First-time deposit bonuses are expressed in terms of a percentage rate of the first deposit you make with a maximum limit that the site will match. For example, a site will offer a “100% bonus, up to $100.” This means that 100% of whatever amount you deposit will be matched by the site, up to $100. So, that means you can potentially receive $100 in free money. Yes, the money is free, but there are usually certain prerequisites that you will be required to meet before the cash is actually deposited in your account.

While shopping for bonuses, make sure you read the fine print, which can be found by clicking on a link attached to the bonus (usually named, “More Details” or something similar). This is where you will find the conditions that each individual site attaches to their first-time deposit bonuses. Just because a site boasts that it offers the “best bonus,” doesn’t mean it is the best one for you.

If the bonus is an “instant bonus,” then you can make your first-time deposit, and receive your bonus instantly. However, you will more likely come across certain requirements you, as the player, will have to meet before your account is credited with the free money.

Some websites require a certain amount of time that must be spent playing cash games or cash tournaments on that site (for example, you cannot receive your bonus until you have been an active cash player for 30 days).

Other sites require you to accumulate a certain number of player points, sometimes within a certain amount of time. These points are usually given out in correlation with raked hands played or paid tournament fees; however, the rate scale in which these points accrue is unique to each poker site. Therefore, further investigation of a site’s rake scale or tournament fee schedule would be necessary in this situation and taken into consideration. Some sites may even require you to make, for instance, 10 times the bonus amount in player points. In this example, if the bonus were $60, you’d have to collect 600 player points in order to receive your bonus.

You must determine whether or not you will be around long enough play enough real-money raked hands or real-money tournaments to meet the bonus requirements.

After finding your perfect bonus, you may be able to play until you’ve made your bonus, cash out, move on to another bonus, and maybe you’ve come out ahead.

There are some sites that offer “no-deposit bonuses” that give you a bonus just for playing on their site. There aren’t many of these, and the bonuses aren’t that significant, but it’s one way to play for free.