GGPoker vs PokerStars: Comparing Player Value in 2025

Online poker sites compete to attract regular and new players by offering different rewards, tournament schedules, and platform tools. To see which site gives more player value, this article analyzes the latest data and operator reports as of July 2025. By looking at rake, rewards, tournament offerings, platform features, and traffic numbers, we can see where each site separates itself.

Rake: Cash Games, MTTs, and Sit & Gos Compared

Rake is the fee taken from poker pots or tournament buy-ins, affecting long-term results. GGPoker and PokerStars calculate rake in different ways for each main format.

For cash games, GGPoker uses a 5% rake at all stakes. The maximum rake (the cap) a player can pay per hand is higher than on PokerStars, but the rate stays flat. By contrast, PokerStars begins cash game rake at 3.3% at the lowest stakes but increases this to match GGPoker’s 5% at high stakes. The caps on PokerStars, though, remain lower than GGPoker’s. This structure tends to favor those who play shorter sessions or at lower stakes on PokerStars in terms of rake percentage, while GGPoker offers higher caps, which can add value for high-volume players in active games.

Tournament rake, the fee charged on top of tournament buy-ins, is where the two sites drift apart. GGPoker’s tournament fee ranges between 5% and 9%, depending on the buy-in size. PokerStars, on the other hand, sets tournament rake from 5% up to 12%, with higher percentages especially present in lower buy-in events and selected tournaments. For regular multi-table tournament players, the lower top-end for rake on GGPoker can make every buy-in cheaper over the long term.

Sit & Go formats reward frequent players through rakeback from regular play. GGPoker sets a flat 7% fee no matter the Spin & Gold buy-in. PokerStars uses sliding fees, ranging from 8% at the lowest level to 5% at the top. In short, GGPoker offers lower fees for lower buy-in lottery Sit & Gos, giving more value to micro-stakes and entry-level players.

This means the fee structure on GGPoker is built so most tournament players and those trying Sit & Gos pay less, while cash game players should expect about the same or slightly higher average rake, especially at busier tables. The reward is more active games and greater daily action.

Cashback Rewards: Fish Buffet Provides More Value

Rewards systems give back a percentage of paid rake. GGPoker and PokerStars run different loyalty programs, each with its own rules and limits.

On GGPoker, all registered players are in the Fish Buffet program. This system pays up to 60% cashback under the Weekly Cashback plan. Everyone earns rewards with every raked hand or tournament fee, and the cashback becomes available at regular milestones. Beyond standard cashback, GGPoker runs frequent leaderboard competitions. These leaderboards add more value and payouts for those putting in more volume or climbing above their average stakes. GGPoker also offers reload bonuses and custom affiliate promotions, which can add further percentage points to the base rewards. New players, in particular, get access to both regular cashback and extra early rewards as they join the platform.

PokerStars returned to a direct rakeback model after some years without it. Most of its players can earn about 25% regular cashback using their Star Rewards system. Higher cashback rates sometimes occur with temporary special promotions or deposit reload offers, but these are less frequent. PokerStars pays out through a loyalty ladder, but hitting the upper levels and higher reward percentages is difficult for most. The general cashback speed is slower and focuses the highest returns on very high-volume players only.

Industry and third-party reports point to GGPoker’s system as offering better and more frequent value across most players. Rewards are available more often and can be boosted through various promotions or leaderboard wins, making the program easier to understand and more attainable for any player, regardless of their volume.

Bonus Offers and Affiliate Flexibility

Bonus offers influence player decisions, especially for new users. GGPoker promotes large first deposit deals (often a full 100% match up to $600) and introduces new signup bonuses at regular intervals. These bonuses apply to both tournament and cash players. Promotional offers such as daily leaderboard races, deposit reloads, and special event tickets frequently show up as well.

GGPoker’s affiliate policy is different from PokerStars. Players who skipped referral links during signup can later affiliate their account if they meet certain conditions. This retroactive option opens more paths to custom deals, private rake races, or extra promotions through selected partners. PokerStars does not allow any post-registration affiliation changes. Accounts created without a code cannot access extra affiliate or custom rewards later on.

