You finished a session, tried to take out what looked like winnings, and found the balance frozen. Nothing was broken; the playthrough rule simply had not been met yet. That rule decides how much of your own money and bonus money must be staked before any of it can leave the account, so misreading it changes what you can actually pocket.

Activating the Bonus

The offer only counts once it is attached to your account through the correct route, so treat each step as part of the claim.

1. Create or open your account through the page where the offer is advertised. A bonus added outside that path is not the same offer.
2. Complete any profile details the account needs before you deposit. Missing details can hold the bonus back at the moment you expect it.
3. Make your first qualifying deposit while the offer is still live. The qualifying deposit is the trigger, so the amount and method matter.
4. Watch for the bonus to appear as a separate balance. Money that never shows up separately usually means the claim did not register.
5. Keep the bonus balance apart from your cash balance in your head. Only the bonus part carries the staking requirement.
6. Use the same device and account throughout the claim. Switching between accounts or devices mid-claim creates problems that are hard to untangle.
7. Start staking on games that count toward the requirement. Staking on the wrong games moves your balance without moving you closer to a withdrawal.

A bonus is not free money sitting next to your deposit; it is money with a condition attached. Until the condition is met, the bonus balance and any winnings from it stay inside the account. The cash you deposited is normally the part you can still withdraw, subject to the same rules. Players who expect the whole balance to be flexible are the ones most often disappointed. Treat the bonus as a separate pot with its own rules, and the rest of the process becomes predictable.

What the Terms Mean

https://pokerstars.cn.com/ attaches a staking requirement to the bonus, and the table below sets out how each part of that requirement behaves.

The term players misread most is the playthrough base, because a small difference in wording doubles the work. Whether the figure applies to the bonus alone or to bonus plus deposit decides how much staking lies ahead. Reading that one line correctly is worth more than any other check you can make.

A reduced contribution share quietly multiplies the effort needed. A game counted at a fraction of the stake turns a short requirement into a long one. The time window then decides whether you can finish at all. When the window closes, unused bonus typically disappears along with its winnings. Treat the deadline as part of the requirement, not as an afterthought.

A Worked Example

The numbers below are an illustration only and do not reflect the actual terms of any offer.

Start with the formula: required staking equals the base amount multiplied by the playthrough factor. In this example the base is a deposit of 30 and the factor is 45. Multiply the two and the requirement comes to 1,350 in total stakes. That figure is the whole target, not an amount you add to the deposit.

Suppose the bonus is a match on that deposit. The base becomes 60 if the terms count bonus plus deposit. Multiply by the same factor and the target becomes 2,700. Nothing about your play changed; only the base did. This is why the playthrough base is the line worth reading twice.

Now apply a game contribution share. If the game you play counts at half, every 10 staked moves the counter by 5. Clearing 1,350 then requires 2,700 of actual stakes. A quarter share doubles that again. The share, not your effort, decides the real length of the task.

Add a cap on bonus winnings to complete the picture. Say the cap sits well below what your balance shows at the end. You keep the lower figure, and the rest stays behind. The cap is a ceiling on the bonus part, not on your own deposit. Players who ignore it plan around a number they will never receive.

Weight the effort against the reward before you start. A small bonus with a heavy requirement can cost more in stakes than it returns. The example makes the trade visible, so the decision stops being a guess. That comparison is the only calculation that matters at the start.

Run the same arithmetic on any offer before claiming it. Write the base, the factor, the share and the cap, then multiply. The result tells you whether the bonus suits your play. Doing this takes a minute and prevents a locked balance later.

Withdrawing After a Bonus

The first check is whether the playthrough counter has actually reached zero. A partial clearance leaves the bonus and its winnings locked, however large the balance looks. Confirm the counter is complete before you request anything. A balance that looks ready is not the same as a requirement that is met.

Withdrawing while the requirement is still open usually cancels the bonus. The bonus and its winnings are removed, and only the cash part remains. Some terms put the remaining requirement back on the account after a cancellation. Decide before you request whether you intend to finish the staking at all.

Understand what leaves the account and what stays behind. The cash you deposited is normally withdrawable, while the bonus winnings are subject to the cap and the completed requirement. The cap means the amount you can take may be lower than the balance shown. Plan around the smaller number to avoid surprises.

Any identity checks the operator requires must be completed before money moves. These checks are standard and apply to every player, not to selected accounts. Missing documents delay the request rather than cancel it in most cases. Have the paperwork ready before the requirement is finished, not after.

Read what happens to the bonus once the withdrawal is processed. Some offers remove the bonus balance after payment, while others leave it until it expires. This detail decides whether you can carry on playing with the bonus afterwards. Knowing it in advance stops an unexpected change to your balance.

Game Contribution

Not every stake counts at full value, and the difference is large. Tables, slots and live games can each carry their own share. A game that looks identical to another may count differently. The share is set by game type, so the choice of game is part of the strategy.

Slots usually carry the highest share and often the full stake; table games commonly count at a fraction. Live dealer games may count at a lower share still, or not at all. The exact split sits in the game contribution list attached to the offer. Players who move between game types without checking lose progress without noticing.

The lower the share, the more staking the requirement demands. A game counted at a small fraction can turn a short task into a long one. Multiply the requirement by the inverse of the share to see the real total. That figure, not the headline requirement, is the true target.

Some games are excluded entirely and add nothing to the counter. Staking there is play, not progress, even when it feels productive. Exclusions apply across the board and are not waived for anyone. Avoid the excluded list while a bonus is open if withdrawal is the goal.

Choose one game family that carries a full or high share and stay with it. Consistency keeps the counter climbing instead of stalling on fractions. Changing games mid-requirement only complicates the maths. A single clear choice is easier to finish than a tour of the lobby.

Traps to Avoid

Most lost bonuses trace back to a handful of avoidable mistakes, and each has a simple guard.

• Claiming the bonus without reading the playthrough base. A base that includes your deposit doubles the requirement. Read that line before you deposit.
• Staking on excluded games and assuming the counter moves. Excluded stakes add nothing to the total. Pick a game from the qualifying list first.
• Leaving the claim until the time window is nearly closed. An unused bonus disappears when the window ends. Start the claim when you have time to finish it.
• Requesting a withdrawal before the counter clears. A premature request usually wipes the bonus and its winnings. Wait until the counter reaches zero.
• Expecting the full balance at withdrawal. A cap can lower the payout well below the displayed figure. Plan around the cap, not the balance.
• Switching accounts or devices mid-claim. The bonus can fail to register and the progress is awkward to recover. Keep to one account and one device.
• Using the money before the account is confirmed. Identity checks can hold a payment after the requirement is met. Finish the checks early.

A bonus is worth claiming only when the requirement fits the way you already play. Players who enjoy long sessions on high-share games clear these conditions with little extra effort. Players who prefer excluded or low-share games often spend more than the bonus returns. The trap is treating the bonus as free money rather than money with a condition. Once you know the base, the share and the cap, the decision becomes arithmetic. The arithmetic, not the advertising, tells you whether to claim.”}