PokerStars Online Poker Review

Who Should Try PokerStars?

PokerStars offers one of the most comprehensive online poker sites available to US players. Whether you’re looking for cash games or tournaments, PokerStars presents a wide array of games for micro stakes and high-stakes players alike.

No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha cash games run around the clock at PokerStars. Tournament players can find a slate of daily tournaments and Sunday Majors that offer some of the biggest prize pools available on US-facing poker sites.

Sit & Go and Spin & Go tournaments also await at PokerStars. PokerStars’ US sites currently serve New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

PokerStars Online Poker Bonus Code For March 2024

Visit PokerStars to claim bonus – Play 1 Hand, Get $50 Free Play. Terms and conditions apply.

PokerStars Bonus CodeClaim here with our exclusive link
No Deposit Bonus$50 Free Play
Deposit Bonus100% Deposit Match up to $600
What States Allow PokerStars?New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan
Promo Code Verified ForMarch 2024

PokerStars: Bonus And Promotional Grade (4.5/5)

After signing up at PokerStars, you can choose one of two welcome bonuses. The standard PokerStars welcome offer comes as a 100% deposit match up to $600, which is similar to the BetMGM Poker new player bonus offer for fans of MGM online. In Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, poker players can play 1 hand and get $50 in free play.

Like almost all deposit match bonuses at legal online gambling sites, the PokerStars offer includes a playthrough requirement. As you play cash games and tournaments at PokerStars, you’ll accumulate redemption points.

PokerStars unlocks $10 of the bonus on every 140 redemption points earned. This translates to the site awarding $0.35 of the deposit match bonus for every $1 you pay in cash game rake or tournament fees.

A 35% rakeback deal up to $600 represents a solid bonus offer. You’ll have to generate about $1,715 in rake to clear the entire $600, and you have 60 days after making your first deposit to unlock as much of the bonus as possible.

Michigan and Pennsylvania players can choose to opt-in to a $50 Free Play bonus, which awards $50 in tournament and Spin & Go tickets after playing your first cash game hand. In New Jersey, PokerStars presents $30 in free play on a deposit of $20 or more.

You can only choose one welcome bonus at PokerStars. If you plan on playing a lot of poker, the 100% deposit match up to $600 is the way to go.

PokerStars: App Grade (4.5/5)

Out of all forms of legal online gambling, poker on a mobile app might be the toughest to pull off. While operators like PokerStars have honed their desktop poker sites through decades of experience, mobile poker apps present a different set of challenges.

The PokerStars app presents online poker as well as could be expected in mobile format. You can multi-table up to four games on your phone, and up to five if you’re playing on an iPad.

Most of the games from the desktop version of PokerStars also appear on the mobile app. A few variants, like 8-Game Mix, are missing, but overall the PokerStars mobile app brings all the different Texas Hold’em and Omaha variants from the browser-based client.

Apple iOS device owners can find the PokerStars app in the App Store. Apple users rate the app at 4.5 out of 5 stars, an average from more than 14,000 ratings.

Android users can find the PokerStars real-money app at the Google Play store. The desktop version of PokerStars allows players to use tracking software and includes a few more game options than the mobile app.

The overall PokerStars mobile app package, however, is about as good as it gets for online poker.

PokerStars: Cash Game Depth And Variety Grade (5/5)

If you’ve played on the PokerStars platform that’s available outside of the US, you’re probably familiar with the vast number of different poker variants offered on the site.

PokerStars’ US sites carry that tradition over to domestic shores, with an unrivaled selection of different poker games. The most popular cash games at PokerStars include No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, but the overall selection goes well beyond those variants.

You can find Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, 2-7 Triple Draw, 8-Game Mix, and Stud on the cash game menu at PokerStars. The highest limits for any cash game on PokerStars’ US sites can be found at the $100/$200 8-Game Mix.

The lesser-traveled variants on the menu often display empty tables, but the seats and the opportunities are there. If you can find a few players that want to play high-limit 8-Game Mix, Limit Hold’em, or Limit Omaha, PokerStars presents a platform on which to do so.

No-Limit Hold’em cash games run from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50. You can find games running up to $2/$5 at most times of the day. Pot-Limit Omaha games up to $2/$5 are generally available during evening hours on weekdays and most of the day on weekends.

Tournament Depth And Variety Grade (4/5)

Multi-table tournaments represent the world’s most popular way to play poker. The weekly tournament schedule at PokerStars can sometimes include more than 200 events.

You can find a tournament running at virtually all hours of the day at PokerStars. The New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan schedules vary slightly, but PokerStars tournaments generally offer some of the biggest player fields and prize pools among US-facing poker sites.

The Sunday Majors highlight the biggest day on the weekly schedule at PokerStars. The $100 buy-in Sunday Special offers the biggest guaranteed prize pool across all daily tournaments on the site, with $50,000 guaranteed every week for Michigan and Pennsylvania players.

The biggest tournaments of the year generally play out in the biannual Championship of Online Poker series. Much like the PokerStars international site, the COOP series hits all of the US-only PokerStars platforms in the spring and fall.

The 2021 PASCOOP and MISCOOP (PA and MI Spring Championship of Online Poker) each wrapped up with Main Events that went well past the guaranteed prize pool. Each series offered the Main Event at a $300 buy-in, with $200,000 guaranteed.

