I agree that the short term big bonuses are good for super affiliates only. For us common folk I think a one year higher rev share or CPA offer would work out well. It generally takes 3-4 months before we can see how things are going with new programs. Personally I’d rather have 50% of something than 100% of nothing.
Another option is slightly higher rev share plus a $75 or so CPA deal for 6-12 months or permanent if you can get it. This way you should make enough to pay for reviews on the new sites, buy links, keep some earnings, etc. We agreed on one of these at LAC this year and while the rev share income has been low the small CPA has made the deal a good one.
My last suggestion only really works for sites that are inbetween the average site and the super affiliate site. ie good traffic but not a monster either. You also wouldn’t use this with a household name like Pokerstars. This is for new entries into the gaming space. Ask for $ up front in order to list them on your site. Not every program will do this but if you show good traffic #’s they’ll pay you to be listed in the top 10 or whatever you use. Just make sure you define the length of the top listing. You don’t want a non performer to be listed #1 forever. How much you ask for is up to you but we’ve usually asked for $500 a month + high CPA on min deposit for a #1 poker listing.