Reload Bonus
Reload Bonuses: The Secret to Higher Rakeback
I know a lot of players that, for whatever reason, basically ignore reload bonuses. They think it’s a hassle to redeposit, or to move funds around, or they just don’t see much value in having to clear a $100 or so bonus.
The funny thing is, if you posed the deal to them another way – a higher rakeback rate – they’d probably be all over it. That’s exactly what reload bonuses are at most rooms – a temporary boost to your rakeback rate that you ignore at your own peril.
To show you just how much of a boost reloads can provide, let’s take a typical example. Note that the codes and percentages I mention in this example probably won’t be active by the time you read this article – reload bonuses tend to come and go pretty quickly. The specific bonus isn’t the point anyhow – the point is more to show how a reload bonus can effectively act as free poker money, padding your bankroll with no extra effort on your part save making a deposit.
Ok, so let’s get to the example. Carbon Poker frequently offers reload bonuses; a recent one (SHAN75) offered a 75% bonus up to $750. Let’s say you deposit the maximum and get a $750 bonus. Most Carbon bonuses release at the rate of $1 for every 75 VIP points you earn. What’s that worth to you?
At Carbon you earn 10 VIP points for every $1 you pay in rake. So, you’re getting $1 back every time you pay $7.50 in rake. That translates to 13% rakeback. Not bad, right?
This is a calculation you should be doing whenever you see a reload bonus. You only need to know a few key facts, namely:
– What’s the total amount of the bonus I can earn?
– What rate does the bonus clear at?
– How much rake do I need to pay to clear the bonus?
Once you figure out the above, determining what the bonus is worth to you in terms of rakeback is pretty simple – just take the total amount of the bonus and divide it by the amount of rake you need to pay to clear the bonus.
Ok, so reload bonuses obviously offer great value – what’s the downside? Well, the first is obvious – it’s not a no deposit poker bankroll, so you need to have cash available to deposit to take advantage of the offer. The second is a bit less obvious. It depends on the room and their policy regarding bonuses and deductions from rakeback. Some rooms will deduct the cost of any promotions you earn or cash in from your total rake, which has the impact of lowering your rakeback.
Make no mistake: you always make more money by combining rakeback and bonuses than by getting either alone. However, depending on the room, the overall value might not be quite as high as you’d think due to deductions. Ask your rakeback or bonus provider for the terms of any room you’re interested in so you can make an informed decision.
If a room sent you an email and offered you a reduced rake rate, would you take it? That’s essentially what a reload bonus is, so give that next email you get from a poker room a closer look before deciding that you’re too busy to grab some free poker cash.
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