What Matters Most? Percentage Match, Dollar Match, or Clearing Requirements?

Several things should be contemplated in determining what poker bonus is best, and these involve considerations of percentage match, dollar match, and clearing requirements. For any online poker player just getting started in his career, a terrific means of increasing his bankroll lies in getting these poker bonuses. While some of them can even exceed or match an initial deposit, the clearing requirements have to be understood.

Percentage Bonuses

The straight explanation for percentage bonuses boils down to a single statement: the more a person puts in on a deposit, the more he gets as a bonus. A great number of online casinos provide alluring percentage bonuses that are connected to such a deposit. Newly signed up members, regular playing customers, and members who throw their cash around can all be rewarded in this way.

Percentage bonuses prove to be those that are determined by the deposit of the player in question. They can add up to a full one hundred percent of the initial deposit, and in some cases, may be greater than the original amount, in excess of a hundred percent. Examples of the ways that these are promoted are as follows:

• Receive a 150% percentage match bonus of as much as $150 on the player's initial deposit. Receive a generous 100% percentage match bonus of as much as $300 on the second deposit.
• Benefit from a full 100% percentage match welcome bonus, valued as much as $200.
• Receive 100% percentage match bonus on the player's initial five deposits, valued to $600.

Subsequently, many online poker establishments will offer recurring deposit percentage match bonuses, as follows:

• After the initial deposit, the player will enjoy a phenomenal 10% percentage match bonus on each deposit for the whole first year, valued up to $500.

Other poker rooms will offer percentage match bonuses for using certain forms of payment, as follows:

• Deposit money through Moneybookers and get a full 20% percentage match bonus, valued up to $400.

Percentage match bonuses are generous since they increase the dollar amount based on the deposit made. The more a player deposits, the more he receives. Percentage bonuses can vary from 50% on up to even 200%. Something for a player to keep in mind is that lower percentage match bonuses are not necessarily negative. Sign up or initial deposit bonuses that come with tinier deposit percentage matches are generally far easier to clear and take out than are the bigger ones.

Dollar Match Bonuses

Dollar match bonuses are clear and straightforward. Players receive a set dollar amount for their payout. These can be offered in a variety of ways. A favorite is the minimum deposit dollar match. A casino might say: deposit minimally $1,000 and get a $200 bonus.

Other poker bonuses might not be tied to a deposit. An example of this is: participate in the instant free play using this no deposit required bonus of $25. Another such example is a Refer a Friend Bonus. It might read: for each time a player recommends a friend to the room, he receives a $20 bonus.

Dollar match bonuses can also be Multiple Match Bonuses. In these bonuses, not only one deposit is dollar matched by an online casino. These bonus dollar amounts might be the same for every deposit, while at other times they might vary. An example is this: receive a $20 match bonus with every $100 deposit, valued up to $200 maximum.

These dollar match bonuses are available in every amount and size. A few casinos keep these types of bonuses for larger deposit amounts. Still others make them available to players at reasonable dollar deposits. These kinds of bonuses are helpful for increasing the account balance at the casino. It can be advantageous to make a larger deposit to qualify for a greater dollar match threshold.

Clearing Requirements/Bonus Requirements

Although the amounts of percentage matches and dollar matches are significant, ultimately nothing matters more than the clearing requirements associated with either type of matching bonus. This is because the bonuses are seldom made available to cash out right away, in particular with larger bonus amounts.

The casino's particular requirements must be met in advance of being able to draw out the bonus. A number of casino poker rooms have a policy of number of raked hands. This means that the player will have to participate in a minimum number of hands of poker where the rake is taken out of the pot in advance of getting paid the bonus. Still other poker rooms utilize a system of player points to figure at what point that the bonus will be awarded.

A final idea to remember is that different poker rooms possess varying requirements on bonus withdrawal. Because of this, the most important element in a poker room bonus is the clearing requirements' terms and conditions. These should be read and understood thoroughly in advance of signing up and making a deposit.

Some poker rooms will clear their bonuses quickly, and this is the ideal situation. Others instead feature draconian rules, with strict requirements that a player will have to meet in advance of being able to withdraw the lauded percentage or dollar matching bonus.