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Join PokerStars Play: Free Texas Holdem Poker Game and casino & Play poker online for free with the best poker players around! On PokerStars Play you can enjoy the thrill of a real texas holdem game & new slots from the comfort of your phone. Start competing with players from all over the world and win big! Enjoy the feeling of playing in a casino with our realistic casino experience. PokerStars remains the biggest online poker site on the planet, despite some vocal discontent coming from the community. Various moves directed towards acquiring more recreational players and creating a more comfortable environment for them have split players’ opinions, but they remain the busiest, most lucrative, and most influential online. PokerStars hosts the biggest online poker events anywhere! It's home to the World Championship of Online Poker, the Spring Championship of Online Poker and much more. It's also where you'll find the biggest weekly online poker tournaments, like the Sunday Special, where you can play for a ₹12,00,000 guaranteed prize pool!

Bonuses and Promotions

Cash Game Depth & Variety

Tournament Depth & Variety

Deposit & Cash Out

Mobile App

Bottom Line

Online poker players looking for a legal, secure, and reputable platform will find that PokerStars Michigan checks off all of those boxes. Michigan now stands as the fifth US state offering legal online poker.

Poker players can find cash games, tournaments, and sit & gos from the micro stakes all the way up to high-stakes action at PokerStars MI. Much like the international PokerStars client, the Michigan version of the platform features several poker variants, including No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Stud, mixed games, and draw games.

When did PokerStars launch in Michigan?

PokerStars has officially launched in Michigan as of January 29, 2021. Want to know when other poker sites are launching in Michigan? Add your email to our online poker page to be the first to find out.

Get $30 free (just for signing up – no deposit necessary) at Golden Nugget Michigan where you can play casino games and wager on sports.

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PokerStars Michigan Bonus Code 2021

PokerStars Michigan offers a $600 deposit match bonus offer with the promo code STARS600. Terms and conditions apply.

PokerStars Bonus & Promotional Grade

PokerStars Michigan offers two welcome bonuses for new players, presenting the opportunity to claim up to $630 in bonus funds.

These offers include a 100% deposit match bonus up to $600. You can make up to three deposits to make up the full $600, but the second and/or third deposit only counts toward the bonus if those deposits are made within 60 days of the first.

After making your first deposit, you have 60 days to try to unlock as much of the bonus funds as possible.

Pokerstars Online Tournaments

PokerStars MI awards $10 of the bonus for every 140 redemption points earned. You earn five redemption points for every $1 paid in rake/tournament fees, which essentially amounts to getting 35 cents of bonus money for every $1 paid in rake.

The other welcome bonus awards $30 in free play for depositing $20 or more. No redemption points or any other kind of playthrough are required for this bonus. The bonus awards $20 in cash and the other $10 in Spin & Go tickets.

The full deposit match bonus takes quite a bit of play to unlock in 60 days, but the 35% rakeback amounts to a solid bonus offer.

MichiganSharp.com Is Officially Licensed By Michigan Gaming Control Board To Promote Legal Online Gambling In Michigan

PokerStars Cash Game Depth and Variety Grade

PokerStars’ US-facing platforms offer the largest variety of poker cash game variants from any state-regulated online poker site. Most of the cash game traffic comes from No-Limit Hold’em games, as would be expected.

PokerStars MI runs six-max and nine-handed NLHE games around the clock, at stakes from $0.01/$0.02 up to $25/$50. Cash game players can generally find games running at up to $1/$2 at most times of the day.

The US version of the PokerStars platform, much like its international counterpart, offers numerous other poker formats outside of Texas Hold’em. Games include Limit Hold’em, Stud, Razz, 8-Game Mix, 2-7 Triple Draw, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pot-Limit Omaha.

Pot-Limit Omaha games can usually be found running throughout the day at stakes up to $0.50/$1. For both No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, cash game traffic peaks from 5 pm to 11 pm each weekday, and from 2 pm to 11 pm on weekends.

Outside of the two most popular online poker variants, finding a game that’s actually running can present somewhat of a challenge, but the formats are in place to facilitate just about any imaginable poker variant.

Overall, PokerStars MI should give cash game players plenty to like at a variety of stakes.

PokerStars Tournament Depth and Variety Grade

Multi-table tournaments stand as the most popular form of online poker. PokerStars Michigan presents tournaments at several different stakes at all times of the day.

Peak tournament traffic comes in for tournaments with starting times from 4 pm to 7 pm. Included in those high-traffic offerings is the Daily Bigs series.

Each day at PokerStars Michigan includes five Daily Bigs tournaments at five different price points. The buy-ins range from the $5 buy-in, $500 guarantee to the $50 buy-in, $2,000 guarantee.

