Bovada Poker - Online Poker Room Review
Current Bonus Offer
100% up to $500
(18+, Terms & Conditions Apply)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly)
Features
- Excellent, Updated Software
- Anonymous Tables
- Fast Fold Poker
- Automatic Seating
- US Players Welcome
- #1 US Traffic
Pros & Cons of Bovada Poker
PROS
- Accepts Cryptocurrency
- Top US Traffic
- Modern, Updated Software
- Big Tournament Gaurantees
- Fast Withdrawals
- Amazing Mobile Software
- Anonymous Tables
- Good Customer Service
CONS
- Only A Few Deposit Options
- Cap On Amount Of Tables You Can Play
- No Cash Games about $10/$20
- Match Bonus Only Up To $500
- No Rakeback
- Limited Reward Program
- Anonymous Tables May Not Be For Everyone
Bovada Poker Room Information
| Official Website | https://www.bovada.lv/poker |
| Network | Pai Wang Luo |
| Licensed By | No Official License |
| Established | 2011 |
| US Players | YES |
| Min Deposit | $10 |
Banking Options
Device Compatibility
Our Complete Review of Online Poker Site Bovada Poker
Opening their doors in 2011, Bovada Poker has become one of the leading online poker sites to serve poker players living in The United States of America. They are an offshoot of Bodog for US poker players while the non-US players still use the Bodog site.
Bovada Poker is on the Pai Wang Luo poker network along side Ignition, Bodog, Bodog88, and Bodog India. This means that players from Bovada and the rooms listed above, all are part of the same player pool and play against each other in the same games. This is what gives Bovada the amount of traffic it has and usually means you can find good games running at all hours.
One major difference about Bovada is they feature anonymous tables. The way these work is by assigning a random number to each player instead of a screen name. 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 if they prefer anonymous tables and softer games.
Software
If you like clean, modern looking software that works, definitely check out Bovada Poker. They use 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, have lots of different options for backgrounds and card backs, as well as different 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
- Syncronized Tournament Breaks
- Zone / Fast Fold Poker
- 4 Color Decks
- Rabbit Hunt
- Great Mobile Playability
- 6-Max, Full Ring, HU Cash Games
Bovada Poker Software Screenshots
The great thing about Bovada Poker, is it’s compatible on pretty much all devices including Windows computers, Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, and Android Devices. The no download, mobile web app allows players to play anywhere on the go as long as they have an internet connection and mobile device with compatible web browser. Phones are limited to cash games and some select Sit & Go’s while tablets have the option to play all games including multi table tournaments.
Player Traffic
Bovada was started late in 2011 as a spin-off of Bodog for US poker players. It quickly grew and today is one of 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 that runs on teh Pai Want Luo network such as Bodog or Ignition.
One of the benefits of being a part of a multi-site network, is that the player pool will be much larger and games will often run around the clock because the player base includes players residing in other countries.
They only offer 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 selections of games available to US online poker players with cash games, tournaments, jackpot sit & go’s and zone poker running nonstop.
Bovada Poker Games Spread & Limits
| Game Type | Minimum Stakes | Maximum Stakes |
| No-Limit Holdem | $0.02/$0.05 | $10 / $20 |
| Fixed Limit Holdem | $0.05 / $0.10 | $30 / $60 |
| Pot Limit Omaha / Omaha 08 | $0.02 / $0.05 | $10 / $20 |
| Multi-Table Tournaments | $1.10 | $500 |
| Sit & Go Tournaments | $1.05 | $214 |
| Jackpot Sit & Go Tournaments | $2 | $60 |
Excellent Tournament Lineup w/ Big Guarantees
Bovada Poker is great option for those US poker players that like to play tournaments. They have a pretty good schedule that runs around the clock and features big guarantees with more than $1.5 million guaranteed every week. Some players may be happy to hear that a lot of the tournaments are freezeouts.
More great 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
- Freeze outs!
Real Money Banking Options
Bovada makes it fairly easy for US players looking to make a real money deposit to play online poker. Below you will find the different methods available and our recommendation about each one.
Bovada Poker Deposit Options for US Players
- Bitcoin & BitcoinCash – The best option for most players to deposit onto Bovada is to use either Bitcoin or BitcoinCash. Using one of these is fast, free, safe, and secure and really should be the first choice for all players. Personally we would recommend using Bitcoin over BitcoinCash but either will work. There is a $10 minimum and $5,000 maximum per transaction, with no limit on how many deposits you can make.
