Stars w/o RB or Full Tilt w/ RB?

[ApeAttack]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I wanted to get some microstakers' opinions.

I have been playing microstakes at Stars ever since Party banned all US players last year. Stars is currently the largest site for US players (and so has more fishies), but does not offer rackback. Full tilt is a smaller site, but does offer rakeback (I believe I saw ~27% RB somewhere).

Is the competition at FT roughly as fishy as Stars at the micros? How about as you move up to 50NL and 100NL?

[thac]

FT isn't 'smaller'. They're both mainstream.

Microstakes are gonna have fish wherever you go.

Banking an extra 5-10 buyins a month really helps your winrate/bankroll.

You can't do [censored] with FPPs when you're making 5k a month.

[ApeAttack]

According to pokerscout, FT only has ~60% of the traffic of PS.
pokerscout

Since better players multitable, the fish-to-shark ratio could be lower.

[thac]

Look at more of the micro-stakes tables.. you're not gonna have to choose from 6 tables bro.


Tables - Max - Active Tables - Full Tables - Active Players

FTP
$0.50/$1 6 65 47 370
$0.25/$0.50 6 76 70 450
$0.15/$0.30 6 16 13 91
$0.10/$0.25 6 68 59 391

PS
$0.50/$1 6 78 61 446
$0.25/$0.50 6 104 87 600
$0.10/$0.25 6 96 53 504

[shoxbb6]

ability to datamine + rb > fpps

[Quester]

I think it's a fairly close decision and may boil down to what software you like better. FT is a bit tighter in my experience (still easily beatable), but you do get rakeback and can datamine. And they have a good sign-up bonus. I like PS software and support better, and there is better game selection. But at this level, game selection may not be a deal breaker (usually fish at every table).

For reference, I moved from Stars to FT between 10NL and 25NL. I'd like to move part of my bankroll back to Stars and continue playing there eventually (100NL+).

[ryang]

both?

[Beck]

I haven't played at FT, but I think we can assume the fishiness is equal.

As quester says, the non-monetary factors, are things like software, support and datamine, with the 2 former being a matter of opinion.

When it comes to $, it depends on how many hands a month you play? There are several threads in both Affiliates/Rakeback and Internet Gambling concerning this. I think the concensus is, that for recreational players FT with RB is the better choice.
But I suggest you try looking in these forums, that will greatly help your knowledge, on how to compare the two.

Here you go (hope it works)