4.4 /5

In-Depth Review of PokerPlanets: Features, Bonuses, and Gameplay

In March 2022, PokerStars exited several markets. Player accounts were frozen, but customers were allowed to withdraw their funds. Three years later, some players received emails from PokerStars Sochi: the company had transferred user accounts to a new brand — PokerPlanets. Let’s take a closer look at the successor in this review.

General Information

PokerPlanets is a new name in the online poker industry. The platform entered beta on April 29, 2025.

PokerPlanets operates under Curaçao license OGL/2024/1469/0855. Despite early speculation, PokerPlanets is not a front for PokerStars. It does not share the PokerStars player pool and functions independently.

Players from many European and Latin American countries are allowed to register. The license supports a global pool, so users from most countries are welcome. Notably, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Nigeria, and other highly populated nations are on the list.

Games Available on PokerPlanets

PokerStars was known for its game variety, offering both popular and niche formats — including Badugi, Razz, and mixed games.

At launch, PokerPlanets offers No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and 5-Card Omaha. The available formats include cash games, tournaments, and spins. Let’s break them down.

Cash Games. Stakes start at $0.01/$0.02 and go up to $2/$5. Nearly all action runs on short-handed tables — no full ring, but 8-max tables are offered instead. Cash games are spiced up with ante, straddles, and Bomb Pots. Fast-fold poker, branded as Teleport, hasn’t gained much traction. NL Hold’em runs as 6-max, while PLO fast tables are 5-max.

Tournaments. The platform offers Freezeouts, Flights, PKO, Mystery Bounty, and Deepstack formats. Freerolls and satellites are also available. The week’s main event is the Jupiter Cup with a $215 buy-in and a $25,000 guarantee. Second in importance is the $109 Saturn Cup. Buy-ins and guarantees decrease with the size of the planet names — although not all tournaments follow the cosmic naming scheme. You’ll also find standard MTTs, like a $109 Deepstack Bounty.

There was no special launch series. It’s likely that the first major festival will be announced after the beta. This mirrors the approach taken by fellow newcomer VangPoker. Don’t expect WCOOP- or SCOOP-level festivals anytime soon. If we compare it to CoinPoker, we can assume future series will max out around $1,000,000 guarantees.

PokerPlanets runs several freerolls daily, but only awards MTT tickets — no free tournaments with cash prizes. These events typically draw 150–200 players.

Spins. The Spin&Win section includes buy-ins of $0.50, $1, $3, $5, $10, and $25. The top prize in the highest buy-in spin is $300,000: $240,000 to the winner, $36,000 for second, and $24,000 for third. The highest multiplier has a 2 in 10,000,000 chance of hitting.

For gamblers, PokerPlanets also offers an integrated sportsbook and online casino.

Traffic was modest in the early days. Every tournament was overlayed. For instance, a $7.50 MTT with a $750 guarantee attracted just 37 entries — not even one-third of the prize pool was covered. For tournament players, this made early play highly +EV. Cash games showed just 2–3 active tables. The fast-fold section was completely empty. The soft launch and lack of marketing are seen as the main reasons. News of the platform was limited to the PokerPlanets Telegram channel.

Promotions

New players receive a 100% first deposit bonus up to $600. To activate the bonus, you must deposit at least $10. The bonus is valid for 120 days. Activation is done through support.

Another option is a rakeback promo offering up to 80%. A minimum deposit of $10 is also required to join. Rakeback is tied to “Milky Way” and “Andromeda” chests, which are unlocked via loyalty points. At the highest level of luck, you could receive up to $320.

The VIP system has six tiers: Satellite, Comet, Asteroid, Moon, Planet, and Star. Details are as follows:

Players who reach the third tier unlock automatic participation in the loyalty program.

Bonuses are available for both new players and those whose accounts were transferred from PokerStars Sochi. RedStar Poker used a similar model when it joined the iPoker Network — existing users were eligible for welcome offers. PokerPlanets adds $3 for every $12 in rake.

How to Register a New Account

Creating a new PokerPlanets account is straightforward. Here’s the process:

1. Visit the official site.
2. Click “Register”.
3. Fill out the form: username, email, password, and country. We advise you to use our GTEN promo code to get a chance to participate in future exclusive promotions.
4. Agree to the terms by checking the box.
5. Click “Get verification code”.
6. Open the verification email and paste the code into the registration window.
7. Log in with your new credentials.

Registration can also be done directly in the PokerPlanets client using the same steps.

How to Make a Deposit

Although the launch announcement promised a wide range of payment methods, the initial options were limited:

• E-wallets: Skrill, Neteller, Luxon Pay, Piastrix
• Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Litecoin

More options will be added in the future.

Deposits are processed instantly and without fees. The minimum deposit depends on the payment method — for Luxon Pay, it’s $10. Maximums vary.

Withdrawals must be made using the same method as the deposit. For example, if you deposit with a bank card, you can’t withdraw to Luxon Pay. To cash out to an e-wallet, you must first link it via a deposit. Crypto withdrawals are the fastest — typically processed within one hour. Bank cards can take up to 5 days.

Rake

PokerPlanets charges 5% rake on all cash game pots. Specific caps and limits depend on the stake level and are detailed in separate tables for Hold'em and Omaha.

Tournament fees are set at 10%. Spin rake ranges from 7% to 9%.

Software

The PokerPlanets client meets modern industry standards. At launch, the room offered clients for Windows and macOS. In May 2025, mobile apps for Android and iOS were released. The desktop version supports Windows 8 and newer. System requirements for macOS are not listed.

The Android app must be downloaded from the official PokerPlanets site, as it’s not available on Google Play.

The PC client supports multitabling. Tracking tools don’t work on PokerPlanets, but there is a built-in HUD displaying VPIP, PFR, ATS, 3-Bet, and total hands. A visual hand-strength meter appears under your avatar, showing preflop and flop equity. Settings allow players to:

• Convert stacks to chips
• Change table theme
• Choose a preferred seat
• Enable auto top-up with custom BB amount
• Use a four-color deck
• Disable avatars, sounds, and animations

The mobile app offers nearly the same functionality. Players can access all games and formats, make deposits and withdrawals, and contact support. Tables are vertical with a sliding bet bar for fast action and multitabling.

The platform is capable of adding many formats in the future, including:

• Short Deck
• OFC
• 6-Card PLO
• Courchevel
• Stud
• Razz
• Mixed Games
• Turkish and Italian Poker

Expect more options as the platform evolves.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• First deposit bonus
• User-friendly software
• Soft player pool
• Crypto support
• MTT overlays

Cons:

• Low traffic
• No OFC at launch
• No tracker support

FAQ