Playthrough

1. The amount one has to play at an online poker room to clear a bonus.

Why Are There Playthrough Requirements?

Poker rooms need to be able to afford to give the bonuses they offer. While the bonuses appear to be free to the customer, they must be paid for in the form of rake. By imposing playthrough requirements on the customer before a bonus can be earned, the poker rooms ensure that the customer will generate enough rake at the tables to offset the cost of the bonus.

How It Works

Most online poker rooms use some form of loyalty points to keep track of how much you have played. Points are earned by playing raked hands (definitions differ depending on the poker room) and may vary based on the stakes played. Playthrough requirements will be a certain number of points per dollar of bonus. For example, if you have a $100 bonus to earn and the poker site sets the playthrough at 5 points per dollar, you must earn 500 points to release the bonus.

You Should Also Know...

Nowadays, playthrough requirements are designed to make it very hard for micro stakes players to earn bonuses. Be sure to review the requirements to understand how long it will take to collect that money.