PokerStars offers a lot of valuable promotions on a consistent basis. Leaderboard competitions are held in both MTT and SNG tournaments, worth millions of dollars to the top players. PokerStars is always hosting satellite competitions awarding seats in the biggest live poker tournaments around the world (WSOP, EPT, WPT, LAPT, AAPT, etc…) On occasion, PokerStars will offer reload bonuses to their current members, usually worth around 15%-35%. An email notification will be sent out to all members of PokerStars when these offers are available.

PokerStars Ring Game Variety & Traffic
PokerStars offers a much better variety of games than the standard online poker room, and as an added bonus, all game variants are offered in tournament play as well. Choose from Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, 5 Card Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw, Razz, HORSE and HOSE. The games vary between all limits with 2 to 10 players per table. Stakes star at micro-limits (no rake taken) of $.01/$.02 scaling up to $100/$200 for the high rollers.

Being the world’s largest poker room, you can expect to find active tables in all game varieties and stakes 24/7. PokerStars averages 22,500 real-money ring game players at peak hours as of June 2008. Loose competition is easily found in low to mid level stakes, especially in Limit and No Limit Hold’em games.

PokerStars Tournaments & Traffic
You simply can’t beat the tournament schedule at PokerStars, offering everything from valuable Freerolls and Guaranteeds to Turbos, Bounties and Satellite competition vaulting players into bigger tournaments – even the world’s most lucrative live poker events like the WSOP, EPT, WPT, LAPT and APPT. Sit’n’Go tournaments are constantly ongoing, offering both single and multi-table games that are quickly populated and, in the case of low stakes action, where the juiciest competition is found, quickly rewarding as well.

PokerStars hosts Freerolls three times daily worth $250 a piece, and a $1,000 Freeroll every Saturday. There are many satellite-style Freerolls as well, granting player free entry to bigger events. Guaranteeds come in all sizes, with prize pools ranging from a few thousand to $1,000,000 at the famous PokerStars Sunday Million, held every weekend with a direct buy-in of only $215. Members are also very fond of the Sunday Warm-Up that kicks off every Sunday morning with a $500,000 GP.

Note: PokerStars is offering 2008 WSOP Satellites until June 30, 2008. 2008 WSOP Freerolls will take place until June 21, 2008. Don’t miss your chance to win a prize package to the most prestigious live poker tournament on the planet, the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event.

PokerStars attracts a whopping 155,000 real-money tournament players at peak hours (as of June 2008). The SNGs are extremely popular among tournament players, while MTTs rarely see an overlay. As far as loose competition is concerned, the lower the buy-in/prize, the juicer the opposition. Moderately prized Freerolls are especially loose. The bigger tournaments, like the Sunday Warm-Up and Sunday Millions, become downright fierce towards the final tables.

Support
The customer support at PokerStars is a win/lose situation of sorts. Starting with the bad news, PokerStars only offers support via email. On the Brightside, however, the staff is incredibly fast to respond, with professional, friendly and accurate answers to all inquiries.

Payment Methods
PokerStars offers a full range of deposit and withdrawal methods (US players accepted).

Deposit Methods: Visa (Credit, Debit, Gift, Pre-Paid), MasterCard (Credit, Debit, Gift, Pre-Paid), Diners Club International, Maestro, Solo, ClickandBuy, NETeller, Moneybookers, PaySafeCard, Web Money, ELV, Local Bank Transfer, Online Bank Transfer, Bank Draft, Cashier’s Check or Money Order.

Withdrawal Methods: Visa, Maestro, Solo, ClickandBuy, NETeller, Moneybookers, Web Money, Direct Bank Transfer or Check.