Poker Games Frequently Asked Questions

• What are your terms of service?
• Please read our Online Poker Site Terms of Service.
• How can you ensure the integrity of your games?
• PokerStars makes the security of our poker games a top priority. We use state-of-the-art technology to protect the integrity of our games. Please visit our Integrity page for full details, and if you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.
• I've downloaded the PokerStarsInstall.exe file but now I can't find it.
• On a Windows-based system, click the Start menu, select Find, and then click Files or Folders. In the Named: box, type PokerStarsInstall.exe. It will take your computer a few moments to find the file. When it does, double-click the poker software file and the installation process will begin.
• I would like to play under different names, can I have more than one poker account?
• No. Each player is only allowed one account.
• I lost my password!
• You can reset your password manually by going to the main software screen, click on "Lobby" and then on "Login" and then on "Forgot Password". Enter your information and a new password will be emailed via Internet to your registered PokerStars email address. If you do so, and receive an error message, please email support with your full name and address, as well as your PokerStars user ID and we will help you get back in the game.
• How can I help keep my PokerStars account secure?
• Password protection is your responsibility. Never reveal your PokerStars account information to anyone. We will never ask you to send your password to us, and the only place you will need to use it is when logging in to the PokerStars poker software. We recommend that you change your password regularly.
• I am not getting PokerStars emails delivered to my inbox.
• This may be a result of your email provider mislabeling your PokerStars emails as SPAM. If so the problem is easily corrected, see the Internet email page for instructions.
• How can I make sure I always get emails in my preferred language?
• Simply open the PokerStars software and log in. Then go to Languages, and select "Send me emails in.', then choose your new language preference from the list.
• Will this affect the language I receive hand histories in?
• No. The languages you select for email, hand histories, and using the software are totally independent. To change your hand history language preference, click on either the hand history links top left in the table window, or click on the chip rack, then click 'Instant Hand History'. A new window - called Instant Hand History - will open. Click 'Options' then select your hand history language from the drop down.

Poker Game Play:

• What happens if I am disconnected in the middle of a hand?
• It occasionally occurs that due to reasons beyond our players' control, they are unable to act on their poker hand in time. At PokerStars, if a player has invested money in a hand and becomes disconnected, he or she will be placed "all-in". A player who is placed "all-in" is treated as though he or she does not have any chips remaining to carry out the hand. The player is still eligible for the portion of the pot to which the player would normally be entitled. All further betting takes place in a side pot, to be contested by the remaining active players.
  
  A player is allotted 25 seconds to act in fixed limit poker games and 35 seconds in pot limit and no limit poker games. A warning message is displayed in the chat box when there are 15 seconds left to act. If there was a disconnect and a player returned before the timeout, he or she receives at least 10 seconds to act.
  
  If a player failed to act within the allotted time while being connected, the hand is folded by the system.
  
  Some tables are labeled "No All In". These are special tables that do not allow players to be considered all In if they log off or are disconnected during a hand. "No all in" tables are labeled in parenthesis after the name of the table in your game lobby (example: Sirius III [no all in]).
  
  If you are sitting at a no all in table and you are disconnected or log off for any reason you will automatically check when it is your turn. If someone else bets while you are disconnected your hand will be folded.
• The poker game I wish to join is full. What should I do?
• If a poker game is full, you can put your name on the Waiting List for that game. When a seat in the game becomes available, the first person on the Waiting List will have the first right of refusal for that seat.
  
  The other option you have is to take a seat at an empty table of that limit and game. Often, empty tables fill up quickly once a player takes a seat.
• What is the minimum buy-in?
• The minimum buy-in at all limits is ten times the minimum bet for the game. For example, in a $1/$2 game, the minimum buy-in is $10.
• What is a "rake"? How much is the PokerStars rake?
• PokerStars is an Internet poker room, not a casino. That means you never play poker against the house, only other players. PokerStars receives compensation by taking a "rake", a small amount from each pot. This rake from the pot never exceeds $5. At the lower limits, PokerStars takes a smaller rake. Please see our Rake page for exact rake information.
  
  There is no rake in play money games.
• How do I know how much money is in the pot?
• At any PokerStars table, the full amount of the pot, including all current bets, is always displayed numerically above the dealer's tray. Also, at the end of every betting round, all bets are collected in the middle of the table, and converted into higher denomination chips so you can easily see the pot's total value.
• Does the poker software allow me to muck the winning poker hand?
• No, it doesn't. If you play your hand to the showdown and you hold the winning hand, it will be always automatically shown. This feature protects you from accidentally mucking a winner.
• How do I request a hand history? How many hand histories can I request?
• Click on the dealer tray and select "Request hand history". You can request up to your last 200 hands, your hand histories for a period of time, all the hands you played in a tournament, or any specific single hand. Note however that we do not archive play money or freeroll tournament hand histories, and as such, these hands are not available to be requested.
  
  You can also request a hand history from the PokerStars lobby. From the Request menu, choose Hand History.
• How do I request my poker play statistics?
• Click on the dealer tray and select "Request statistics". You can request statistics for any number of your most recent hands, or even the all-time statistics for your account!
  