This flexibility on GGPoker makes sure all users, even those new to the platform, can maximize bonuses, access private rewards, and remain eligible for event-specific deals.

Tournament Series Size: A GGPoker Strength

Major online tournament series attract worldwide attention. GGPoker’s festival lineup in 2025 included the largest online series yet, with $250 million in posted guarantees at the spring World Festival. The event spanned more than 600 tournaments with buy-ins from $1 to $25,000. Its Main Event drew over 17,000 entries with a $15 million guarantee but ultimately awarded $21 million, a level unmatched by PokerStars’ events in the same year.

PokerStars’ flagship series in 2025, the Spring Championship of Online Poker, reached a collective $125 million in prizes. Its main event featured a $6 million guarantee and ended with a $7.4 million prize pool. These are strong numbers but fall short of GGPoker’s benchmark.

Daily and weekly schedules at GGPoker also report larger field sizes, more regular guarantees, and more extensive prize pools based on public lobby tracking and operator reports. Multi-flight event structures increase accessibility. Players can enter at their chosen time or budget, which further boosts turnout and prize pool sizes across the board.

For those focused on tournament poker, GGPoker’s track record on prize pool size, variety, and frequency is unmatched among global poker sites based on these numbers.

Unique Platform Features Increase Play Options

GGPoker’s platform combines traditional poker with unique features. These exclusive tools change how players interact with both the site and each other.

• Multi-flight tournaments let players qualify for finals at different entry points and times, making major events more attainable over several days or weeks.
• Persistent and always-updating leaderboards reward top finishers in cash games, tournaments, and special formats like Spin & Gold. Players can win bonuses, tickets, or direct prizes for consistent play.
• An integrated staking system allows any player to buy or sell shares of their tournament action, managed inside the secure platform, which keeps transactions easy and direct.
• Built-in analysis and tracking tools, such as a smart HUD and real-time statistics, help players keep track of progress and make informed decisions during sessions.

These features meet demands for fun, competitive, and strategic play while adding more direct and indirect value to regular users.

Traffic and Accessibility: The Broadest Player Pool

More active users lead to more game options and softer tables. As of June 2025, GGPoker is the largest online poker network by both average and peak traffic numbers. This creates benefits at every stake level, more active cash tables, frequent running tournaments, and easier access to new or specialty formats at any hour.

GGPoker’s larger player base means tournaments and cash games consistently fill up. This leads to larger fields and higher prize pools, with less waiting for games to start. New or less experienced players benefit from the higher number of recreational players in major events, increasing the pool size for softer competition.

By contrast, PokerStars still runs many games and holds a historic share of regulars but trails GGPoker in daily logged-in user numbers and peak event entries. The outcome of this shift is more options for each bankroll and schedule type on GGPoker.

Special Access for Affiliates and Returning Users

GGPoker gives more custom benefits for regular and long-term players. Affiliates can create private leaderboard races, offer special reloads, and allow retroactive linking of accounts to unlock additional bonuses. This is unique among major sites and opens up more bonus paths for old accounts that have never used an affiliate.

Returning or inactive players can qualify for exclusive offers not shown to everyone. This approach creates more regular opportunities to unlock value and maintains support for all users, regardless of their account age or history.

Conclusion: GGPoker Delivers More Value in 2025

Industry data, third-party reviews, and player opinions collected as of July 2025 all report the same trend across major value factors:

• Cash game rake and tournament fees are as low or lower on GGPoker for the formats most regular players use, especially for Sit & Go and tournament events.
• Its Fish Buffet rewards program gives out frequent, tangible cashback, which reaches up to 60% in real-case examples and is attainable by any player.
• Major bonus offers, flexible affiliate systems, and large deposit matches are standard and open to both new and later-linked accounts through retroactive deals.
• Tournament festivals run by GGPoker are the world’s largest, with series prize pools and entries far above those of PokerStars in 2025.