Usefulness of Poker VIP
Programs
Poker VIP programs are
designed to reward loyal players for playing
poker. The more poker a player plays at one
site, the greater rewards that player receives
from the VIP program. The usefulness of poker
VIP programs ranges from extremely useful to
almost worthless, depending on the poker site in
question. Generally, the larger a poker site is,
the better its VIP program.
At the
lower levels, all online poker site keep things
basic: a free newsletter, entry to small
freeroll tournaments and things like that. As
the player moves up in levels, those rewards
become better and better. At the highest levels
of a poker VIP program, the player can receive
several thousand dollars worth of benefits every
month.
Overall, poker VIP programs can be considered
very useful. This is mainly because VIP programs
cost nothing to enter. If you earn enough
frequent player points, you will automatically
be rewarded with extra cash and prizes in
addition to your normal winnings. Poker VIP
programs are inherently useful because they have
no cost or downside associated with them.
When
evaluating the usefulness of a poker VIP
program, there are several categories in which
we can rank that VIP program:
New Player Benefits
Poker
VIP programs for new and casual players usually
aren’t super rewarding. You’ll get a few basic
features such as personal customer support,
access to $2500 freerolls and access to the VIP
store. Even though most players fall under the
new/casual category, you shouldn’t give much
weight to this category when determining the
usefulness of the poker VIP program.
VIP Store
Most
online poker sites have some sort of VIP store
at which frequent player points (FPPs) can be
redeemed for merchandise. The biggest poker
sites have awesome VIP stores stocked with
things like new computers, flat screen TVs, free
tournament tickets and much more.
Remember also to look at the lower end items. It
might be cool to see that 52” flat screen TV in
the store, but the lower end items will be the
first things within your FPP budget. Check out
what kind of items the VIP store has for poker
players with just a few thousand FPPs.
Cash and Bonus Rewards
Many
poker sites also offer cash rewards and extra
bonuses to their most loyal players. Absolute
Poker, for example, offers players anywhere from
$50 a month extra to $1,000 a month to its
players. That extra cash comes in handy to
either build the bankroll or earn a little
spending money without placing a drain on your
existing bankroll.
Cash
and bonus rewards should be considered an
important part of your criteria when evaluating
poker VIP programs. As nice as free tournament
tickets and free merchandise is, there’s nothing
that can beat cold, hard cash. Online poker
rooms that offer cash rewards explain all the
details on their websites.
High Volume Player Rewards
Poker
VIP programs are especially useful for serious
and professional poker players. If you play a
lot of poker every month, you’ll want to make
sure your poker site has a decent VIP program.
But take note – no matter how great a VIP
program is, the most important thing is that you
play at a safe, well-known site that has enough
players to keep the games running 24/7.
I’m
going to use Absolute Poker as an example again
because I really like their VIP program. If you
make it all the way to the highest level at
Absolute Poker, you’ll be able to earn $1,000 a
month in cash, receive 5% interest on your
entire account balance and receive VIP treatment
at any major live poker tournaments you play in.
Summary
Poker
VIP programs are extremely useful because they
offer free benefits with no drawbacks. Casual
poker players shouldn’t spend too much time
researching poker VIP programs because the
rewards for casual players are about the same
everywhere. Serious poker players should pay
more attention to poker VIP programs because the
benefits at some sites can be quite lucrative.
|
