Site Pokerstars
PokerStars expanded its enormous online poker platform into the Keystone State thanks to the recent changes for legal online poker in Pennsylvania.
The company became the first online poker site in the state when went live in November of 2019. The client integrates the online poker site with the FOX Bet app and the PokerStars online casino.
The company provides a similar online poker experience as that of its New Jersey operation when it comes to game selection, banking options, bonuses, promotions and more.
Not only this is the largest poker site in the world, but PokerStars PA is also the place where you find the best poker apps to play from mobile and the largest number of online poker events. Welcome to PokerStars, where you’ll find the best tournaments and games, secure deposits, fast withdrawals and award-winning software. This is where champions are born, and you could be next. You'll also find rules and hand rankings for Texas Hold'em, Omaha and other poker.
What’s on tap for bonus offers?
Players in Pennsylvania have an attractive welcome package along with plenty of monthly reload-match offers.
The reliable software package from PokerStars comes equipped with a plethora of customization options to give the company the advantage in a brand-new market.
The in-house team at PokerStars has also done a fantastic job implementing new varieties and styles to ensure the most significant assortment of game types in the US.
With that in mind, let’s take an in-depth look at the potential bonus offers that you can expect as a new player. Then we will share other promotions designed explicitly for its loyal customers.
Also, we will walk you through the game selection, tournament selection, and payment methods before we conclude our review with poker software and customer support.
PokerStars PA bonus offers
PokerStars entered the Pennsylvania online poker market with some attractive welcome offers, including limited-time freerolls.
There are two deposit bonuses, but players must make a choice between them.
$30 Free or 100% welcome bonus, up to $600
Players can choose between one of two deposit offers. The first offer promises to give players $30 free if they deposit $20 into their new accounts. Use the marketing code FREE30 for this offer.
The other offer is a 100% deposit match up to $600. The marketing code for this offer is STARS600. However, as is the case with most deposit matches, there is a significant playthrough requirement attached to this promotion.
So, players will have to decide how they want to proceed. Honestly, though, there really isn’t a wrong choice.
PokerStars marketing code
| Online Poker | PokerStars PA |
|---|---|
| PokerStars Marketing Codes | FREE30, STARS600 |
| Welcome Offer | $30 free after $20 deposit OR 100% match up to $600 |
| Last Verified: | March 2021 |
PokerStars game selection in Pennsylvania
Even though players are most excited about the classic poker variants, other variations are expected to make their way to Pennsylvania on the PokerStars platform.
In fact, PokerStars in New Jersey currently impresses with the biggest selection of online poker varieties with a total of 17 games.
You should be able to find the perfect online poker game by using built-in filters to find games by type, the maximum number of players, stakes and buy-in levels. Furthermore, you will have the option to hide full tables for added convenience.
Online poker enthusiasts in Pennsylvania will also have the same features and customization options as players in New Jersey when it comes to saving filters for future use.
The wide range of poker games that will likely make their way to Pennsylvania include:
- 2-7 Single Draw
- 2-7 Triple Draw
- 8 Game Mix
- Badugi
- Five Card Draw
- Five Card Omaha
- HORSE
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi/Lo
- Razz
- Stud
- Stud Hi/Lo
- Hold’em
We anticipate that No-Limit Hold’em will dominate the games lobby where limits should range from $0.05/$0.10 up to $25/$50. However, Limit Hold’em will also be quite popular among players with stakes going as high as $100/$200 on most days.
The table limits for these games will coincide with the limits for Texas Hold’em. However, it will greatly depend on player traffic and the variant you wish to play on the day.
Player traffic at PokerStars PA
Once PokerStars in Pennsylvania launches, you should see more than 400 players on various cash games at any given time.
Player traffic generally peaks between 7-8 p.m. That’s when you should see an increase to 700-800players, if not more.
Over the weekends, player traffic should even increase to around 1,000-1,200 players at any given time.
During the first week of play, PA’s numbers outpaced NJ and had more than 500 players on a weekday.
Tournament selection at PokerStars Pennsylvania
Poker tournaments are going to be one of the most attractive features for the online poker community in Pennsylvania. These should eventually become ever more populated.
To successfully build a robust tournament schedule, along with a selection of options, there needs to be a sizeable player pool to join in on these events. As we’ve all witnessed with new online poker rooms, it takes time before poker tournaments gather momentum.
However, with PokerStars aiming to become the biggest online poker operator in the Keystone State, we expect to find a wide variety of tournaments with some sizeable prize pools.
Poker tournaments are ideal for transforming a small buy-in into a massive payday. This is especially true for tournaments that come equipped with guaranteed prize pools.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the poker tournaments that should make their way to Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania’s Championship of Online Poker
The PokerStars platform in the Keystone State already provided a Championship of Online Poker tournament series to players in the newly legalized state. The first PACOOP blew the guarantees out of the water, leading PokerStars to bump them up twice from $1 million to $1,225,000.
Sunday tournaments
Sundays are the most important day when it comes to online poker in New Jersey; we expect that it will be the same in Pennsylvania.
You will notice that all the Main Events will occur on a Sunday at PokerStars Pennsylvania, usually between the hours of 6-8 p.m. every week. The required buy-ins will likely range between $5-$250, depending on the size of the prize pool that should be worth $10,000 or more.
You can also participate in multiple satellite tournaments throughout the week. These award entries into the larger tournaments on Sunday for a fraction of the original entry price.
Spin & Go tournaments
Spin & Gos are considered the most popular tournaments at PokerStars New Jersey. We believe that these will eventually prove just as popular in Pennsylvania.
The welcome bonus at PokerStars PA is the same at PokerStars NJ, a $10 bonus for Spin & Go play.
These tournaments are essentially the same as Sit & Gos, complete with a smaller number of players and much faster gameplay.
