Bovada review

Our Complete Review of Bovada Poker

Since opening its doors in 2011, Bovada Poker has become one of the leading online poker sites serving players in the United States. It is an offshoot of Bodog for US poker players, while non-US players still use the Bodog site.

Bovada Poker is on the Pai Wang Luo poker network alongside Ignition, Bodog, Bodog88, and Bodog India. This means players from Bovada and those rooms are all part of the same player pool and play against each other in the same games. That is what gives Bovada its traffic, and it usually means you can find good games running at all hours.

One major difference about Bovada is that it features anonymous tables. Each player is assigned a random number instead of a screen name, and the number changes at every cash game table and every tournament. This makes using a HUD and collecting hands on players for more than one session impossible.

For American players, Bovada is one of the best options available, especially for those who prefer anonymous tables and softer games.

Software

If you like clean, modern-looking software that works, definitely check out Bovada Poker. It uses the same platform as Ignition, and it's definitely the best software in the US market. The tables can be resized to pretty much any size, and there are lots of options for backgrounds, card backs, and card designs, including 4-color decks.

Here are some more great features of the Bovada Poker software:

• Anonymous tables
• Zone / Fast Fold Poker
• Cash Game Quick Seating
• Synchronized Tournament Breaks
• 4 Color Decks
• Rabbit Hunt
• Great Mobile Playability
• 6-Max, Full Ring, HU Cash Games

The great thing about Bovada Poker is that it's compatible with pretty much all devices, including Windows computers, Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. The no-download mobile web app lets players play anywhere on the go, as long as they have an internet connection and a mobile device with a compatible web browser. Phones are limited to cash games and some select Sit & Go's, while tablets can play all games, including multi-table tournaments.

Player Traffic

Bovada started late in 2011 as a spin-off of Bodog for US poker players. It grew quickly and today is part of the largest network serving the online poker market in the United States. Bovada runs on the Pai Wang Luo poker network, so even though you may be playing on Bovada, your opponent may be playing on another site on the network, such as Bodog or Ignition.

One of the benefits of being part of a multi-site network is that the player pool is much larger, and games often run around the clock because the player base includes players in other countries.

Bovada only offers cash games up to $10/$20, but these games run fairly regularly and can be quite juicy.

Games Spread

Bovada has one of the better game selections available to US online poker players, with cash games, tournaments, Jackpot Sit & Go's, and Zone Poker running nonstop.

Excellent Tournament Lineup with Big Guarantees

Bovada Poker is a great option for US poker players who like to play tournaments. It has a pretty good schedule that runs around the clock and features big guarantees, with more than $1.5 million guaranteed every week. Some players will be happy to hear that a lot of the tournaments are freezeouts.

More tournament highlights from Bovada Poker:

• Over $1.5 million guaranteed every week
• $100K guaranteed Sunday High Roller
• $150K guaranteed Sunday Special
• Monster Stack tournaments
• Play up to 15 tournaments at once
• Mad Mondays featuring more than $300K in guarantees
• Freezeouts

Real Money Banking Options

Bovada makes it fairly easy for US players to make a real money deposit to play online poker. Below you will find the methods available and our recommendation for each one.

Bovada Poker Deposit Options for US Players

• Bitcoin & Bitcoin Cash: The best option for most players depositing on Bovada is Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. Either is fast, free, safe, and secure, and should really be the first choice for all players. Personally, we recommend Bitcoin over Bitcoin Cash, but either will work. There is a $10 minimum and a $5,000 maximum per transaction, with no limit on how many deposits you can make.
• Credit/Debit Cards: You can also use your credit or debit card to make a deposit. Bovada accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, with a $20 minimum and a $1,500 maximum per transaction. While this option may work for some players, we don't recommend it because of the fee of 5.9% or higher and because sites may make you go through extra verification to withdraw your funds. Card deposits may also be blocked by your bank or card issuer.
• Voucher: Another option is a voucher, which is essentially a player-to-player transfer. You need to find another player with a Bovada account who wants to sell some of the money in their account, either a friend or someone on an online marketplace such as the one on 2+2. This method is not 100% foolproof, as you could get scammed if you don't know the person you are trading with. If you trade with someone online, make sure they have a good reputation in the marketplace. The safest way to avoid being scammed is to deposit using Bitcoin.