- Credit/Debit Cards – You may also choose to use your credit or debit card to make a deposit. Bovada accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. There is a $20 minimum and $1,500 maximum deposit amount per transaction. While this option may work for players we don’t recommend it due to the 5.9% or higher fee and the fact that sites may make you go through extra verification to withdraw your funds. It may also not work for players due to being blocked by their bank or card issuer.
- Voucher – Another option you may wish to use to get money onto Bovada is to use a voucher, which is essentially a player to player transfer. You would need to find another player with a Bovada account that is looking to sell some of the money in their account. You can either do this with a friend or find someone on one of the online marketplaces such as the one on 2+2. This method is not 100% fail proof as you could get scammed if you don’t know the person you are making a trade with. If you make a trade with a person online, make sure you check and see that they have a good reputation in the marketplace. The safest way to not get scammed is to make your deposit using Bitcoin!
| Deposit Method | Minimum Deposit | Maximum Deposit | Fees |
| Bitcoin | $10 | $5,000 | None |
| Bitcoin Cash | $10 | $5,000 | None |
| Visa | $20 | $1,500 | 5.9% |
| MasterCard | $20 | $1,500 | 5.9% |
| American Express | $20 | $1,500 | 9.9% |
| Voucher | $10 | $3000 | None |
Bovada Poker Withdraw Options for US Players
- Bitcoin – If you are looking for a fast, free, and effecient way to withdrawal your money from Bovada Poker, we highly recommend using Bitcoin. There is a minimum withdraw amount of $10 and technically no maximum but for transactions above $20k, they will break them up into installments and issue 1 installment every 3 days. We recommend using Bitcoin for your withdraw if possible.
- Wire Transfer – Some players may have the option to receive their cashout via a wire transfer. Wire’s have a $1,500 minimum and $9,500 maximum withdrawal amount and are subject to a $100 fee. The transaction may take up to 15 business days to complete and you may request 1 per month. Because of the high fee’s and lengthly turn around time we recommend not using this method if possible.
- Check In Mail – Another option that may be available to some players is to receive a check in the mail. Check cashouts have a $100 minimum and $3,000 maximum withdrawal amount and will be subject to a $100 fee. Turn around time may be up to 15 business days and players are allowed to request 1 check every 7 days. We strongly advise against receiving a check because of the fee and because you may run into issues when trying to cash or deposit it.
- Voucher – All players may use a voucher to transfer money to another player in exchange for real world money. You would do this by finding a friend or someone online that wishes to buy some of your balance, then that person would give you cash or send you money via a service like Zelle, then you would transfer them money from your Bovada account to theirs. Vouchers have a $10 minimum and $3,000 maximum per installment but players may use unlimited vouchers.
| Withdraw Method | Minimum Withdraw | Maximum Withdraw | Frequency | Turn Around Time |
| Bitcoin | $10 | No Max* | 1 every 3 days | Usually < 48hrs |
| Check | $100 | $3,000 | 1 per week | Up to 3 weeks |
| Wire Transfer | $1,500 | $9,500 | 1 per month | Up to 3 weeks |
| Player to Player | $10 | $3,000 | Unlimited | Usually < 15 mins |
Sign-Up Bonus
Like most other online poker rooms, Bovada has a welcome bonus for first time players. Their current bonus is a 100% match bonus up to $500 on your initial deposit. While not the biggest bonus available, it’s still decent and for most players worth claiming.
Your bonus will be released in $5 increments for every 150 rewards points that you earn and points are pretty easy to accumulate at a rate of 15 points for every dollar of cash game rake or tournament fee’s.
If you are a first time Bovada player that would like to claim this bonus, simply click here to sign up and get claiming your free money!
Rewards & Promotions
Royal Flush Bonus
One cool bonus promotion of Bovada Poker is they have a Royal Flush bonus for Texas Holdem cash games where players can win up to 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 manually submit your hand and have 48 hours to do so.Bad Beat Bonus
Bovada Poker also features a bad beat bonus where you can win up to 100x time big blind, up to $1,000. To be eligible you must be playing a Texas Holdem cash game and have your aces full of kings be beaten by 4 of a kind or better. There must be a minimum of 3 players dealt into the hand and you must use both hole cards for both the winning and losing hand. Again like the royal flush bonus, you have to manually submit the hand to Bovada within 48 hours of completing the hand.Mobile
For poker players that like to take poker on the go, Bovada is an excellent choice. They have a no download, mobile web app that is compatible with just about every modern smart phone and tablet. All you need to play on Bovada poker is an internet connection and mobile device with compatible web browser. The game play is different for phones and tablets and more information about each can be found below.
