Bovada Poker Review

Expert View of Bovada Poker

Bovada Poker Summary

Bovada offers three poker games; Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo. Most of Texas Hold’em tables are no limit. A few are fixed limit. The Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo tables are typically pot limit.

There are several features that discourage serious players from choosing to play at Bovada Poker. Players do not have usernames. Each is given a number in a cash game or tournament. This prevents sharks from seeking out week players. The lobby does not show any specific tables. Players choose a game and limit and the software finds an available seat. There are no wait list or table statistics.

Bovada has a fast-fold poker version. This is called Zone Poker. This is where a player enters a large pool at a specific limit. The player is automatically moved to a new table after a fold.

Bovada Poker only accepts players from a handful of countries. In addition to the United States, players from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

A Personal Opinion of Bovada Poker

What Players Are Saying About Bovada Poker

“This is a review of Bodog’s American brand, Bovada. It is an excellent site with plenty of action at the cash tables and always a few tournaments going on. The deposits are very easy and they have an 800 # in case you have a problem. There also is a nice casino and a sportsbook too. The best part is the cashouts. You get one free one a month. Every time I have cashed out about a week later Fed-Ex is knocking at the door with my check. The only gripe that some people have is that the player names are anonymous. But personally, I could care less. They also have a nice welcome bonus. I highly recommend this site to all US players.”

– Anonymous

“Bovada is the only online book I use. Started betting last year up until the Super Bowl. Bet on a few UFC fights after that too. No issues, never had to send DL info.”

– thascarecro

“Requested withdrawal Sunday afternoon. Withdrawal approved Monday morning. Blockchain > Coinbase in about 30 minutes. Coinbase > bank account in 6 hours.”

– loK2thabrain

Bovada vs Americas Cardroom vs Ignition

Download the Bovada Poker Software

As a new player to Bovada, you will need to access the Bovada Poker Download in order to get started with real money gaming. Bovada Poker offers their own free to download software for Windows and Mac devices.

The original download is 13 MB. Once fully installed, the Bovada poker software needs 134 MB of space. It only takes a few minutes to go from download to full install.

Players will need to create an account at Bovada to see most of the action. This step involves the player entering the first and last name, date of birth, email address, ZIP code, and security questions. There is no need to make a deposit to check out the Bovada Poker software first.

1. On the left-hand side of the Bovada home page, you will see a Play Now tab.
   Click this tab to be taken to the download for Windows section.
2. Click the red Download for Windows tab and the software download will begin. Allow the app to make changes to your device and begin the installation process. You will be asked for your language during this portion of the download.
3. Once installed, the Bovada Poker Download will pop up and be ready to use. If you are new to the site, you will need to choose the Join Now button on the left-hand side. You will be asked for personal information such as name, birth date, and telephone number.
4. Once an account is created, you will be ready to get started with real money online poker gaming. For existing Bovada Members, once the download is complete, you will sign in via the Login area on the left-hand side, just above the Join Now tab.

• Security and Protection – The Bovada Poker Download uses the same encryption and protection methods that online banking systems use to ensure player safety and security
• Gaming in One Place – With the download, players can use the platform to access everything, from Zoom Poker to Cash Games, SNGs, casino games, and tournaments.
• Filtering Options – Easily use the download to filter what games you wish to enjoy by choosing the card game type, buy-in level and limit.
• View Account Info – On the left-hand side of the platform, you will find your personal info for your account including playable balance, poker point total, tournament tickets and play money.
• Free Download – The poker download at Bovada is absolutely free.

For a PC, Windows 7 or later is required along with an Intel processor Core Duo or later. 1 GB memory or greater plus 1024×768 pixel screen resolution. A sound card is needed to provide audio and 200MB or more of free disk space for content.

Mac users will need a Mac OS X 10.7 (64bit) system with an Intel processor Core Duo or later with 1GB of memory or greater. 250 MB of disk space must be available with Flash Player version 16 or later for the system to operate the download.

Bovada Poker Deposits and Withdrawals

Bovada offers instant deposits through a variety of methods. These include credit cards, debit cards, and Bitcoin.

Making a Deposit

Bovada accepts Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, and have recently added American Express (AMEX) cards to their approved list. Visa deposits have a 4.9% fee. There is a 6.9% fee on Mastercard deposits. Bitcoin is free of any fees. Cash transfers are available for depositors. The fee is about $10 for these deposits. Bovada will cover amounts of $300 and higher.

