Online Poker » Site Comparisons » PokerStars vs Sportsbook

VS

Deposit Bonus

PokerStars: 100% deposit bonus up to $600 across your first 3 deposits, as long as you make these deposits within 90 days. You must earn 17 X the bonus to clear it, and it will be released to you in $10 increments. While you only have 90 days to make your first three deposits, you’ll have 6 months to clear the bonus.

Vs.

Sportsbook: 100% deposit bonus up to $500 when you use Sportsbook Poker Bonus code FIRST100. Input this code under the “Rewards” section of the cashier within the “Deposit Bonus” link in order to claim the bonus. In order to clear the Sportsbook bonus, you’ll need to earn points by playing cash or tournaments for real money at Sportsbook Poker. For each point you earn, you will clear $0.06 of your bonus. Your bonus will be cleared in $10 installments, which will be released to you each time you accumulated 167 points. This bonus expires in 90 days.

Verdict: Full Tilt’s bonus is better for those who make smaller deposits. If you plan on making a $500 deposit all at once, go with Sportsbook.

Promotions

PokerStars: PokerStars offers a beneficial and fat promotion schedule with a vast variety of guaranteed prize pool tournaments, satellites to some of the biggest land-based events, freerolls, leaderboard challenges, television spots, and more—the sky’s the limit.

Vs.

Sportsbook: Sportsbook offers satellite events to big-money live poker tournaments like the Irish Open. Qualifiers run to these events all the time. In addition, there are monthly promos hosted by Sportsbook and Gold Chip challenges, as well.

Verdict: PokerStars is a bigger poker room with more players to accommodate, so they have a very nice selection of promotions at any given time. However, Sportsbook is on the Cake Poker Network, which also has an adequate number of promotions to offer.

Software

PokerStars: PokerStars offers one of the best poker software platforms you can find with frequent updates to keep this platform at the height of industry standards. The PokerStars software is a multilingual application that offers optimized graphics, easy to use features, and Mac-compatibility. For multi-tablers, PokerStars players can play on up to 24 tables at the same time.

Vs.

Sportsbook: The Sportsbook Poker software platform is perfectly designed by poker players for poker players, which means it’s not showy but more user-oriented. With function being the primary goal of Sportsbook Poker, the graphics are realistic looking, the games run swiftly, the lobby offers a simple and easy-to-use format, and the features and options are actually very useful to your game.

Verdict: If you want all the bells and whistles that online poker has to offer, then you'll be happier with PokerStars. If you just want a simpler but efficient poker platform, Sportsbook has that.

Tournaments

PokerStars: On Sundays, PokerStars hosts the Sunday $1.5 Million with a $215 buy-in. Also on Sundays, tournaments include the $750K Sunday Warm-up and the $250K Sunday Second Chance, both with $215 buy-ins. Satellites and qualifiers run weekly to all of these events, as do an array of tournament formats and structures to keep all the tournament players busy on a regular basis.

Vs.

Sportsbook: Sportsbook Poker host weekly guaranteed tournaments that payout at least $100,000 in guaranteed weekly tournaments, in addition to the monthly $250K tournament plus more than $5 million in guaranteed tourney each month. Alternatively, there are many tournament formats offered including Bounty tournaments, Kamikaze tournaments, and Lightening tournaments.

Verdict: While PokerStars offers more cash prizes, Sportsbook has a healthy tournament schedule that is up-to-par with PokerStars.

Games

PokerStars: Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo, Stud and Stud Hi/Lo, Razz, 5-Card Draw, 2-7Single and Triple Draw, Badugi, HORSE, HOSE, and 8-game mixed.

Vs.

Sportsbook: Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo.

Verdict: PokerStars offers a lot more games than Sportsbook. Also, PokerStars offers mixed game events.

Points

PokerStars: For every $0.40-$1 in raked hands you pay (per hand) at PokerStars, you’ll get 1 frequent player point; for every $2-$3 in rake you pay (per hand), you’ll get 2 points, and for $5 in rake, you’ll get 3 points. Also, you will earn 5 points for every $1 in tourney fees you pay. The VIP Club at PokerStars is a six-tiered status system that offers benefits as you move up the point ladder including point multipliers, special tournaments, and other extinguished benefits.

Vs.

Sportsbook: Sportsbook Poker is on the Cake Poker Network; therefore, they offer Gold Chips as loyalty rewards, participate in the Gold Card Race promotion, and the Gold Card Lottery. Gold Chips are redeemable for cash and tourney buy-ins.

Verdict: The Gold Chips at Sportsbook offer a more exciting and original loyalty rewards program. However, if you are a heavy player, you will benefit more from the status-based system at PokerStars.

Traffic

PokerStars: ±200,000 players (at busiest times), but averaging around 170,000 during regular times.

Vs.

Sportsbook: ±8,000 layers

Verdict: PokerStars is a massive site with an unfathomable amount of players. If this sounds intriguing to you, then you will enjoy PokerStars on every level. If you prefer a smaller poker club, Sportsbook Poker would be a better choice.

Rake

PokerStars: Dealt rake.

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Sportsbook: Dealt rake.

Verdict: Rake is comparable.

Rakeback

PokerStars: None.

Vs.

Sportsbook: None.

Verdict: Neither of these rooms offers rakeback.

Deposit Options

PokerStars: Credit cards, moneybookers, NETeller, WebMoney, ClickandBuy, PaySafeCard, EC ELV, Online Bank Transfer, Local Bank Transfer, and Instant e-checks

Vs.

Sportsbook: For US players, VISA and MasterCard are the only options. For non-US players, you may use NETeller, moneybookers, UseMyWallet, and Cash Transfer.

Verdict: PokerStars offers a lot more opportunities for depositing for players from anywhere in the world.

Support

PokerStars: 24/7 email support is available

Vs.

Sportsbook: 24/7 email, live chat, and telephone.

Verdict: Sportsbook offers more support options; whereas, PokerStars
only offers email support.