Hey, I play a decent amount live and wanted to start playing online. I've read all the stuff about rakeback, but I couldn't find a direct answer so I figured I would post it here.

I already have a PS account, from when I played in some freerolls out of boredom during the day. I have not deposited any money into the account. I know PS does not do rakeback but instead does that VIP program, and I saw that affiliates say they can get you good deals for the PS VIP program if you sign up through them.

My questions are:
1) Is using an affiliate for PS's VIP program any better than just using the program through PS without first going to an affiliate?
2) If so, do I have to sign up for a brand new account (is this even possible), or will simply entering the promotion code into my account when I first deposit the money enough?
3) If I'm SOL because I already signed up for an account, is there anything I can do, short of going to another poker site and starting brand new?

Thanks in advance.

Finally, unrelated to rake-back but I figured I'd put the question up here, I play 2/5 at the casinos fairly comfortably. I'm not going to sit here and say I KILL the game because what's the point in lying on an internet forum to boost your own ego, but I do end up +EV. From what I can tell reading these forums, that means I should be sitting down at .25/.50, at least to start, in terms of comparable skill (I know that it's not quite a direct comparision). Is this correct?

And also, is pokertracker the best for monitoring my play?

I'm going to move your thread again, as I see you're asking about more than rakeback, and I think Beginner's Questions would be a better spot.

Before I do, though, I'll give you my thoughts on the affiliate questions.

You can sign up for Stars through an affiliate that has monthly freerolls, or one that gives you a one-time kickback. You usually have to do this from the beginning, but it wouldn't hurt to email your affiliate of choice and explain your situation; perhaps they can help you.

Either way, that's just a bit of added value, and won't affect the ongoing VIP program in any way. So if you can't get it, it's not like you're giving up huge value.

imo, play at full tilt (and get 27% rb)

start anywhere from 10nl. 10nl seems to be full of regs atm, so that should get you a feel for the skill level real quick. if you think the players are a little soft then move up to 25nl or 50nl.

pokertracker is good, but i recommend holdem manager (i own and use both; HEM is better imo) and they are both super valuable to your online playing. pokertracker has a small stakes version that could be of use to you at the moment (which is cheaper and you can upgrade if you like it)

You can sign up with PS through HEM and get it free,

Or you can sign up for FTP with cardrunners and get free HEM,27%RB and 3 free months of CR.

Those are the best deals IMO:

What is your online BR?

Personally I think 25NL is equivalent to 1/2.

Also online you need a much better BR than live if you only play once in a while.

I have never played 50nl so I cant answer that.

No problem with the move - wherever you want it is fine by me!

My question about PS is that from what I can tell, using the promo code gets you the 100% kickback up to $600. Is there an affiliate that offers a better kickback (and thus is worth e-mailing to see what they can do)?

Does FT take all access gift cards? My bank is one of the "let's be super cautious" types, so using all access gift cards is my plan for putting money on there. From searching the forums, it looks like it's a yes, but that's from 2008/early 2009.

Also, what does HEM offer that makes it so much better? I'll happily listen to the experts, just want to know what's the reason.

Thanks so much for the help.

Thant's not a kickback. That's a first deposit bonus, and you get the same first deposit bonus no matter what affiliate you signed up with.

A kickback is something you can get in addition to the deposit bonus - probably in the amount of $75-$100. And yes, like I suggested, it's worth emailing one of those affiliates to see if they can do anything for you. But I wouldn't let the result determine where your long-term home is.

Thanks for info, a new way for me to earn some extra bucks

I don't know if they take the all access pre paid card I heard the did but i never tried it.

And HEM is pretty much like PT3 but I also has PLO.

I am currently working on my promo from PS.