Bovada Poker Withdrawal Options for US Players

• Bitcoin: If you are looking for a fast, free, and efficient way to withdraw your money from Bovada Poker, we highly recommend Bitcoin. There is a $10 minimum withdrawal and technically no maximum, but transactions above $20K are broken up into installments, with one installment issued every 3 days.
• Wire Transfer: Some players may be able to receive their cashout by wire transfer. Wires have a $1,500 minimum and a $9,500 maximum and are subject to a $100 fee. A wire may take up to 15 business days to complete, and you may request one per month. Because of the high fees and lengthy turnaround, we recommend avoiding this method if possible.
• Check in the Mail: Another option available to some players is a check in the mail. Check cashouts have a $100 minimum and a $3,000 maximum and are subject to a $100 fee. Turnaround may take up to 15 business days, and players can request one check every 7 days. We strongly advise against checks because of the fee and because you may run into issues trying to cash or deposit them.
• Voucher: All players can use a voucher to transfer money to another player in exchange for real-world money. You find a friend or someone online who wants to buy some of your balance; that person gives you cash or sends you money via a service like Zelle, and then you transfer the money from your Bovada account to theirs. Vouchers have a $10 minimum and a $3,000 maximum per installment, but players may use unlimited vouchers.

Sign-Up Bonus

Like most other online poker rooms, Bovada has a welcome bonus for first-time players. The current bonus is a 100% match up to $500 on your initial deposit. While it's not the biggest bonus available, it's still decent and, for most players, worth claiming.

Your bonus is released in $5 increments for every 150 rewards points you earn, and points are pretty easy to accumulate at a rate of 15 points for every dollar of cash game rake or tournament fees.

If you are a first-time Bovada player who would like to claim this bonus, click here (opens in a new tab) to sign up and start claiming your free money.

Rewards & Promotions

Bovada Poker has a loyalty rewards program, but it's probably one of the worst in the industry unless you're a high-volume player. Players earn Ignition Miles as they play poker or other casino games. There are different reward tiers, and the higher you go, the better the rewards. Players can trade their miles for rewards such as cash prizes and tournament tickets. The lowest level is Steel, with a 6% cashback rate and a redemption rate of $1 per 2,500 points. The highest level is Diamond, with a 15% cashback rate that lets you trade 1,000 miles for $1. Players at Chrome level or above are eligible for the $2,500 weekly freeroll tournament. Points are generated at a rate of 15 points per $1 of cash game rake or tournament fees, and Jackpot Sit & Go players receive 1.5 miles per $1 of buy-in.

Royal Flush Bonus

One cool Bovada Poker promotion is the Royal Flush bonus for Texas Hold'em cash games, where players can win 50x the big blind, up to $200. All you have to do is make a royal flush using both of your hole cards. The only downside is that you have to submit your hand manually, within 48 hours.

Bad Beat Bonus

Bovada Poker also features a bad beat bonus where you can win 100x the big blind, up to $1,000. To be eligible, you must be playing a Texas Hold'em cash game and have your aces full of kings beaten by four of a kind or better. There must be a minimum of 3 players dealt into the hand, and both the winning and losing hands must use both hole cards. As with the royal flush bonus, you have to submit the hand to Bovada manually within 48 hours of completing it.

Mobile

For poker players who like to take poker on the go, Bovada is an excellent choice. It has a no-download mobile web app that is compatible with just about every modern smartphone and tablet. All you need is an internet connection and a mobile device with a compatible web browser. Game play differs between phones and tablets, and you can find more about each below.

Phone Game Play

Bovada offers mobile play on most modern smartphones, including Android phones and iPhones. Play is somewhat limited in the games you can play and the number of tables you can play at once. Players can play cash games and some Sit & Go's on their phones, with a maximum of one table at a time.

Tablet Game Play

The best mobile experience is on tablets like the iPad. Unlike phone play, and unlike most other sites, on a tablet you can play the full range of games Bovada offers, on up to 4 tables at once. The user interface is beautiful and makes playing on a tablet fantastic. The lobby is well designed and easy to navigate, and once you're playing you can easily switch between tables so you never miss a hand. Overall, tablet play on Bovada is probably the best in the industry and definitely worth checking out.

How to Play

All you need to play Bovada Poker on your mobile device is an account, an internet connection, and a mobile device with a compatible web browser. If you need an account, visit this page (opens in a new tab) to sign up and claim your 100% match welcome bonus.

Once you have an account, visit the Bovada Poker website on your mobile device, log in at the top right, and tap the "poker" button at the top to reach the poker lobby, where you can start playing.

