17/03/2009 In Strategy

A large part of online poker is the online poker promotions that come with it. Online poker is big business and online poker sites want you playing with them and not with some other site. This is the impetus behind large signup bonuses and promotional freerolls.

The Frequent Player Points Concept

It’s also the idea behind frequent player points. Frequent player points may go by different names on different sites, but they all mean the same thing. They are credits you earn by playing on a site that can be exchanged for rewards. Some sites offer advanced FPP programs instead of rakeback. Taking advantage of these frequent player points can enhance your online poker experience.

Earning Frequent Player Points

Remember what you had to do to clear your online poker sign up bonus? Frequent player points are earned the same way, with the distinction being that you can use them at any time. You earn frequent player points with every raked hand and tournament you play. There was a time where you could only earn points by playing in cash games, but tournaments are so wildly popular that most sites have relented and allowed tournament players to earn points to, albeit often at a much slower rate than their cash-playing counterparts.

What Can You Do with Frequent Player Points?

There are two main options for your frequent player points. You can exchange them for merchandise or you can use them for tournament entries. When you use them for tournament entries you are essentially “buying” a freeroll, playing in a tournament with a cash prize without putting up any money. Frequent player points are also popular for buying into satellites, small tournaments which can earn you an entry in a bigger tournament. If you don’t feel the need to use points for tournaments, the online poker site will have its own store where you can shop using your frequent player points. Depending on the amount of points you have, you can buy anything from a deck of cards emblazoned with the site’s logo, or on the other end of the spectrum, you might even be able to buy a car. You’ll have to put in some serious hours for that though.