You wouldn’t be on a site like PokerBonuses.com if you weren’t interested in clearing bonuses across the major online poker sites. We’ve brought you the best bonuses available anywhere. In fact, many of them are exclusive to us. Whether it’s 200% on one site or 1,000% on another site, the process that you have to go through in order to clear a bonus is typically the same. However, it’s not the easiest process in the world. Claiming your hard-earned bonus can actually take a sizable amount of time and attention to detail. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with what it takes to clear your bonus.

First, make sure you know what kind of bonus you’re receiving. Are you getting an instant bonus, where money appears in your account right away (in essence, free money)? Are you getting a bonus that requires you accruing points on a site in order to clear? It’s hard to understand the best way to clear a bonus unless you know what you’re getting from the online poker room for signing up and depositing.

It’s going to take a while to clear a sizable bonus. The larger your bonus, the longer you’ll need to see it drop into your account. Although the 1,000% bonuses can be attractive, if you don’t have enough time to clear them, then they’re no different than the smaller bonuses. Clearing a bonus is a grind. However, it’s a fun grind. After all, if you like poker, you’ll be playing a lot of it in order to clear your bonus. The old saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” If an online poker site is going to pay you for signing up, it is going to require you playing (and playing a lot) to receive your award.

Bonuses typically clear faster at higher stakes, but that doesn’t mean that you should play out of your bankroll. I’ve seen a number of poker players actually lose money while trying to clear a bonus because of a lack of patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day and, by the same token, your bonus won’t be cleared overnight. Just take your time and play within your bankroll. It’s a very stress-free way to land some free money in your online poker account. You can even multi-table to rack up points faster.

Recognize that your bonus expires, so calculate how long you’re going to need to clear your entire bonus and play accordingly. Some bonuses expire in 30 days, some expire in 60 days, some expire in 90 days, and some don’t expire at all. The worst thing that you can do is let your bonus expire, so be mindful of when it will no longer be available.

I’m a cash game player, which is typically beneficial for trying to clear a bonus. If you’re primarily a tournament player, be forewarned: bonuses are more difficult to clear playing tournaments alone. Because you only receive a certain number of points for entering a tournament, you’re spending a much longer period of time to rack up player points. In ring games, points are awarded every single hand and, in some cases, don’t even depend on whether you put money into the pot. The easiest way to clear a bonus, in my experience, is my playing cash games.

If you’re not a big fan of grinding (many poker players are not), get a friend to play with you while you clear your bonus. You can sit around and watch one screen critiquing plays and talking strategy or compete against each other while trying to clear your bonus. The opportunity to obtain free money is something that can afford you the opportunity to interact with your friends and make poker a truly fun activity. Don’t let yourself get too bogged down in the pressure of clearing a hefty bonus. Call up a friend and play some poker together.

When you finally clear your bonus, use all or part of it for some tangible purpose. Enter a tournament that you wouldn’t normally enter. Play cash games if you’re a tournament player. Try your hand at Pot Limit Omaha or Razz. If there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you’ll find yourself looking forward to grinding your way to your bonus.