The PokerStars Rewards Revamped!
Global poker players rejoiced when PokerStars did away with its Chests loyalty rewards, and implemented the PokerStars Rewards program. This system was a complete overhaul to how they usually did it. Although many players received it well, not all of the changes implemented were equally popular.
New and Improved Features
The revamped rewards system fundamentally changed how the loyalty program works. Below, we explore deeper how it changed, as well as information on forthcoming tweaks to the Rewards scheme.
What Stays the Same?
The VIP tiers remain at six possible levels starting at Blue and ending in Black, and PokerStars haven’t removed Chests entirely. Instead, these have become a reward that contain cash prizes. Most important of all is that your play is still rewarded equally across poker, sports and casino bets.
What’s Improved?
PokerStars improved the Chest feature so that they aren’t random anymore, and the value depends on the VIP tier, fixed between $0.50 and $250. The rate at which you earn points is also fixed, and now it stays at 100 points per $1 rake. As such, the rakeback is also set at Blue with 15% rakeback, up to Black, which has 25% rakeback.
What’s New?
PokerStars implemented Month Challenges, which can add up to 40% rakeback to your existing earnings. Silver-tier and higher players receive custom rake targets, which they can reach by completing the monthly challenges. These challenges mean you can earn up to 65% rakeback each month.
Changes to the PokerStars Rewards
After the first revamp of the Rewards scheme in 2021, it wasn’t long before players complained about the Monthly Player Challenges (MPC), stating that the benchmarks were too challenging to reach. The problem with MPCs is that they retained the unpredictability of the previous Chests. Plus, they’re tailored according to each player’s playing history and often have high unlock targets.
The consequences of not reaching these targets are also vast. Unfinished challenges mean redemption points don’t carry over to the next challenge. Further, it’s not guaranteed to give all players an additional 40% in rakeback, as some only get 10%.
Weekly Challenges
Considering all of the above feedback from players, PokerStars have decided to change the format of their Challenges. The first effort to improve it involved adding mini-challenges at month’s end. However, PokerStars have since decided to switch to Weekly Player Challenges (WPC).
Players will now have their usual monthly challenges divided into four weeks, with lower targets and wagering requirements. While this means the rewards are also slightly lower, it affords players more flexibility. It’s been testing this format for a while in different markets and is finally implementing it in its dot-com market on April 2nd.
Know Which Way the Wind Blows
This format of loyalty programs, with predictable rewards and personalized bonuses, is becoming more popular. More brands are starting to follow this trend, with Unibet also improving and changing its loyalty scheme next month. So go check out PokerStars’ new Loyalty program, and try your hand at completing the Weekly Challenges tailored for you.