  You can also request statistics from the PokerStars lobby. From the Request menu, choose Statistics.
• What are FPPs? How can I use them?
• Frequent Player Points are points you earn by playing raked hands on our poker site. They are used in conjunction with our promotions and our VIP program, which have in the past included the World Series Main Event Millionaire's Quest and the World Championship of Online Poker. See Free Online Promotions and Freerolls for more information on what FPPs are, how to earn them, and what they can be used for.
• I see a little "N" underneath some players images...what is this?
• This indicates that you have made a note about this player in the past, and it is stored for your viewing.
• Can I play at the same table as my friend?
• Yes. PokerStars is happy for friends, relatives, and acquaintances to play at the same table as each other. However, when you do so, you are expected to play just as competitively against your friend as you would against any other player, and you must not share any information about the cards that you hold with them or make any playing agreements in secret (doing so is collusion, which is strictly prohibited).
  
  If you have an agreement to share a bankroll, stake, or split profits with your friend, then in the interest of game integrity you must not play at the same cash game table or in the same Sit & Go tournament.
  
  Players who live in the same household, whatever their relationship, must not play at the same cash game table or in the same Sit & Go tournament.

Online Poker Chat:

• What are your chat rules?
• Certain forms and topics of chat are not allowed on PokerStars. Players engaging in offensive chat will be subject to a chat warning or a revocation of their chat privileges. Chat that is not permitted on PokerStars includes (but is not limited to):
  
  Profanity: We do not permit profane, vulgar, racist or abusive/insulting chat in our chat windows. We do have a feature by which certain profane words are asterisked out; A filtered word is one that has been deemed unacceptable on our poker site. Players attempting to bypass the filter may also be subject to a warning or revocation.
  
  Begging/Solicitation: We do not permit players to beg or panhandle for chips, whether play money or real money. No solicitation is permitted in any poker game at any time. There are facilities in place to prevent many instances of solicitation.
  
  Play Money Chip Sales: Players are not permitted to engage in any discussion regarding the sale of PokerStars play money chips within our chat facilities. Any such discussion, including the offer to buy or sell play money in PokerStars chat, is grounds for warning or revocation.
  
  Flooding: The sending of multiple and frequent messages to the chat window in order to drown out legitimate chat is forbidden.
  
  Non-English chat: We are aware that our players are from around the world, and that for many of them English is not their first language. However, at this time our policy is that English is the only language allowed to be used in PokerStars chat.
• What should I do if someone is abusing the chat feature?
• Please report any of the above offenses to support@pokerstars.com. We encourage players to help us be our eyes and ears. Although we monitor the tables as much as possible, the cooperation of our players is a critical part of making PokerStars a fun experience for all. Please do not engage in retaliatory chat; this will only likely result in both user's chat being revoked.
  
  You can block an individual player's messages from coming to you by right-clicking on the player's icon and selecting "Block Chat".

Images:

• How do I make an image for myself?
• From the Account menu of the PokerStars lobby, select "Select/Change Image". Click on "Select Image", and pick an image for use from your hard drive. Obscene or inappropriate images are not permitted. Images are therefore subject to review and once submitted will not appear on your account for several days. For more information about images, and to find out how to take a picture from the Internet to use as your PokerStars image, visit our Images page.
• I find the images at the table distracting. How do I turn them off?
• From the Options menu of the PokerStars lobby, select Images. This will turn off images the next time you join or watch a poker game. You can turn images back on at any time by selecting Images again and ensuring a check mark is placed beside Images.
  
  You can also block an individual player's image from coming to you by right-clicking on the player's icon and selecting "Block Image"
• I don't like my chosen image any more. Can I change it?
• Yes, you may change your image by selecting "Select/Change Image" from the Account menu. However, you can only change your image once, so we recommend that you consider your choice carefully.

Poker Shills/props:

• Does PokerStars use props or shills?
• PokerStars does not use any house players or robots. We do not hire any individuals to play on our site.
• Are PokerStars employees allowed to play on your site?
• No. Any PokerStars employee or contractor who has access to inside information (player records, hidden card hand histories, etc.) may not play on PokerStars. This is to prevent any possible abuse of that inside information. In fact, the immediate relatives of such people may not play on PokerStars.
• I see that many well-known players (such as Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Tom McEvoy, and Joe Hachem) are representing PokerStars in many poker tournament events and play weekend challenge matches against a weekly poker tournament leader. They are obviously associated with PokerStars. Why are they allowed to play poker in money games and poker tournaments on your site?
• Those people (and all members of Team PokerStars Pro) are contracted by PokerStars to be ambassadors of PokerStars at the brick-and-mortar poker tournaments they play throughout the world. They are also playing at PokerStars, as many players asked us to provide them an opportunity to play poker against celebrity players. These players have absolutely no access to any more information than any PokerStars player. They are clearly identified, and you may decide whether you want to play at the same table as these players or not.

