Hands down the most famous online poker site in the world, PokerStars continues to be the market leader when it comes to providing cash and tournament action. Arguably the only operator to come out of the Black Friday injunctions with its reputation mostly intact, PokerStars has long set the standard for how an online poker site should treat its customers
Officially accepting real money players in December 2001, PokerStars was originally part of a Costa Rican company, Rational Enterprises, which was majority owned by the Israeli Scheinberg family.
The site enjoyed a significant boost in popularity after online satellite winner, Chris Moneymaker, won $2.5 million at the 2003 World Series of Poker after qualifying for just $35 on PokerStars.com.
Continuing to operate in the US after the passing of UIGEA, PokerStars was shut down during the Black Friday indictments but successfully negotiated a settlement with the government and refunded its players. These days, the company is owned by Amaya Gaming and has branched out into casino and sports betting as it aims to get more recreational players involved in online poker.
PokerStars has long been the standard bearer when it comes to online traffic, with a seven-day average of 15,000 players almost seven times that of its closest rival at the time of writing.
During that week-long period, PokerStars recorded 24-hour peak traffic of 24,497 users and the site also holds the accolade of hosting the largest ever online poker tournament with 149,196 entrants.
PokerStars features an unrivalled selection of games and stakes to ensure all players are well catered for, with cash game stakes starting from $0.01/$0.02 and tournament entries beginning at $0.11.
Where applicable, all games are available in No Limit, Limit and Pot Limit formats, with the biggest games on offer currently being $50/$100. Tournament festivals on PokerStars also regularly feature events with four-figure entry fees, which can be bought into directly or via cheaper satellites.
PokerStars leads the way for both tournament selection and weekly guarantees, with millions in guaranteed prize money being given away every single day of the week in special tournaments.
With regular series like the Daily Bigs and Hot Turbos always offering guaranteed prize pools, the jewel in the crown is reserved for the weekend major schedule, which culminates in the Sunday Million – online poker’s richest weekly tournament with a guaranteed of $1,000,000.
Although primarily seen as a site for tournament players, PokerStars also offers a huge depth of cash game options, with various limits, games, speeds and formats available to ring game enthusiasts.
In addition to its regular offering, PokerStars also provides fast-fold cash game tables, meaning players can get more hands in per hour and don’t have to wait during pots that don’t involve them.
While some players preferred the more detailed graphical touches of Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars has always featured a clean and simple design that makes it exceptionally easy for players to use.
Navigating the vast lobbies is made simple by a handy filter system, while tables can be re-sized, stacked or tiled to suit players’ needs. The site is also available on iOS and Android operating systems, with the app being fully customised for the mobile poker experience.
PokerStars are incredibly keen to get new players signed up to the site and offer a huge welcome bonus that includes a 100% deposit match up to £400 on your first three deposits.
Additionally, providing players load their account with £10 or more, they’ll also be eligible for £20 worth of free play, meaning they can test out a range of games on the site absolutely risk-free.
As you’d expect, PokerStars offers a range of deposit options that are suitable for Australian players, with Visa and Mastercard both supported in addition to conventional bank and wire transfers.
A number of leading eWallets are also compatible with the site to give Aussie players an even greater range of options, with Skrill, Neteller and POLi all among the most popular methods.
| Ukash | VISA | MasterCard | Laser Debit Card |
| Cheque | POLi | Neteller | Skrill |
| Bank Transfer | Wire Transfer | EWire | CashUp |
| Entropay | ClickandBuy | NetPay | PayPal |
| PayBox | Diners Card | PaySafeCard |
Absolutely. PokerStars operates worldwide under licenses from the Isle of Man and Malta and has a proven track record for doing right by its players.
PokerStars offers an industry-leading choice when it comes to game selection, with Texas Hold’em and Omaha complimented by Stud, Draw and Mixed Games in a variety of different formats.
Yes. PokerStars is a download-only client and you will need to install the software on your PC, Mac or mobile device to access its features.
Yes. PokerStars has been available on iOS and Android since 2012 and boasts one of the online poker industry’s most intuitive mobile apps.
Unfortunately not. Although deposits can be made in AUD, your chosen amount will be converted into USD once it enters your account. Withdrawals may also incur an exchange rate.
All withdrawals at PokerStars are subject to a pending payment period, but once approved you can expect a speedy payout – especially when using e-Wallets, which are typically credited in 24 hours.
Of course. There is a huge selection of play money games and freerolls on PokerStars and no deposit is necessary to access either of these features.
Yes and then some. PokerStars boasts far and away the largest selection of tournament options anywhere online, including satellites, festivals and weekly majors.