Other everyday tournaments include the Hot Turbos, KO Fever, and Nightly Stars events. Another nightly series, the Change-Up, offers Pot-Limit Omaha, PLO Hi-Lo, and Seven-Card Stud in multi-table tournament format.

Players familiar with the PokerStars international client will recognize the Sunday Majors series on the PokerStars Michigan platform.

Sunday marks the biggest day of the week for tournaments on PokerStars, with a schedule that includes the Sunday Warm-Up ($50 buy-in, $4,000 guaranteed) and Sunday Special ($200 buy-in, $30,000 guaranteed). The Sunday Special offers the biggest guaranteed prize pool of any regularly-scheduled tournament at PokerStars.

The Championship of Online Poker series comes to PokerStars Michigan twice a year as well, offering some of the biggest fields and prize pools on the annual PokerStars MI calendar.

Tournament players will find a solid lineup of games throughout the week, and even more so on Sundays at PokerStars MI.

PokerStars Deposit and Cashout

Michigan poker players can find an extensive menu of deposit and cashout options under the “Deposits & Withdrawals” tab on the main PokerStars MI page. The variety of methods available to fund a PokerStars MI account puts the platform in the top category among Michigan’s legal gambling sites.

The most popular ways to fund a PokerStars MI account include Bank Transfer (ACH/eCheck), Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, PokerStars Play+ Prepaid, and Skrill.

Other methods include Stars Transfer, which functions as a bill pay transfer from a bank account to your PokerStars account. PayNearMe and a visit to the casino cage at Odawa Casino allow for in-person cash deposits to your online poker account.

Of the above methods, PayPal and PokerStars Play+ Prepaid offer two of the most reliable methods for both deposits and withdrawals. Some of the other deposit methods, like Bank Transfer and Visa/MasterCard, can occasionally get declined by the bank.

Aside from Visa/MasterCard, Stars Transfer, and PayNearMe, all of the methods listed here can also be used to cash out from PokerStars MI. Poker players 21 and over in Michigan should find no trouble funding and getting paid out from a PokerStars Michigan account.

PokerStars Mobile App

Playing on PokerStars Michigan from a mobile device allows the freedom of playing online poker from truly anywhere within Michigan borders. As long as you can access a WiFi connection, the PokerStars MI app offers legal online poker from anywhere within state borders.

Just about the entire lineup of cash games, tournaments, sit & gos, and Spin & Gos from the desktop platform are available on the mobile app version as well.

PokerStars Michigan offers a mobile app for both Apple iOS as well as Android devices. Apple device owners can find the iOS app in the App Store, while Android users can download the app directly from the PokerStars Michigan website. The PokerStars Android app can’t be downloaded from the Google Play store, which doesn’t permit the download of real-money gambling apps.

The mobile app PokerStars experience is faithful to the desktop client. Multi-tabling up to four tables (five on the iPad), as well as all of the deposit and withdrawal methods, are available on the mobile app.

A few of the poker variants from the browser-based client are missing, including Badugi, 2-7 Triple Draw, and the 8-Game Mix. A few features, like preferred seat and the ability to use tracking software, don’t translate to the mobile app either.

Overall, however, the PokerStars mobile app offers a very good mobile poker experience.

Overall Score

Michigan poker players will find that PokerStars MI lives up to the reputation of its international counterpart. The software, cash game selection, tournament availability, and bonus offers put the platform in the top tier of regulated online poker sites in the US.

The deposit and cashout options present numerous ways to get money on and off of your PokerStars account. The mobile app does come with a few limitations compared to the full desktop version of the client but presents as good of an experience as can be expected when playing online poker on a mobile device.

Overall, PokerStars Michigan stands to be one of the best US-facing regulated poker sites when it launches in the Wolverine State.

Is PokerStars MI Legit?

The international version of the PokerStars online client operates as the world’s biggest online poker site. PokerStars Michigan functions as a Michigan-only online platform, but it’s owned and operated by the Stars Group, parent company to PokerStars.

Pokerstars Online Pros

Here are four more reasons Michigan players can count on PokerStars MI as a legitimate online poker site.

Licensed By The Michigan Gaming Control Board

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) functions as a state-level government gaming regulation agency, overseeing all legal casino operations in Michigan.

All regulated iGaming operators must be approved and licensed by the MGCB before they can launch in Michigan. PokerStars went through and passed a thorough background check and evaluation from the MGCB in order to get to the point where it could launch in Michigan.

Partnered With Odawa Casino

All approved iGaming operators must partner with either a commercial or tribal casino to operate in Michigan. The PokerStars MI client offers online poker under the license of Odawa Casino.

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians owns two Odawa Casino locations in Michigan. The tribe brought on The Stars Group as its iGaming partner and will launch an integrated FOX Bet Sportsbook/PokerStars Casino/PokerStars poker app for Michigan players.