Customer Support

All things considered, Bovada Poker has reasonable customer support, but it could offer more ways to get in touch, such as live chat or phone support. It currently offers 24/7 support by email, either through the contact form on its website or directly at service@bovada.lv. Replies usually come pretty quickly but can take upwards of 24 hours.

Conclusion

Bovada is a great option for American poker players. It has the largest player traffic by volume of any US site, a full schedule of multi-table tournaments, a wide range of cash games up to $10/$20, and Jackpot Sit & Go's if you prefer those. Add great software with excellent mobile play and you have a great online poker room. New players are also eligible for the 100% match bonus up to $500 on their initial deposit, which they can claim by signing up here (opens in a new tab).

The one thing some players may not like is the anonymous tables. If you are one of those players, we recommend checking out Americas Cardroom or Intertops Poker, now Everygame Poker.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bovada Poker

Is Bovada Poker legit?

While it does not hold an official gaming license, Bovada Poker is very much legit and has a good, longstanding reputation as a site players can trust, always paying out and doing so in a timely manner.

How is Bovada Poker legal?

Bovada is legal because there are no federal laws in the United States that prevent a person from playing online poker. The state of Washington has a law that prohibits online gambling, but to date no one has been prosecuted for playing online poker in the United States.

How can I deposit onto Bovada Poker?

Bovada offers a few different deposit methods, but the best is Bitcoin. It's fast, free, safe, and secure, and it will always work. Bovada also accepts credit and debit card deposits, but those have high fees and may not work for all players. Use Bitcoin and be done with it.

Can US players play on Bovada Poker?

Bovada loves American poker players and has the largest volume of American players of any site. It is one of the online poker rooms we recommend most to US players.

How do I download Bovada Poker?

To download Bovada Poker, visit the Bovada site and click the "download poker" button near the top of the screen. Select the right download for your computer, Windows or Mac, and start downloading. Once it's downloaded, install it like any other program and log in with your account details. If you don't have an account, create one on the same site and then follow the same steps.

Does Bovada Poker have a mobile app?

There is no official standalone app to download, but Bovada Poker does offer a fantastic web app. Visit the Bovada site on your mobile device, log in with your account details, tap "poker" at the top, and you'll be taken to the lobby, where you can pick a game and start playing.

How do I play Bovada Poker on an iPad?

To play on your iPad, click here (opens in a new tab) and log in to your account, then select poker at the top and you'll be taken to the lobby. If you don't have an account, use the same link to create one and then follow the same steps.

How do I install Bovada Poker on a Mac?

Getting started on your Mac is easy. Click here (opens in a new tab), press the "play poker" button in the center of the screen, then select "download for mac" on the next screen. Once the download is complete, install the program as you would any other and log in with your account details.

Can I use a HUD on Bovada Poker?

Because of the anonymous tables, HUD use is limited on Bovada Poker. You can only track players for a single cash game session or tournament.

If you would still like to use a HUD, Drive HUD and Poker Tracker currently work with Bovada.

What games are offered on Bovada Poker?

Bovada has some of the juiciest games among American online poker rooms.

There is a full schedule of multi-table tournaments with buy-ins from $1.10 to $500.

Sit & Go's are available as both single-table and multi-table tournaments, spread as NLH and PLO/PLO8, with buy-ins ranging from $1.05 to $214.

Cash games are spread in No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo.

No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha games are spread at the following blinds:

• 0.02/0.05
• 0.05/0.10
• 0.10/0.25
• 0.25/0.50
• 0.50/1
• 1/2
• 2.5/5
• 5/10
• 10/20

Limit Texas Hold'em games are spread at the following blinds:

• 0.05/0.10
• 0.25/0.50
• 1/2
• 3/6
• 10/20
• 30/60

Bovada also features a fast-fold format it calls Zone Poker. It spreads No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo at the following blinds:

• 0.02/0.05
• 0.05/0.10
• 0.10/0.25
• 0.25/0.50
• 0.75/1.50
• 2.50/5.00

The Omaha Zone games do not run frequently.

Bovada also features Jackpot Sit & Go's, which are 3-player, hyper-turbo, winner-take-all sit & go's. Prizes are selected at random by an RNG before the tournament starts and range from 2x up to 1,200x the buy-in.

• $2: max prize of $2,400
• $7: max prize of $8,400
• $20: max prize of $24,000
• $60: max prize of $72,000

You can find out more about Jackpot Sit & Go's by visiting this link (opens in a new tab).