If you spend a lot of time at casinos, you know that if you are a frequent visitor the casino will offer rewards, otherwise known as "comps" to keep you coming back. A comp is short for 'complimentary', and is given based on how much the casino thinks you are worth to them. Unfortunately, the people who are worth the most are obviously the ones who spend (lose) the most at the casino! Comps work a bit different for those of you playing online poker, but it is still free money for players who know where to look. Free money is nice, even for poker players who earn the majority of their bankroll through playing solid poker strategy. Let's consider a few online poker comps below.
Poker Bonuses
This is the most obvious of the online poker comps. Almost every site hits you with a bonus offer on your first visit or right after you have finished the download. Most of these come in the form of a matching deposit bonus. Most require a poker bonus code. Sometimes the poker site itself will offer a default bonus code, but your best bet is to do a little searching. For example this Titan Poker coupon code gives you access to not only the maximum deposit bonus, but also access to private tourneys, freerolls and league games.
Not only should you search for the best code, you should also carefully examine the release requirements for each bonus. Some bonuses are instantly released to you upon depositing, but most require you to play a certain number of hands. The terms of the bonus will let you know what you are getting into. If you have any doubts, do not be afraid to email the poker site's cashier or support staff and ask for clarification.
Poker Rakeback
The poker rooms have bills to pay and they collect money for those bills in the form of "rake". Each time a pot reaches a certain level, the house will take a portion of it. This portion is usually not more than about 5%-10%, but this adds up quickly when the poker room is dealing thousands of hands per hour. As the name implies, if you sign up for this particular comp, you will end up getting a portion of your rake back. Just about every poker room has a rakeback plan. Some are listed below.
Absolute Poker Rakeback: Absolute Poker has an excellent rakeback plan. Not only can players earn rakeback, but they can also earn bonus at the same time with no penalty or deductions. The maximum rakeback offer is 30%.
Full Tilt Rakeback: Full Tilt is one of the largest three online poker rooms in the world. Besides rakeback and bonus, you will be able to watch some of the top poker pros play or even sit at the same table with them. The maximum rakeback at Full Tilt is 27%.
Ultimate Bet Rakeback: Ultimate Bet is one of the oldest online poker rooms and is frequented by players like "the poker brat" Phil Hellmuth and popular female player, Annie Duke. The maximum rakeback allowed at Ultimate Bet is 30%.
No Deposit Bonuses
This comp is for those of you out there who would like to try online poker without having to worry with depositing. Several poker rooms and even casinos have a no deposit offer that will let you play for real money, risk free. Their goal of course is to hopefully get you to make a deposit later. Taking advantage of no deposit poker bonuses is a great way to give online poker a trial run. Got a little gambler in you? Check out the no deposit casino listings. If you like what you see you can make a deposit and take advantage of the bonuses and rakeback comps.