There is absolutely no reason to not get free money when you set up a poker account. With so much competition raging between all the poker rooms, from the new guy on the virtual block to the big boy trying to hold on to market share. You can find deals that will double your deposit, or even more, plus offer all sorts of incentives, such as players referral bonuses. There are two basic types of promo cash you can get: the bonus, and the match.
The bonus
A one time addition to your account, the bonus can range from $5 to $50 depending on the site you pick. To get this kind of promo cash you typically just have to sign up as a new customer and make the required minimum deposit, often around $20. Within a few minutes of making the deposit and signing on to the software, you should get a notification that the bonus has been added to your account, and then you can begin using it right away.
The match
This is a percentage of your initial deposit that the poker room will add to your account. For example, a room may offer a 50% match, so if you deposit $20, they will add $10, giving you $30 to play with. There is typically a cap on the match, however, preventing Bill Gates from depositing half his net worth and bankrupting the poker room. If a room offers a 50% match up to $100, for example, you could deposit up to $200 and be matched. If you put in $300, then the match caps at $100, and you have $400 in your account.
Using and removing the promo cash
Each site has different rules about when the money is added to your account and when you are allowed to take it out, mostly based on "raked hands." They will tell you in the rules, but it usually works like this: you play X amount of hands that the poker room makes money from, and it frees up the promo cash in your account to take out. Just read the rules, and email the poker room with specific questions. Now, hunt down those deals!
