Are you a bonus code seeker? I got news for you

Are There Any real cash bonuses?

As an online poker player, you know all too well about the shenanigans that most poker sites try to pull vis-à-vis poker bonus codes. Many of those operators try to lure unsuspecting players into the fold with promises of deals with ‘No Deposit Bonus Codes’. Once you have registered and attempt to claim the purported free bonus cash, you are met with terms and conditions (T&C) requiring you to make a specified deposit before you qualify for a poker bonus code.

This can be disheartening as a newbie player and poker aficionado alike. The problem is not that poker bonus codes don’t exist – it’s where to find them. Some offers that appear too good to be true invariably are, as they come replete with complex requirements that need to be met before any bonus cash or winnings are released.

Notorious examples I found of “No Deposit” BC (Countdown)

5. $88 Free + $10 Free

This banner shows a Kicking seemingly enticing offer from this poker room that states you qualify for $88 Free with No Deposit Needed + you get to enjoy $10 Free with its promo code. Upon closer inspection, this is what you need to do to claim this bonus:

• You have to be a new player
• Register
• Deposit $30

The wording of the promotional offer is a little unclear since the $10 Free is contingent upon your depositing at least $30 using the above promotional code. As for the $88 Free, No Deposit Needed, there is scant information on this promotional offer in the aforementioned link. The requirements for the $88 Free are embedded in the T&C.

It’s important to point out that the $88 Free offer is valid for a specific time frame (until April 15, 2015) for new players only. Once you have verified your e-mail address, you have 14 days to claim the $88 Free. What you get, however, is only $2 in real money + $6 in tournament tickets. The remaining $80 bonus is disseminated in $8 increments of $2 cash + $6 tournament tickets for every 250 status points you rack up.

Join 888 and get $88 free

4. $20 Free Bonus

This site signature offers ‘Free $20’. Upon further inspection of this offer, this is what you need to do to claim their poker bonus:

• Register and make a minimum deposit of $20
• Enjoy $20 of FreePlay poker games + one ticket valid for 31 days to the $100,000 Privilege Freerolls

You will have a limited time (by 23:59 ET on 30 April 2015) to act on this offer. The $20 after deposit will be credited to your account within 36 hours, while your $100,000 Privilege Freerolls ticket will instantly be credited to your account.

From the $20, you get $5 of free play every week for 4 weeks. Plus, to qualify for that $5 every week for 4 weeks you will be required to earn 10 VPPs weekly. These VPPs are earned by playing in cash games and tournaments that require you to buy-in with real money. In other words, your $20 deposit entitles you to “apply for” this poker bonus, but you will need to pay to play in order to qualify for these weekly bonuses.

Disclamer: this bonus code didn’t claim to be “no deposit”

Join PokerStars and get $20 free

3. Free Initial Deposit Bonus

Here we have 200% 1st Deposit Bonus up to $5,000. To qualify for this promotional offer, players need to use the bonus code, which offers you a 200% welcome bonus up to $5,000, which means that players can deposit up to $2,500.

What you need to do:

• Deposit $25
• The bonus is paid out in increments of $10 each
• $1 is the equivalent of 150 Player Points
• For every 1,500 Player Points you accumulate, you get $10 ‘Free’

Like other free cash offers, you will be required to play in paid poker games or raked games to earn the player points necessary to clear your bonus cash.

Disclamer: this bonus code didn’t claim to be “no deposit”

Join Carbon and get 200% Bonus up to $5,000

2. £10 Free

This poker room offers players £10 Free. What you need to do to claim this bonus:

• Deposit £10
• Players qualify for Freerolls with $2K prize pools, Club PKR upgrade, and 1,000 PKR points

The actual details of the free £10 are a little more complex. The T&C of this promotional offer states that the free poker cash comprises a $5 cash component and 3 tickets to $0.60 SNGs. These 3 tickets are valid for 7 days. Another 3 tickets will be available for $1.50 SNGs valid for 7 days and another $6 ticket will be issued to the $10K Mini Masters monthly tourney (validity of 30 days).

The initial $5 cash component will be credited to players once they have earned a points playing real money poker. It is not possible to exchange tourney tickets for cash and you cannot withdraw the $5 bonus until you have accumulated 250 PKR Points.

1. £5 Free No Deposit

This offer claims to give away 5 quid, no deposit, real cash. Let’s see what you have to do to get this bonus:

• You have to be a new UK player
• You need to register and include in the field the bonus code

This is up to this point the only absolutely no deposit poker bonus code I found. Additionally, if you make the point this site requires, I think it’s 500 of them, it releases additional 5 more gbp again and again and again, up to a maximum of 100 gbp. Skilled players can do this easily.

Conclusion

As you can plainly see by the multiple examples given above, when online poker rooms offer a bonus worth a certain amount, there is invariably a T&C that must be adhered to. Players are almost always required to play in raked games or cash games with real money buy-ins to accumulate points to release increments of the bonuses.

It is clear that not every No Deposit Bonus Code is worth its weight in gold – some are merely enticements to get you to deposit and play cash games and raked games, and the above mentioned are just some examples.

If you take a step back and make the comparison, however, you can see that I have only found, after some time researching, one poker room bonus that provides you with what they say they advertise. I would do exactly the same, research, research, research, before you are going to take any pence from your pocket on the internet.