Using PokerStars FPP as "rakeback"

I have been playing lots of $25+2 Turbo SNG's on PokerStars lately and I will definitely accumulate enough frequent player points (FPP) by the end of the month to become a SilverStar VIP. Once I become a SilverStar, each SNG is worth 15 FPP. You can redeem 13500 FPP for a ticket to the Sunday $200+15 which works out to 12 percent Rakeback on each SNG, if you are a SilverStar.

Is there a more cost-effective use of FPP? I don't really want to play in the Sunday $200+15. I'd rather just take 215 T$ but I don't think PokerStars lets you do that.

I'm pretty sure you can take the T$215 and sell it to cashmanbrian.com if you need cash or you can play more sngs

Just unregister from the Sunday, and you'll be credited with $215 T$

http://www.pokerstars.com/FPPStore/500Ktourney.html

"Note: tickets are non-transferable, non-exchangeable and non-refundable."

PokerStars explicitly set up the FPP rewards program as an alternative to cash Rakeback. I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to exchange the ticket for 215 T$ the way I would be allowed to do so if I won a satellite. If I want actual cash (which I do), my best bet would be to buy one of the Dell $2000 gift cards and sell it on eBay, or maybe do the same with a bunch of iPod Nanos. I think this is what I will do because I really don't think I'm ready to play in the Sunday $215.

The problem is I doubt I could get 100% value for these items on eBay.

Bump cuz I want to know what you found out about this. Just want to know if you can make the entry into real T$ on the site. Also, does that money then have to be spent on tournaments?

http://www.pokerstars.com/fpp/store/special/vip-bonus-3/

?

um if you play any hands at all u should become platinumstar in no time at all

Take the cash bonusses, it's about equivalent to 19% Rakeback for Platinum, 26% Supernova.

Yes, 19% for platinum and 26% for supernova sounds about right. LOL at me back in January playing Donk N Gos and being excited about reaching SilverStar.

If you actually want the merchandise or the gift certificates, they're a much better value for your fpp's than than the cash bonuses are, probably because PokerStars gets good deals for buying the merchandise in bulk. At some point you run out of things to get from the store though. I already bought the LCD television and the digital camera. After I get the DVD player and the monitor there's not much else worth spending the points on, other than the cash bonuses.

You could use the FPPs to enter in satellite SnGs to the sunday mill, win a ticket and unregister. Then you could turn the T$ into real $ by playing SnG's.

Bit longwinded though.

I thought you could buy cash for FPPs from the VIP FPP store

19%/26% doesn't seem right...

Currently I am earning 30,000 VPPs per month. I am at Platinum Star so that is 75,000 FPPs per month, for 50,000 I can get $650, that is equal to $975/ mo. I have paid $4350 in rake so far which is equal to 22.4%. If I include the current $150 reload Bonus, I get 25.9%.

If I was a Supernova, I would earn 105000 FPPs per month. This would entitle me to the $1500 Bonus, paying $4350 in rake gives 34.5% Rakeback, plus the $150 gives 37.9%.

As long as Stars continues to give these bonuses and offers a monthy reload, I think this could be the way to go.

i turn over a tonne more in rb $$$ playing on other sites.

There are so many better deals if people go out and look, especially for a player who may not spend the majority of their time on stars or be able to raise their status to a level that makes picking up the rb worth it

Fwiw, the stars rb deal is better for bigger stakes players because it basically allows free entry into tournaments that mid stakes players want to be in regularly (if they play mtts). I think it sucks for smaller stakes players because the likelyhood of winning a big mtt on stars is quite small (3k fields versus 500 fields on other networks) and the fpps are better as a cash Bonus per month into the br, or simple cashout amount per month.

Sure, getting a couple of free shots at getting in the sunday million from simply grinding away is a pretty decent offer, but thats only worth it if you can make a decent cash IMO, and losing the fpps > cash versus trying to cash in the million is a bad decision IMO.

If you arent playing 200nl you should be taking cash handouts not entering big mtts IMO.