Making a Withdrawal

There are three ways to get a withdrawal from Bovada. Bitcoin is available in amounts up to $9,500. There are no fees. Checks are issued in amounts up to $3,000. The fee is $50. Players may receive one free check every four months. Some players have bank wires available. The maximum wire is $9,500. The fee is $50 in addition to anything charged by the bank.

Bovada Poker Safety

Bovada is related to Bodog. The group has offered online poker since 2004 and has been in the sports betting industry since the 1990’s. All sites related to this company have a long track record of paying players in a timely manner. The company has even survived legal action from the US Government without missing a beat. Bovada is a safe poker site.

Bovada Poker is legit because it works very hard to process payments quickly. The company offers some of the best player support in the industry. Emails receive quick answers and withdrawal requests are often paid in a matter of hours.

Bovada Poker Bonuses

Bovada offers a 100% up to $500 first deposit bonus to new poker players. It clears in six increments based on the chart below.

Sign up and start playing at Bovada Poker to claim your $500 in chips, and start bluffing your opponents.

Poker Points are earned in cash games and tournaments. Players receive three Poker Points for every $1 in tournament fees paid. Cash game players receive Poker Points when contributing to a pot based on the amount of rake taken from the pot:

• $1 or more: 1 Poker Point
• $0.50 to $0.99: 0.5 Poker Points
• $0.25-$0.49: 0.25 Poker Points
• $0.05-$0.24: 0.1 Poker Points
• $0.01-$0.04: 0.05 Poker Points

Bovada Poker Promotions

Bovada does not offer much in the way of promotions. There is no rakeback or VIP program. There are $1.5 million in guaranteed tournaments each week. This includes a $100,000 Sunday major.

Special Features for Bovada Poker Players

Bovada Poker does not give players the option to choose their own seat at a cash game table. Instead, players choose an option from the lobby that includes the game, format, limit, and number of seats that they wish to play. Once this form is completed, Bovada’s software finds a poker seat for the player automatically.

The PaiWangLuo Network added this feature in April 2017. It was met with mixed reviews. Serious players that multi-table did not like the idea because it removed the ability to use game selection because the software does that for you. It helps prevent sharks from hunting down weaker players, which keeps the fish in the game longer. This is beneficial to new and recreational poker players.

Zone Poker is Bovada’s answer to the fast-fold phenomenon that hit online poker a few years ago. This format allows players to get about four times the number of hands in an hour when compared to traditional online poker tables. That is because the software automatically moves a player to a new table after folding. This gets the player a new hand while the previous table completes the action.

Zone Poker is available for No-Limit Texas Hold’em games from $0.02/$0.05 up to $1/$2. It is spread in Pot Limit Omaha up to $0.10/$0.25 blinds and for $0.02/$0.05 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo.

Another feature Bovada offers that helps protect recreational players is anonymous tables. Each player seated at a cash game is assigned a specific number that is displayed where a username would usually go. In tournaments, a player is assigned a number and keeps it for the remainder of the event. That is all that is known to other players at the table. This helps keep the weaker players undercover longer. It also makes it difficult to determine which players are sharks.

Bovada Poker Game Selection

Bovada offers Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo. The lowest limit is $0.02/$0.05. Limits run up to $10/$20. Texas Hold’em is spread in fixed and no limit. Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo are only available in pot limit.

Take advantage of the loose games when you sign up at Bovada Poker and start playing at the tables.

Bovada Poker Tournaments

Bovada offers some of the largest online poker tournaments available to US players. There are $1.5 million in guarantees on the schedule every week. Most are No Limit Texas Hold’em. The buy-ins start at just $1 and run up to $109.

The largest daily tournament has a $33 buy-in and a $5,000 guaranteed prize pool. It runs nightly at 11 pm ET. Other tournaments include:

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Bovada spreads a $100,000 guaranteed tournament every Sunday at 4 pm ET. First prize is at least $20,000 every week. The buy-in is $162. If that is too rich for you, there are three daily super satellites as low as $1.10.

There are satellites to the $100,000 guaranteed tournaments that start at $7.70. There are hyper turbos that run as the event starts with buy-ins as high as $42.
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These tournaments take place at night, perfect for all of those players that play at night or don’t have time during the day.

They have high guaranteed prize pools for low buy-ins. With the highest prize pool being $25,000 with just a $55 buy-in. These tournaments start from 8:00 PM (ET) and run until the last tournament at 11:00 PM (ET).
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Some players do not want to spend half a day playing in an online poker tournament. Bovada has the answer. There are dozens of turbo tournaments held every week.

