Turn a bad beat into a huge payout

Nothing in poker stings quite like a bad beat – but we’ve got the antidote should you suffer misfortune on the felt.

That’s right. With Bad Beat Payback, you can turn a bad beat into a huge payout at our No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha Cash tables, up to €2.50/€5 stakes.

Lose a hand while holding a straight flush and we’ll pay you a bonus equal to 1,100 big blinds at the stake level you’re playing. Beaten with quads? Then we’ll payout 600x your big blind as a bonus.

And, if your pocket aces get cracked, you’ll be automatically registered to the next day’s Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout. There are Carnaval Series Main Event seats and Sunday Million tickets to be won, and on February 16, February 23 and March 2, you could win a package to play PokerStars Open Campione, worth €2,300.

Opt-in to Bad Beat Payback to qualify and ensure that the worst bad beats can still pay big.

Important things to note:

• You must opt-in to qualify for Bad Beat Payback.
• Your two hole cards must be used towards any losing hands for them to count.
• Heads-up play is excluded from the offer and a minimum three players must be active in the hand for it to count.
• Payouts for straight flush and quads bad beats are uncapped during the promotion period.
• Entries for Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootouts are capped at one per player, per day.

What is being offered

Players who take part in the Bad Beat Payback offer can claim up to 1,100-times their big blind as a bonus and an entry to a Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout if they lose their hand at selected cash game tables, as specified below.

When is the offer being conducted

This offer runs from 10:00 CET on February 10 until 23:59 CET on March 9, 2025. Each day of the offer starts at 00:00 CET and ends at 23:59 CET, apart from February 10 which starts at 10:00 CET and ends at 23:59 CET.

Who is eligible to take part and how can you qualify

To be eligible for this offer, players must hold an active and verified real-money account with PokerStars and not hold PokerStars Select or Select+ status.

To participate in the offer, players must first opt-in via the Challenges Window. Only one initial opt-in is required for the duration of the offer.

Once opted in, there will be 3 events available to players to complete, as shown below:

#1) Lose a hand with a straight flush

#2) Lose a hand with quads

#3) Lose a hand with pocket aces

To complete an event, player’s both hole cards must be used to form a qualifying hand. No restrictions apply to the winning hands.

There is no limit to how many times players can complete events #1 and #2 per day. Event #3 can only be completed once per player per day.

Wagering requirements and limitations by type of game

Events can only be completed by playing real money cash games (including Zoom cash games) with minimum 3 players dealt into a hand. Heads-Up cash games are excluded from this offer. And any other game variants, hands played at play money tables or tournaments, will also not count. 

Maximum stakes of €2.50/€5 apply to all qualifying hands.

Claiming and redeeming the offer

Upon completing each event, players will receive a reward, as follows:

Bonuses will be paid out within 24 hours of event completion and credited inside a Chest. Players will need to open their Chest to claim the reward. Bonuses must be wagered at least once before they can be withdrawn, in accordance with ADM regulations on the usage of bonuses. Bonuses cannot be used to place sports bets. Unopened Chests will expire 7 days after being credited.

Players who win an entry to a Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout tournament will be automatically registered in the corresponding Bad Beat Payback tournament for the next day.   

Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout tournaments will take place daily at 20:00 CET between February 11-March 10, 2025.

Entry to each Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout tournament is limited to one per player.  

In an All-in Shootout tournament registered players are automatically put all-in until there is a winner, no login or game play is required. 

What else do you need to know

Players can view which tournaments they are registered in via the My Tournaments tab.

See here for general promotional Terms & Conditions. 

Reward Terms and Conditions – Special Edition Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout Tournament (February 16, February 23 and March 2 editions)

Special Edition Bad Beat Payback All-in Shootout tournaments (“Tournament(s)”) will take place as follows:

20:00 CET on February 16, February 23 and March 2, 2025.

In addition to these Reward Terms and Conditions, the General Terms and tournament rules governing the participation in tournaments on the PokerStars website apply to your participation in the Tournaments.

Reward Description:

The reward for each Tournament winner (each a “Winner”) is as follows: PokerStars Open Campione Package worth €2,300 (each a “Reward”).

Each Reward consist of the following:

• PokerStars Open Campione Main Event €1,100 buy-in
• PokerStars Mystery Bounty Cup €400 buy-in
• €800 in expenses      

Reward Terms & Conditions: 

1. Winners agree to be bound by the PokerStars live events terms available at www.pokerstarslive.com/about/tos/.
2. The Reward does not include any costs, taxes, fees, expenses and/or arrangements not expressly specified in the Reward Description above. Winners are solely responsible for, and PokerStars will not be liable to reimburse Winners for any such additional charges and expenses. 
3. Winners must make their travel arrangements through PokerStars’ designated agent and use the carriers and providers selected by PokerStars or its designated agent. Winners must follow the itinerary provided by PokerStars or its designated agent. 
4. It is the responsibility of the Winners to check any requirements for the airline, transport provider, hotel, event venue and any other supplier providing elements of the Reward. Winners are bound by, and must comply with, any terms and conditions set out on their event and travel tickets and the rules, regulations, requirements and policies of the transport provider, hotel, event venue, event promoter and any other supplier connected with the Reward. PokerStars is not responsible for any failure of a Winner to gain entry or re-entry to the transport, hotel and/or event, or to participate in any element of the Reward, due to any action/inaction on the part of the Winner. 
5. It is the responsibility of the Winners to check and ensure that they satisfy all security requirements in relation to travel (including all requirements relating to passports and other documentation). PokerStars has no liability if a Winner is refused entry because they do not satisfy such requirements and Winners are solely responsible for all costs associated with refused entry. 
6. It is the responsibility of the Winners to check any travel advisories relating to the travel destination and to determine what action to take in relation to any such advisories. PokerStars has no liability if a Winner does not make such checks, if they choose to travel despite the advice given in any relevant advisory or if they choose not to travel on the advice given in any relevant advisory (in which case PokerStars will not be obliged to offer a substitute reward). 
7. It is the responsibility of the Winners to check whether any vaccinations and/or prescription medicines are recommended or required prior to travel and PokerStars has no liability in this respect. 
8. It is the responsibility of the Winners to take out their own travel insurance in connection with their Reward. PokerStars will have no liability for any failure by a Winner to take out travel insurance and/or to comply with the terms and conditions of their travel insurance policy. 
9. PokerStars has no liability for lost or stolen tickets, vouchers, certificates and/or other documentation connected with the Reward. 
10. All elements of the Reward are strictly non-transferable, non-exchangeable and may not be re-sold. No cash or any other alternative is available for any element of the Reward. No alternative dates are available.
11. If any element of the Reward becomes unavailable, or if a Winner is unable to use/take part in any element of the Reward, for any reason beyond PokerStars’ reasonable control, PokerStars is not obliged to offer an alternative reward or any cash alternative or compensation. 
12. Winners must not do anything that may bring PokerStars, any of its group companies or its commercial partners into disrepute. PokerStars reserves the right to take appropriate action (including the removal of any element of the Reward) if a Winner acts in a way that PokerStars reasonably considers to bring PokerStars, any of its group companies or its commercial partners into disrepute. 
13. PokerStars is not liable for any loss, theft, damage or injury caused or sustained by a Winner as a result of participating in their Reward (except that PokerStars will be liable for death or personal injury arising from PokerStars’ negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation). 
14. Rewards may be replaced with a substitute reward of equal or greater value, if circumstances beyond PokerStars’ control make it necessary to do so. 
15. If you have any questions about the Tournaments or the Reward, please contact our Help Centre.