  There is no requirement for these players to play any set number of hours at PokerStars and their compensation does not depend on how much or how little they play on our site. Finally, when playing side games and tournaments at PokerStars, members of Team PokerStars Pro play with their own money with the exception of the weekly match challenge. PokerStars has no vested interest in whether they win or lose those matches.

Poker Tournaments:

• Where can I view upcoming poker tournaments?
• You may view upcoming poker tournaments by selecting "Tourney" in the PokerStars main lobby. You will see all poker tournaments in progress, recently completed poker tournaments, and poker tournaments which begin soon. For more information, highlight any tournament by clicking on it, then select Tournament Lobby.
• How do I register for a poker tournament?
• If a poker tournament is in the "Registering" state, highlight that tournament by clicking on it, then click on the Tournament Lobby button. Once the Tournament Lobby screen opens, click on Register. You will need to log-in if you have not already done so for this session.
  
  For more detailed instructions, see Playing PokerStars Tournaments.
• Can I play a side game and a poker tournament at the same time?
• Yes, you are welcome to play a side game and a poker tournament simultaneously. In the interest of fairness to all players, we ask that you act promptly when it is your turn in either poker game.
• I played a poker tournament several days ago, and the information is no longer displayed in the lobby. How do I retrieve it?
• From the Requests menu in the PokerStars lobby, choose Tournament History. You may select any number of recent tournaments in which you participated, or any specific poker tournament.
• If I am faced with a difficult decision in a poker tournament, may I "request time"?
• All tournament players are given a "time bank" at the beginning of the tournament. If a player needs a longer than normal time to decide on an action, the player can withdraw from the time bank, which depletes as the player uses it in the poker game. To use the time bank you should click on the "TIME" button which appears after you receive the first time warning in the chat window.
• What happens if the system crashes in the middle of a poker tournament?
• In the event of a server crash, the hands in progress at every table will be restored by rolling back these hands. Each player's chip count will be reset to the amount at the beginning of the hand. In special circumstances, when a poker tournament needs to be cancelled because of a crash or some other reason, players will be compensated according to PokerStars' poker tournament cancellation policy.
• I qualified for an event that I can no longer play in...what do I do?
• You have the option of transferring your seat to another user.
  • If it is a Weekly Round 2 freeroll event, you also are free to move it to a future week by unregistering. To unregister, go to "Requests" in the main lobby, and then "Registered in Tournaments". From there you can find the event that you're currently registered in, go to the tournament lobby, and then unregister. You will get your "Round 2 ticket" back and can use it for any subsequent Weekly Round 2. You can see your tickets by clicking on "Requests" in the main PokerStars lobby, and then "Tournament Tickets".
  • If it is a real money poker buy-in event, you can unregister and receive special PokerStars currency, either T$ or W$, which are credits you can use to buy into other similar PokerStars events. For more information about T$ and W$, and where they may be used, please see the bottom two sections of our Poker Tournaments page.
  
  
  

Play Money Poker Games:

• Can I start playing poker on PokerStars now?
• Absolutely! Install your free PokerStars poker software and start playing poker right away. Our simple and easy poker download will have you playing in just minutes!
• How many play-money poker chips do I start with? What if I run out of chips?
• You will be given 1,000 play money chips to start. However, if at any time you are below 100 chips, simply click the dealer tray and select "Add More Chips...".
  
  This "rebuy" feature is intended to replenish the stack of a player who has legitimately lost their entire stack while playing poker. The new 1,000 chips are for the use of that player only. Re-buys acquired for purposes other than this are subject to forfeiture.
• How do I recognize the play money poker tables?
• The play money poker tables can be identified by the tables beginning with the word "Fun". They are at the bottom of the tables list. If you do not see them, double check to ensure that you have your client set to show play money poker tables. To do so, simply click on "Options" in your main client window, and ensure that the "Show Play Money Tables" option is selected.

Real Money Poker Play:

• Why is my Credit card being declined and what can I do?
• Many banks are adopting a policy against playing poker on the Internet, considering it too high risk. You may want to contact your bank regarding their policy on the matter.
  
  We have many other secure deposit methods. Please visit our real money poker page for additional information..
• Can I transfer money to another user, or receive a transfer?
• Yes, you can. To transfer real poker money on PokerStars, click on Requests -> Transfer Funds in the main client window. 
• Is my PokerStars account balance used for your operational expenses or is it kept in a separate account?
• PokerStars is proud to announce that, under new banking arrangements, an amount covering Players' account balances is held in segregated accounts, not used for any operational expenses. These segregated accounts are managed by one of Europe's leading financial services groups. The arrangements ensure that PokerStars can at all times fulfill its obligations towards Players, and will provide further reassurance that Players' funds are always secure with PokerStars.

Most importantly:

• Why should I play online poker on PokerStars?
• PokerStars is proud of everything we've done to make your poker-playing experience as safe and enjoyable as possible. That means assembling the best team possible in every department, whether it's poker software and development, customer service, or integrity assurance.
  
  But don't take our word for it. Log on for one of our play money poker games. Join up for one of many freeroll poker tournaments where we'll be giving away thousands in poker prize money. You'll find PokerStars is the place to play poker on the Internet!