Two weeks ago, the good folks over at
PokerStars.com decided to throw me $5.00 in *real money* to jack around with. I'd been playing in the *play money* games for a few weeks, and had clicked on the *make a deposit* tab a few times to see what the process looked like to get in the game for real. My inquiries likely peaked after I accepted and invitation to play in a *free roll* tournament with about 2,000 players the week before (top prize was $100). Their marketing folks are good.
Since receiving the free stake, I've made a nice little run and had a blast playing in the 1/2 cent micro-level no limit hold'em games as well as 10 cent no-limit hold'em tournaments with *turbo* blinds (360 players/40 tables/$1,500 to start/blinds up ever 5 minutes - it is INSANE). The tournaments generally pay-out the top 10 percent of the field.
As of tonight, after winning my first real money tournament, I'm sitting at $16.50 available for real money play. Plenty to keep playing at the micro level for a while, and well on my way to entering some $2.00 + .20 cent higher pay out games.
If you're looking to get in on some online play without making a deposit, try taking the path that I took above. I'll likely make a larger real money deposit to take advantage of the deposit bonus, but I'm truly enjoying playing with the house's money for now!
You can find me playing under *Porqchop*, with SpaceJam playing online as *SpaceJam08* (he plays in higher stakes games than I do!). Hope to see you guys out there.
This is how you crack Aces: (click image to enlarge)
Heading into heads-up play: (click image to enlarge)
Representing the
Bad Beats boys: (click image to enlarge)
A Mercedes should never win the Cadillac of poker. Another OST, another non-league winner. The Bad Beats Boys are definitely not representin' this year. 