Corporate Partnership With FOX Sports

The “FOX Bet” part of the integrated platform comes through an agreement between The Stars Group and FOX Sports. The app offers sports betting, casino games, and poker as part of a hybrid online and mobile app.

The FOX Sports branding on the app gives players another sign that PokerStars MI is a legit enterprise.

Success Of PokerStars In Other US States

PokerStars reintroduction to the US market includes already operating platforms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Both of those platforms function as state-regulated, legit online poker sites, as is PokerStars MI.

Why Should I Play At PokerStars Michigan Instead Of An Offshore Poker Site?

US players can access online poker from a few offshore sites, but these operations are doing business illegally in the states.

Playing at PokerStars Michigan presents many advantages over playing at offshore platforms, and here are a few reasons why:

PokerStars’ Reputation

PokerStars does business as the biggest online poker operator in the world and has held that status for nearly two decades. When you play at PokerStars MI, you’re playing on a client operated by the most reputable online poker brand in the world.

Offshore sites and other illegal poker games don’t have that same image to live up to. The last thing PokerStars wants is for Michigan players to dispute the legitimacy of the platform.

With that in mind, PokerStars MI operates in the category of the most secure and legit online poker sites in the US.

Offshore Sites Operate Without Regulation

The Michigan Gaming Control Board approves and regulates all iGaming operators that conduct business in Michigan. As a partner of the tribal property Odawa Casino, the day-to-day operations of PokerStars MI fall under the oversight of the National Indian Gaming Commission, a government gaming agency that regulates tribal casinos.

These gaming regulation agencies ensure transparency, accountability, and player security from all of Michigan’s online gaming operators. Offshore poker sites don’t answer to any regulatory body and can therefore enforce or change policies as they see fit.

Your Money Might Disappear At An Offshore Site

Because offshore sites don’t fall under the oversight of the MGCB or National Indian Gaming Commission, your money might not be safe.

Offshore/illegal gambling sites don’t operate under US laws, and you, therefore, have no legal recourse if these sites decide to keep your money after you’ve deposited.

Can I Trust PokerStars MI With My Money?

Taking a look at all of the different banking options available at PokerStars can give you an idea of how the brand approaches the issue of money security.

The world’s biggest banks, as well as PayPal, facilitate deposits and withdrawals to and from PokerStars MI. When you deposit money at PokerStars Michigan, the transaction shows up on your bank statement as a clearly-labeled deposit to a legal online gambling site.

That same transaction to an offshore gambling site will appear on your bank account as a purchase from a company you’ve never heard of, and probably a country far away from the US.

Legitimate banks and payment processors like PayPal wouldn’t sign on to facilitate transactions for PokerStars MI if money security was an issue.

Additionally, your money at PokerStars MI is as safe as it would be if you made an in-person visit to Odawa Casino. PokerStars Michigan operates as an extension of the tribal casino and takes care of your money (as well as the house bank) just as the casino would.

PokerStars MI Fact Sheet

Pokerstars Online Usa

PokerStars Michigan Online Poker FAQ

Yes, but only on state-regulated online poker sites. The Michigan Lawful Internet Gaming Act legalized online poker. PokerStars was the first online poker app in Michigan.

All legal online poker sites bear the seal of approval of the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Yes. All approved iGaming operators (online poker, casinos, and sports betting) must operate under the license of land-based casinos.

Both commercial and tribal casinos are permitted to offer online poker in Michigan. PokerStars MI operates under the license of Odawa Casino, a tribal property owned by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

PokerStars Michigan offers cash games at stakes from $0.01/$0.02 up to $100/$200 for some games. No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud, 8-Game Mix, and 2-7 Triple Draw represent some of the other games available in the cash game format at PokerStars Michigan.

Multi-table tournaments, sit & gos, and Spin & Gos are also available on the PokerStars MI client.

Yes. The PokerStars Michigan mobile app can be enjoyed by both Apple iOS and Android device owners. The iOS app can be found at the App Store, while Android users must go to the PokerStars Michigan website to download the app.

The PokerStars MI app offers most of the features available on the desktop version of the platform. Features include the ability to play four tables, as well as the freedom of playing from anywhere in the state.

No. As long as you are located within Michigan borders while you play, and you’re 21 or over, you can play on PokerStars Michigan.

State-regulated online poker sites use geolocation technology to determine a user’s location while they play. You’ll be blocked from playing if you try to do so from outside Michigan.

21 or over. The Michigan Gaming Control Board sets the minimum legal age for playing at state-regulated online gambling sites at 21.

According to the latest cash game traffic figures, seen exclusively by pokerfuse, PokerStars.MI is right now the largest regulated real money online poker network in the US—larger than the combined WSOP/888 network, bigger even than its Pennsylvania counterpart, PokerStars PA.