The PASCOOP ($284,200 final prize pool) and MISCOOP ($243,880 final prize pool) Main Events both drew big attendance, and that trend will likely continue for the foreseeable future at PokerStars US sites.

PokerStars: Deposit And Cashout Grade (5/5)

The top legal gambling sites in the US offer multiple ways to deposit funds and cash out after you win. PokerStars stands among the best sites in the nation in this category, with several different methods to conveniently fund your player account.

Deposit options include online banking, PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, and the Skrill eWallet. Each of these methods puts the deposited funds in your PokerStars account instantly.

Real-money gambling deposits can occasionally be rejected by the issuing bank. With so many different ways to deposit, however, most players shouldn’t have a problem depositing at PokerStars.

Aside from credit/debit cards, all of the payment processors listed above can also be used to cash out.

PokerStars: Overall Grade (4.6/5)

LegalOnlinePoker.com awards PokerStars an overall grade based on an average of the categories explored in this review.

PokerStars’ US sites shine in the categories of cash game variety and deposit/withdrawal options. The welcome bonus offers a solid deposit match, and the PokerStars app functions as one of the best mobile poker experiences in the US market.

You won’t find seven-figure guarantees for the most part on the PokerStars US tournament schedule. Major tournament series like the Championship of Online Poker do, however, draw some of the biggest attendance and prize pools in the US-regulated online poker market.

Overall, PokerStars presents a top-tier legal online poker site for US players.

How To Play At PokerStars

  • Finding the PokerStars app – You can find the desktop version of PokerStars as part of the integrated FOX Bet/PokerStars Casino app in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The mobile app version can be downloaded from the App Store (Apple iOS) and the Google Play store (Android).
  • Registering for a PokerStars account – Signing up with PokerStars will require a valid email address, first and last name, and last four digits of your Social Security number.
  • Making your first deposit and claiming the welcome bonus – Use the PokerStars promo code provided by Gaming Today to unlock the 100% deposit match bonus up to $600. You can use the promo code with any available deposit method. Go to the “Cashier” tab at the top right of the lobby to browse the different deposit options.
  • Finding a game – The tabs at the top of the PokerStars lobby separate the games into Cash Games, Sit & Go, Spin & Go, and Tournaments. You can click on the drop-down menus under those tabs to further fine-tune the game filters.
  • Cashing out – You can withdraw funds from PokerStars using any of the available methods under the “Cashier” tab at the top right of the main lobby. Most withdrawal methods come with a 2-5 business day turnaround time.

Is PokerStars Legit?

PokerStars operates the world’s largest online poker site, available in many areas of the world outside of the US. The PokerStars main client isn’t available to US players, but PokerStars does offer state-specific online poker sites in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

PokerStars’ US sites are operated by the Stars Group, the same company that runs PokerStars international family of sites. PokerStars as a company falls under the banner of Flutter Entertainment, a giant in the international gaming industry.

PokerStars stands alongside brands like FanDuel, Betfair, and Paddy Power under the Flutter Entertainment banner. These names represent some of the most recognizable and reputable online gaming brands in the world.

Flutter Entertainment wouldn’t allow the PokerStars name to adorn a poker site that didn’t operate legitimately. All of PokerStars US-facing sites are regulated and audited by gaming regulation agencies in their respective states.

Playing at PokerStars New Jersey, PokerStars PA, or PokerStars Michigan ensures a legitimate playing experience. You can deposit your money at PokerStars knowing that your money, personal information, and the games themselves are safe.

PokerStars FAQ

Is PokerStars legal in the US?

Yes. PokerStars operates legal online poker sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Each of those states offers a dedicated version of PokerStars, and you must be located within one of those states while you play.

For example, only players located in Michigan can play at PokerStars MI.

What kinds of games are available at PokerStars?

PokerStars offers cash games, multi-table tournaments, Sit & Go, and Spin & Go games. Most of the cash games and tournaments that run feature No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha.

Many other poker variants can be found on the cash game menu at PokerStars, however. Some of those options include 8-Game Mix, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Limit Hold’em.

Can I play at PokerStars from my mobile phone?

Yes. PokerStars offers a mobile app version of its poker site in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Apple iOS users can find the PokerStars mobile app at the App Store. Android device owners can download the PokerStars real money poker app from the Google Play store.

Do I have to be a resident of New Jersey to play at PokerStars NJ?

No. You only have to be located within New Jersey borders while you’re playing at PokerStars NJ.

PokerStars uses geolocation technology to determine your location while you play. If the geolocation service detects that you’re outside the state, it will block you from entering a game.

The same in-state provisions apply to PokerStars PA and PokerStars Michigan.

How old do I have to be to play at PokerStars?

21 or older. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan all require a minimum age of 21 to play at any legal online gambling site.

Does PokerStars offer a welcome bonus?

Yes. Using the PokerStars promo code offered here at LegalOnlinePoker, you’re eligible for a 100% deposit match up to $600. Terms and conditions apply.

About the Author

Geoffrey Fisk

Geoff Fisk is a San Diego-based freelance writer, specializing in the poker and gambling industries. He’s written for numerous platforms and has traveled the globe as a live poker tournament reporter. Geoff’s interests include the legal online poker industry in the U.S. and abroad.