Phone Game Play
Bovada offer mobile play on most modern smart phones like Androids and iPhones. The play is somewhat limited in the games you can play and the total tables you can play at once. Players will be able to play cash games and some limited Sit & Go’s on their phones with the maximum amount of tables allowed to be played is 1.
Tablet Game Play
The best mobile experience is on tablet devices like an iPad. Unlike the phone play and most other sites, if you are using a tablet to play on Bovada Poker you can play the full range of games offered by Bovada and can play 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 to your favorite games. Once playing you can easily switch between all tables so you never miss a hand. Overall the tablet play on Bovada is probably the best in the industry and definitely something to check out.
How to Play
All you need to play Bovada Poker on your mobile device is an account, internet connection, and mobile device with a compatible web browser. If you need an account simply visit this page and sign up and claim your 100% match welcome bonus.
Once you get your account or if you already have one, simply visit the Bovada Poker website on your mobile device, login to your account at the top right, once logged in click the “poker” button at the top and you will be taken to the poker lobby where you can start playing.
Customer Support
Bovada Poker has reasonable customer support all things considered but they could offer more options to contact them such as live chat or phone support. Currently they offer 24/7 customer support via email which you can use by sending them a message on their webpage or sending them a direct email here. They usually reply pretty quickly but may take upwards of 24 hours to get a reply.
Conclusion
Bovada is a great option for American poker players looking to play online poker. Bovada has the largest player traffic by volume of any US site with a full schedule of multi table tournaments, wide range of cash games up to $10/$20, and Jackpot Sit & Go’s if you prefer those. Add in some great software with excellent mobile play and you have a great online poker room. As a bonus new players are eligible for their 100% match bonus up to $500 on their initial deposit which they can claim by signing up here.
The only thing that some players may not prefer is the anonymous tables and if you are one of those players we recommending checking out Americas Cardroom or Intertops Poker.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bovada Poker
Is Bovada Poker Legit?
While they do 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 manor.
How is Bovada Poker Legal?
Bovada is legal because there are no official laws in The United States on a federal level that prevent a person from playing online poker. There is the state of Washington which has a law that prevents online gambling but as of 2020 there has been zero people prosecuted for playing online poker in The United States of America.
How can I deposit onto Bovada Poker?
Bovada offers a few different methods for players to deposit funds on the site but the best way is to use Bitcoin. It’s fast, free, safe, and secure and will always work. They also accept credit/debit card deposits but those have high fee’s 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 for any site . It is one of the online poker rooms we recommend the most to US players.
How to download Bovada Poker?
All you have to do to download Bovada Poker is click here, then click the “download poker” button towards the top of the screen. Then simply select the appropriate download for your computer, either Windows or Mac, and start downloading. Once downloaded install it just like you would any other program and once installed log in using your account details. If you don’t have an account you can use the same link above and create an account then follow the same steps.
Does Bovada Poker have a mobile app?
There is no official stand alone app to download but Bovada Poker does offer a fantastic web app. All you have to do is visit the Bovada site on your mobile device, login with your account details, push “poker” at the top and you’ll be taken into the lobby where you can select a game and start playing.
How to play Bovada Poker on iPad?
To play on your iPad simply click here and login 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 an account and then follow the same steps.
How to install Bovada Poker on a Mac?
Getting started on your Mac is easy. All you need to do is click here, 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, simply install the program as you would any other program and then login 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 are only able to track players for a single cash game session or tournament.
If you still would 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 when it comes to American online poker rooms.
They have a full schedule of multi table tournaments that with buy-ins from $1.10 to $500.
Sit & Go’s are available as both single table and multi table tournaments, spread as both NLH and PLO/PLO8 with buy-ins ranging from $1.05 to $214.
Cash games are spread in No Limit Holdem, Pot Limit Omaha, and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo.
No Limit Holdem and Pot Limit Omaha games are spread with 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
Texas Holdem Limit games are spread with 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 poker format they call Zone Poker. They spread No Limit Holdem, Pot Limit Omaha, and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo and is available 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 man hyper turbo, winner take all sit & go’s. They prizes are randomly selected by an RNG before the tournament starts and range from 2x the buy-in up to 1200x 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 the Jackpot Sit & Go’s by visiting this link.