PokerStars launched its online poker room in Michigan ten days ago. It is the third regulated online poker site in the US ran by the company, following on from its 2016 launch in New Jersey and its late 2019 debut in Pennsylvania.

All three online poker rooms are segregated—meaning the player pools are not connected together, nor with the global “dot-com” player liquidity. Yet despite this, thousands of players from Michigan state—population approximately 10 million—have flocked to the new online poker room.

This has resulted in one of the highest traffic levels ever observed by any online poker room in the US regulated markets at any time in history.

• Great bonus$30 freeplay or Up to $600 deposit match bonus.
• The world’s most regulated online poker room.
• Great cash game traffic and some of the best weekly guaranteed MTTs.
• Stars rewards program rewards play across poker, casino and sports.

According to figures tracked by GameIntel, formerly PokerScout, the go-to source for independent tracking of online poker traffic, licensed exclusively by pokerfuse’s Poker Industry PRO, PokerStars Michigan has averaged 410 concurrent cash game players over the last week.

To put that in perspective, PokerStars PA—where PokerStars is also the only operator, and in a state with population 30% larger—was a tiny pip below, recording 405 players. PokerStars NJ was a third the size, at approximately 140 average seats.

Its nearest competitor in the United States, the WSOP/888 US Network—which comprises six online poker rooms sharing liquidity between New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware—reported 275 cash game seats.

US Online Poker Network Traffic: February 8, 2021

All figures are based on average concurrent cash game traffic observed over the last seven days, rounded to the nearest 5 seats. All data used under license from GameIntel.com via the Poker Industry PRO Data platform.

WSOP/888, which has been active in Nevada since 2013, has only ever hit 400 concurrent cash game seats one time in its near eight-year history: Briefly for a few weeks last year in the spring in the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

PokerStars NJ has never got close to the level: Not even when it first launched in 2016, including a period where it was #1 in the market; nor even during last year’s global online poker explosion—there, it hit its all-time peak of 330 concurrent seats.

In fact, the only online poker room in the US to consistently report this level of traffic is PokerStars Pennsylvania. Since launch in November 2019, the network has hovered around the 400 seats mark. It briefly saw its traffic explode up to 1000 during the absolute highs of the Covid-fueled online poker boom.

Data provided by GameIntel

Tournaments Also Enjoy a High Turnout—Though High Roller Overlays

While cash game traffic statistics always give the most comprehensive view of the online poker market, the numbers out of the tournaments also show that PokerStars Michigan is enjoying a strong turnout—though spots are starting to show in the operator’s aggressive weekend schedule, and the first big overlay has been seen.

As pokerfuse reported last week, its first weekend saw a decent turnout to its Sunday Majors, with all guarantees covering easily. The Sunday Warm-Up, in particular, attracted a strong showing of over 300 entries.

Clearly buoyed by this success, PokerStars MI increased guarantees for the second weekend. Three of the four highlight tournaments saw bumps to their guarantees, and the site also unveiled the Sunday Special: Its new flagship event with a $100 buy-in and a $20,000 guarantee.

The Special certainly had a huge first outing. In total, it brought in 301 entries, generating a prize pool of $27,632—by far the largest in the state so far.

PokerStars Michigan: First Two Sundays

However, this did notably have a knock-on effect on other tournaments. The $50 Supersonic grew, easily surpassing its new $2500 with 85 entries to generate a prize pool of almost $400. However, the others saw dips.

Pokerstars Online Game

The Storm dropped a few entries, but easily covered. The Warm Up was actually affected quite a lot, losing 112 entries—thought it still handily covered its $5000 guarantee.

But it was the High Roller that really suffered. On the first week, it attracted 63 entries to almost double its $7500 guarantee. Understandably, PokerStars then upped the guarantee to $10,000 for its second outing. However, yesterday it attracted just 36 entries, generating prize money of $8388—an overlay of $1612.

This could well be the first overlay in Michigan, and it is not a small one. Those 36 entrants certainly enjoyed some value—to the tune of almost $50 each.

The likely reasons for this are twofold: Firstly, the $100 Special will have attracted some players to that instead. Overall, the Sunday Majors generated prize money of almost $50,000, way more than the $28,000 in the opening weekend—so the level of spend has not dropped; it just shifted.

However, yesterday was also unique in that it was Super Bowl Sunday. This often has impact on tournament turnout—so this could well be a one-off.

Either way, players should keep watch on next Sunday’s tournaments, as there could be value opportunities.

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Meanwhile, all eyes are now on the first big tournament series to be announced by PokerStars MI, details of which could come this week. Pokerfuse has predicted that it could be the first ever MICOOP, which could have a total series guarantee of up to $1 million. Watch this space.