These games feature smaller stacks and faster levels. Some turbo tournaments increase the blinds as quickly as once every two minutes. There are plenty of high guarantees offered for Bovada’s turbo tournaments.
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If you want to start playing in any of the poker tournaments, join Bovada and receive your $500 Welcome Bonus to start playing with.

Has There Ever Been a Scandal at Bovada?

Bodog has been a part of two issues.  They bounced back from both.  When Bodog moved to anonymous table it was quickly discovered by online data company HH Smithy that the data packets sent by Bodog still included player names.  This left players without the capability of mining out usernames at a huge disadvantage.  Bodog did not handle the publicity well.  One of their forum reps quit over it too.  Bodog quietly fixed the bug within days.

In February 2012, Bodog and other involved including Calvin Ayre were charged with illegal gambling by the U.S. Department of Justice.  The Bodog.com domain name was also seized.  That domain forwarded to Bodog.eu at the time.  Bodog laughed it off and the gaming sites did not miss a beat. Ayre pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in 2017.

Bovada Poker History

• 1994Bodog’s founding company accepted its first phone bet
• 1998Software company launches, accepts first sports bet
• 2001The Bodog brand emerges, bails out players on failed sportsbooks using original software
• 2004Bodog launches poker and casino games
• 2006Bodog remains in the U.S. market after UIGEA becomes law
• 2007Bodog loses .com domain in trademark dispute
• 2008Seizures began from federal agencies
• 2009Bodog regains access to its .com domain
• 2011Bodog moves to .eu domain
• 2011U.S. players moved to Bovada
• 2012Bodog founder and associates indicted by the U.S. Justice Department
• 2016Bovada poker players moved to Ignition Casino
• 2017Poker Returns to Bovada

Poker was always an afterthought for Bodog and what later become Bovada. The site’s main products were casino games and sports betting. That changed after Black Friday. Bodog became the largest US online poker site by the end of 2011. This is about the same time Bodog moved its US players to the Bovada brand.

This caused Bodog to reevaluate its poker product. Its sports betting and casino players were getting fleeced by poker sharks at an alarming rate.

Bodog rolled out its recreational player model in 2012. This move also affected Bovada. This controversial move made all players at Bodog’s poker site anonymous. It also removed waitlists from the lobby as full tables were no longer displayed. This stopped the bumhunting of weaker players by professionals. While the recreational player model received widespread criticism, it turned out to be an industry changer for Bodog.

While the recreational player model was successful, it continued to cause problems at Bodog and Bovada in terms of its prized sports and casino players getting slaughtered at the poker tables. Bodog decided to spin off the poker site into the Ignition Casino brand in 2016. Ignition is a skin on the same network but does not operate a sportsbook. This kept the Bodog and Bovada players from impulsively sitting at poker tables. It now requires a transfer of funds to a different site.

Players were able to continue playing poker at Ignition Casino during the one-year hiatus. Poker returned to Bovada in 2017, just one year after their move to Ignition. With the full power of the PaiWangLuo Network, Bovada is set to become one of the largest poker sites that cater to US players.

• Large player pool.
• Loose poker games.
• Large weekly guaranteed tournaments.

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Bovada Poker FAQ

Bovada Sports Betting

Bovada Sportsbook Details:

• Sports Offered:24
• Live Betting: Yes
• Minimum Wager:$1.00
• Maximum Wager:up to $2,000
• Virtual Sports: Yes
• Betting Exchange: No

Bovada is one of the largest sportsbooks that accept US players. The site accepts action on a variety of sports. This includes NFL, NCAA football, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, soccer, boxing, mixed martial arts, tennis, golf, NASCAR, cricket, e-sports, badminton, rugby, and snooker.

Bovada also spreads novelty action on politics and entertainment. Elections, awards shows, and reality shows are among the offerings. The betting limits are lower on these types of wagers.

The sport that sees the most action at Bovada is football. This includes professional and college. This helps Bovada give the best value to players on these lines. Bovada offers wagers on point spreads, money lines, total, and props. The prop wagers include stats and comparisons between players. Win lines and futures are also on the board at Bovada for most sports.

Most games also have a live betting point spread, money line, and total. This means that players can get in the action after kickoff while the game is in progress. This is a way to hedge existing bets or get into action if joining a game that has already kicked off.

Parlays and teasers are available. Parlays are accepted on any number of teams between two and ten. Teasers are the same way. NFL teasers are available in six, six and a half and seven points. Basketball teasers are offered in four, four and a half and five-point tickets. All legs of a teaser must win or tie or it will lose.

Basketball games offer similar wagers to football. Most other sports do not have point spreads although hockey and baseball have alternative 1.5 pt lines. Most other sports only offer money lines and totals. Some sports may offer prop bets on major events.

