Now, online poker has evolved heavily in the last few years, and two of the top dogs in the market are both PokerStars and Ignition Poker.
And PokerStars is the bigger name of the two since they’ve been around now for over 20 years, but the sad thing is they don’t allow real money games in most areas.
This is especially true in the United States, where they only allow real money play in 3 or 4 states currently. And while that could change, nothing has happened so far.
On the flip side, you have Ignition Poker, which has been around for over 6 years, and Bodog Gaming, which has been around for around 20 years. Let’s look at some of the key differences between playing on both poker sites.
Ignition Poker
With online poker still sitting in a gray area in the US, Ignition has taken full advantage of providing players with a safe place to play.
I currently play the mid-stakes cash games here on a regular basis and have done so for the last 6 or so years. The games on this site, for the most part, are very soft. So if you have some skill, you should have no issues taking down opponents.
They’ve also been operating since 2016 and run off the same network as Bovada and Bodog. Meaning they share player pools, so the traffic for playing here is massive.
Software
The nice thing about the software is that it’s constantly being updated. You can currently customize the heck out of everything. Such as having 8 different table color options, card mucking, chat box features, and much more.
There is a limit to being able to play four tables at a time, but scaling back on multi-tabling is smart long-term. And what I mean is that it can be very hard to focus when you’re playing too many tables.
And lastly, the transition from playing on a PC to a phone is quite remarkable. It feels the same on whatever platform you choose to play. Personally, I play a lot on my phone, but if you have a hard time focusing, I recommend sticking to a PC only.
Tournaments & Cash Games
Ah, yes, this is what it’s all about. For regular cash game grinders, the good news is that the tables are filled with some fishy players. It’s very common to see poor play at the $200- and $500-dollar tables. And I’m not kidding!
The cash game ranges for buy-ins start as low as $.50 and go all the way up to $2k per table. If you plan on going big, make sure to have at least 20 buy-ins for whatever stake you decide to play.
Then we have the tournaments. Currently, Ignition offers players some of the biggest playable in the US with the 100k, 250k, and monthly milly series tournaments. Some of these can be high buy in amounts but you can always satellite your way in on the cheap.
Keep in mind that playing in tournaments can be a bit time-consuming. If you decide to join one, I recommend waiting until the weekend since some of the bigger guarantees will be available.
On average, if you run deep, expect to be playing for upwards of 5 hours at a time. Possibly more if you end up making a final table.
Overall, they have a little bit of everything for the player who prefers cash games or the player who prefers to grind it out playing tournaments.
Bonuses
Yes, you can’t overlook that poker bonus! Currently, Ignition has a couple of different options. The most popular are the $3000 and $500 poker bonuses that can be claimed here.
The requirements to clear the bonus are not too hard, but it will take some time. Just make sure you’re playing good poker and don’t tilt easily! Okay, now let’s take a look at PokerStars.
Bonuses
- Ignition Bonus – Claim Here
- PokerStars Bonus – Claim Here
PokerStars
PokerStars fluctuates between being the number one and number two poker site in terms of traffic worldwide.
It’s remarkable how far they’ve come, and it’s another site I’ve also been playing on for years.
They’ve been operating for over 20 years and have been bought and sold a couple of times in that time span.
Software
The one advantage I would say Stars has been the ability to multi-table lots of tables at once. While I am against doing such a thing, you can go well beyond four tables at a time if you want to.
I mean, if you want to get crazy, you can run 20 tables at a time. Just be careful about doing this, as it becomes impossible to focus, and you will likely end up losing your entire bankroll quickly.
They also have screen names and avatars you can create for your player profile. The software runs smoothly whether you’re playing on your phone or PC.
Tournaments & Cash Games
Since the traffic is massive here, you will find some of the largest tournaments to play in worldwide. They have many million-dollar guaranteed tournaments to play in that run monthly.
Be aware that since so many people are playing here, it’s common to see many entrants in a tournament. For example, if you buy into a $10k guaranteed payout tournament, you will often see well over 1000 players in these. Running deep and making a final table is not impossible, but it’s not exactly easy either.
The cash games are also solid at the low- and mid-stakes poker games. However, in my opinion, the players are more skilled on Stars compared to Ignition. You can use software such as a heads-up display on Stars to help with the variance.
Bonuses
If you live in a state where real money is allowed, they have some decent first-time bonuses for players. The most popular option is “Stars 600,” which is exactly how it sounds.
It is a $600 bonus for new players. Be aware that the play-through requirements are quite hard. It is also dispensed in increments, not completely upon claiming it.
Is Poker Online Still Worth Playing?
Just because you’re looking for a comparison between these two top dogs doesn’t mean you don’t have some reservations. And I get it.
Online poker is one of those things you don’t get involved with unless you absolutely love to play the game. I’ve put together three reasons you should consider going all-out on it this year and beyond.
- Analytical Skills
Yes, if you didn’t know, there have been studies that suggest playing poker helps your analytical skills in all aspects of life. It’s been shown that brain cognition is stronger when playing. I think the important thing, however, is not to overdo it.
Obviously, we’ve all also been there playing in a 5- or 7-hour session and felt completely drained afterwards. A good tip would be to play shorter sessions of around 1-2 hours at a time. This will help your focus and return on investment in the in the long term.
- Money Management
Unless you are completely degenerate, playing can help your money management skills as well. It’s always been recommended to keep at least 20 buy-ins for whatever stake you’re playing, and I tend to agree.
The thing is, most of the time, 10 buy-ins should be okay as long as you’re beating the stake you’re playing. If you keep getting stacked, then maybe move down a level and move back up when you’re ready.
You should find what works for you, but for me, I do believe anywhere from 10 to 20 buy-ins should be sufficient.
- Make Money
Okay, the big elephant is in the room. Yes, we are all playing this game to make some money at it. But it’s not going to be easy. Truth be told, there is a lot of money to be made playing mid-stakes games.
And you don’t need to play a hundred tables at a time either. You can simply play two tables at a time, and as long as you have a good win rate, the money should start to pile up.
It’s very common to still see regulars making anywhere from $50k to $200k per year. But you need to be constantly improving and working on your game if you plan on ever getting to that level.
This includes doing the things other people simply won’t do. Such as re-watching sessions to see what could have been done better. Or possibly not tilting whenever you take a bad beat and lose your entire roll. It’s the little details that separate the elite from the wannabees.
Final Thoughts
Ignition Poker and PokerStars both have good reputations, excellent software, and lots of player traffic. What separates the two significantly are the restrictions on being able to play real-money games in different areas.
Unless you live in one of the 3 or 4 states where PokerStars allows players to use real money, you’re basically going to be out of luck. If that doesn’t both you and you’re okay with using play money, then go ahead.
But with Ignition Poker, that’s simply not the case. You can play real moneyinm most states and use cryptocurrency for deposits and withdrawals.
And until things change in the poker landscape, Ignition will continue to thrive and be a top destination. I would recommend using Ignition if you are looking for somewhere to play.
Whatever you decide, just remember to have fun and play responsibly. Poker can be a cruel game at times and leave a lot of good players in the dust with busted bankrolls if you go on tilt. Keep improving and growing, and you should be fine.