The initial buy-in should be relatively low, while a multiplier spin feature will determine the prize pool. The multiplier value can reach up to 1,000 times the current buy-in value.
Michigan Pokerstars Website
Multi-table tournaments
Once player traffic reaches a sizable figure within the Keystone State, PokerStars will provide an arsenal of multi-table tournaments (MTT). MTTs will impress with smaller buy-ins and bigger payouts due to the size of the player base involved.
As you play and advance throughout the tournament, you will be seated with winners from other tables. You eventually will make it to the final table or you fall out due to running out of poker chips.
MTTs take a lot longer to complete when compared to Spin N’ Go tournaments.
Install Pokerstars Com
Daily tournaments
There should be hundreds of smaller daily tournaments available, allowing you to enjoy poker variations like Omaha or Texas Hold ’em in the Keystone State.
These tournaments will come equipped with extremely low buy-in requirements and a decent prize pool. PokerStars is already renowned for providing the most extensive selection of tourneys in the Garden State, so we expect the same for players in Pennsylvania.
Your daily tournaments should also include a good mixture of change-up, turbos, and knockout tournaments.
Mobile compatibility
The PokerStars software should provide Pennsylvania customers the convenience and flexibility to play on their desktop computer, along with the ability to play via a mobile browser-based website and mobile app. Apple and Android apps are available.
The PokerStars mobile poker app will give you access to all the cash games and tournaments. Also, you can claim promotions, contact support, make deposits, request withdrawals and more. The mobile poker apps should run smoothly, much like the Pokers NJ app.
PokerStars payment methods
In a state with many available banking options, PokerStars made it a point to have a variety of choices from the outset.
The professionalism of PokerStars shines brightly when you look at how quickly it handles deposits and processes withdrawals through the poker software.
That efficiency should surely be the case for Pennsylvania players, regardless if you are using your desktop computer or mobile device.
Deposit methods at PokerStars PA
- ACH e-check
- Cash at the Mount Airy cage
- Neteller
- PayNearMe
- PokerStars’ instant online banking
- PokerStars Online Play+ card
- Skrill
- Visa or Mastercard
One missing PA option for now is PayPal, which is available in NJ.
Each deposit method will allow you to deposit funds instantly without having to worry about any hidden fees or charges from the operator’s end. Each payment method is safe and secure.
All of your financial and personal details will be safeguarded using SSL-encryption technology.
Withdrawal methods at PokerStars PA
- ACH e-check
- Cash at the Mount Airy partner’s cage
- Neteller
- PokerStars online Play+ card
- Skrill
When it comes to withdrawing your winnings, PokerStars PA will be able to process your payment within 24 hours. Examining the NJ site, you should receive your winnings within 3-10 working days, depending on your preferred payment method.
E-wallet options will reflect in your funds within 48 hours, while ACH can take up to five days to clear your funds.
Customer support at PokerStars Pennsylvania
The customer service center at PokerStars is renowned for providing professional support quickly and effectively. We expect the support desk at PokerStars PA to be no different.
You’ll be able to reach a PokerStars representative in several ways to ensure your query or request is dealt with as soon as possible.
The contact methods should include:
- Live chat facility
- Email support
- Telephone support
The customer service center in Pennsylvania should be available 24/7. Alternatively, you should also have access to a comprehensive FAQ section on the official site. It can assist you with a range of queries from registering a new account to making a successful withdrawal with step-by-step instructions.
- Poker Bonus
- Game Selection
- Support
- Banking
Summary
PokerStars in Pennsylvania follows in the footsteps of its New Jersey counterpart and offers one of the best online poker sites in the state. Likewise, bonuses are generous and simple to clear.
PokerStars is facing a $1,000 fine in New Jersey for allowing two self-excluded customers to play on the site, one of whom gambled more than $500,000 as a result.
In January, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) issued a notice of violation to the online operator’s parent company The Stars Group over the incident, which took place in 2019. During that time, PokerStars encountered a technical a glitch on its system, which enabled both players to access the site despite being on self-exclusion. One customer managed to spend over $500K in online casino bets
In September 2018, the gambler in question requested a cool-down period of six months on PokerStars. The customer then asked to be self-excluded completely from the online platform in February 2019, a month before the initially requested six-month cool-down period would expire.
PokerStars should have placed a self-ban flag on the account, but it failed to do so due to technical issues. Hence, the six-month cool-down period still applied.
In July 2019, the player contacted PokerStars’ customer support to have his account reactivated. His request was granted and he was able to play again. The customer gambled on PokerStars for a ten-month period from July 2019 to April 2020. He wagered more than $550,000 in online casino and also placed over $91,000 in online poker stakes. He also deposited $11,450 and withdrew $112.97.
Official Site Pokerstars
PokerStars reported the incident to the DGE in May 2020. By that time, the customer was no longer allowed to make any further transactions using his account.
The DGE’s Notice of Violation states that PokerStars profited over $16,000 from the player during this period and now the agency has ordered the online platform to disgorge that amount, apart from paying a $1,000 fine.
This is not the first time that PokerStars has been slapped with a fine by the DGE. The poker room was also fined $25,000 in 2017 for allowing out-of-state players to gamble on its New Jersey site. Two years later, the agency imposed a $10,000 fine on the company over college betting in the state.
Violation Unintentional
Pokerstars Site Crash
PokerStars said that the violation was committed unintentionally as a result of a technical issue, relating to a software upgrade. The said glitch was discovered when the site was conducting an audit of its customer database.
The online platform said the player’s self-exclusion request came on the day the software upgrade was being carried out. But the upgrade attempt failed, and the site failed to place the proper self-exclusion flag on the player’s account. This allowed him to gain access into his account and continue playing on the online real money platform.