Parlays cards are permitted on most sports. Parlays can often be made across multiple sports. The payouts on a parlay are based on the odds available on the individual bets.

Bovada Sports Bonus

New sports bettors are offered a 50% up to $250 first deposit bonus at Bovada. The account is credited with the funds immediately. Players must rollover the bonus five times at sports or horses before a withdrawal request will be honored. The bonus code is FIRST DEPOSIT.

Players do not have to claim this bonus. Those that prefer to not be tied to the wagering requirement may simply not use the code at the time of deposit. This will allow a player to withdraw at any time without being tied to a mandatory bet limit.

Bovada Sportsbet Types

Bovada offers numerous ways to bet on sports. These range from parlays to teasers, as well as point spreads, money lines, run lines, puck lines, and totals. Sports include football, baseball, basketball, hockey, boxing, mixed martial arts, politics, and entrainment.

Bovada Offers True Odds on Parlays

This means that there is no additional vig taken after the -110 standard juice. It is multiplied with each team added. Bovada pays winning parlays -110 based on the following chart. A parlay that involves a push is dropped one team to the next payout.

Money line parlays are calculated using the European version of lines. For example, a +120 money line dog would multiply by 2.2.

Bovada Casino

Bovada Casino Details

• Casino Types: Download, browser
• Mobile: YES
• Number of Games:452
• Software: Real Time Gaming, BetSoft, and Rival

Bovada spreads more than 200 games. These include slots, video poker, and virtual table games. The minimum bet for slots and video poker is usually $.05. Table games often have a $1 minimum bet.

The games offered at Bovada Casino include multiple blackjack versions, roulette, craps, video poker, slots, and keno. The returns are among the best among American online casinos.

The high returns are not the only reason to play at Bovada. The site offers thousands of dollars in first deposit bonuses. There are weekly promotions that allow players to get reload bonuses with favorable terms.

Bovada Casino Bonus

New depositors qualify for eight separate bonuses that are valued at a combined $3,000. There is a 100% up to $500 slots bonus that may be redeemed four times. The code is SLOTS500. The wager requirement is 25 times. Slots are the only games permitted with this bonus. Progressive jackpots are excluded and do not count towards the casino bonus.

There is a video poker and table games bonus that uses the deposit code GAMES250. It is a 100% up to $250 offer. It may be used up to four times. Single deck blackjack, double deck blackjack, baccarat, Sic Bo, craps, roulette, and mini-games are excluded. The wagering requirement is 40 times for the GAMES250 bonus.

Both offers require players to make a subsequent deposit within seven days to claim additional bonuses after claiming the first one. The wagering requirement on the previous deposit bonus must be completed before receiving the next one. There is no time requirement once the deposit is made to clear the bonus.

Bovada Mobile Bonus

Bovada offers a mobile bonus. Players will receive a free $10 to try out the games. Blackjack, slots and video poker are among the titles available on mobile devices. Android and iOS operating systems are supported. Players must wager $250 within 30 days to request a withdrawal when accepting this bonus. There is no app needed for Bovada’s mobile casino. The games operate within the device’s native browser.

Bovada Casino Promotions

There are several weekly promotions offered by Bovada. These change from time to time but for the most part are consistent. Bonus codes are not needed for the promotions below. Players automatically opt-in. Those that wish to opt-out may contact support.

Points for cash: Players earn points while playing Bovada table games. The conversion rate is $1 for every 100 points. Points are earned in the following way:

• Single and double deck blackjack: One point for every $25 wagered
• Other Blackjack games and video poker: One point for every $10 wagered
• Other table games: One point for every $5 wagered
• Slots: One point for every $3.33 wagered

Blackjack Weekends: Players can earn up to $100 in casino bonuses by giving blackjack action on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The points are earned at the same rate as the points to cash promotion described above. All blackjack games qualify. The wager requirement is 20 times the bonus.

Table Mania Tuesdays: Players that wager $250 at any table game on Tuesday will receive a $10 casino bonus. The wager requirement is 20 times the bonus.

Bovada Casino Games

Bovada offers the widest selection of online casino games among sites that accept U.S. players. There are nearly 200 slot titles alone. There are nearly a dozen blackjack games.

Video poker players will find the standard single line games, as well as 3, 10 and 52-hand games. Denominations start at just a nickel and go as high as $5. This means there is video poker for any bankroll at Bovada Casino.

• Large player pool.
• Loose poker games.
• Large weekly guaranteed tournaments.

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Bovada Casino and Sportsbook FAQ