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Bovada Poker in Two Lines

Bovada is a skin on the PaiWangLuo Network. This platform was previously called Bodog Poker. PaiWangLuo is the largest US-facing poker network. PokerScout places Bovada’s poker network at sixth. It averages about 1,000 cash game players.

Bovada’s main businesses are sports betting and casino action.  Poker is a bit of an afterthought.  This means that there is little in the way of promotions at Bovada.  The company prefers not to attract serious players so there is no rakeback, VIP programs or reload bonuses.  It also discourages expert play by not displaying usernames at the poker tables.  All players are anonymous. There is also no way to choose a seat as the software does not display active tables.

A Personal Opinion of Bovada Poker

What I like about Bovada Poker – The games at Bovada are very loose.  There are many recreational gamblers at the tables.  Bovada pays U.S. players faster than any other U.S.-facing site.  It offers free Bitcoin withdrawals in amounts up to $9,500. Players that prefer checks or bank wires may receive one of these withdrawals free once every four months.

What I don’t like about Bovada Poker – The tables at Bovada are anonymous.  This helps keep game quality high, but it takes away from the social experience of poker.  It also makes it harder to identify possible unfair play.  There is no rakeback at Bovada, nor are there any reload bonuses or VIP programs.  Credit and debit card deposits have a fee that players must pay. There is no game selection. The software selects your seat.

What Players Are Saying About Bovada Poker

The poker community at large loves Bovada Poker.  There is little to complain about when it comes to the largest U.S. online poker room.  Players praise the good games and fast cashouts on a regular basis.  Support is also above average.  Most players feel that Bovada is a very well managed room.

There are some negative comments about Bovada on the internet.

Deposits and Payouts at Bovada

Bovada offers two deposit options.  Players can deposit by Visa and Bitcoin.  There is a 5 percent fee of credit card deposits.  There are no fees for Bitcoin deposits.

Withdrawals at Bovada are among the fastest in the online poker world. Most players use Bitcoin, which is processed in less than one day and carries no fees. Checks arrive in about one week, while bank wires are processed in two or three weeks.

Making a Deposit at Bovada Poker

There are two ways to make a deposit at Bovada Poker. These are Visa and Bitcoin. There are no ewallet or bank transfer options as Bovada does not accept players outside the US.

Visa Deposits

Players may deposit by Visa at Bovada. The fee is 5 percent. The card must have the ability to accept charges from international merchants. This means a player may need to go to the store and buy a prepaid international debit card. The maximum Visa deposit amount varies by player. It starts at $500.

Bovada Poker Bitcoin Deposits

Bitcoin is by far the more popular Bovada deposit option. There are no fees. The maximum Bitcoin deposit amount is $9,500.

Bovada Poker Withdrawals

Bovada Poker offers three withdrawal options. Bitcoin is the most popular. That is because it has become the currency of choice for US online poker players. Bovada Poker also offers checks and bank wires as payout methods.

Bitcoin Payouts at Bovada

Bitcoin is the payout option of choice for Bovada Poker players. That is because it is the favored deposit option so players are usually familiar with Bitcoin. There are no fees for using Bitcoin to withdraw. The maximum amount is $9,500. The transaction is processed in less than a day.

Check Withdrawals

Bovada Poker will courier a check to a player in amounts up to $3,000. The fee is $50. These arrive in about one week. Bovada will waive this fee once every 120 days.

Bank Wire Withdrawals

Players may request a bank wire in amounts up to $9,500. The fee is $50. There are additional fees charged by banks that process the transaction. Bovada will waive the $50 fee one time per month.

Bovada Poker Safety

Bovada is an extremely safe online poker site.  It has been in business since the late 90’s as a sportsbook known as Bodog, a brand that still operates in countries outside the U.S.  The poker site opened in 2004.  There has never been a complaint for nonpayment.  Bovada and Bodog are financially strong companies.

Is Bovada Poker Legit?

Bovada is one of the safest poker sites. It has more than two decades of online gaming experience dating back to its days as Bodog. The company has survived an indictment from the US Justice Department. Those charges were settled. The site never missed a beat. The site has always paid players on time.

Bovada Poker Software

Bovada uses poker software that is proprietary to the PaiWangLuo Network. It is exclusive to the platform. The functionality is basic, but adequate. Players do not see usernames at the Bovada Poker tables. Each player is assigned a number. This number is kept throughout the session and multi-table tournaments. This is done to protect weaker players.

There is no seat selection at Bovada Poker. Players choose the limit and game and the software automatically seats the player.

Bovada Poker Promotions

Bovada does not offer many promotions. Those that exist are aimed at casual players.

Bovada Poker Bonus

New players receive a 100% up to $500 first deposit bonus. The bonus clears in six installments. It expires after 60 days. Players have 30 days to clear the bonus.

Bad Beat Jackpot

Bovada has a bad beat bonus that triggers when a player loses aces full of kings or better.  Both players must use both hole cards.  The player that loses the hand wins 100 times the big blind up to $1,000.  While some poker sites take an additional rake to fund a bad beat jackpot, Bovada does not.  Players must contact Bovada support by email or phone within 48 hours with the hand number to receive the bonus.

Royal Flush Bonus

A player that makes a royal flush wins 50 times the big blind up to $200.  The player must use both hole cards.  The hand does not have to go to showdown to qualify.  Like the bad beat bonus, the player must contact support within 48 hours with the hand number to claim the bonus.

Bovada offers $2 million in tournament guarantees each week.  All of these tournaments spread satellites that start at just a few pennies.

Bovada Poker Rakeback

Bovada does not permit rakeback. There is also no VIP program. Bovada believes that these deals attract serious players. The company’s aim is to attract recreational players.

Poker Games at Bovada

Bovada offers by far the best cash game selection of all U.S. online poker sites. There are active tables at nearly all limits around the clock.

Texas Hold’em at Bovada Poker

There is 24-hour No Limit Hold’em action from pennies up to 5/10. Fixed limit games are spread up to 3/6 during most hours of the say. Players will find the second best fixed limit action in the world, behind only PokerStars.

Omaha at Bovada Poker

Pot Limit Omaha and Omaha High/Low run just as high as Texas Hold’em. There is also fixed limit Omaha Hi/Low up to at least the 1/2 limit.

Zone Poker

Bovada also offers Zone Poker.  This is a fast fold variant that moves players from one table to another after folding.  This allows a player to get dealt at least 200 hands per hour. Zone Poker is spread up to 1/2 blinds in Hold’em and 0.10/0.25 blinds in Omaha.

Sit and Go and Tournaments

Bovada offers a massive selection of sit and gos.  Buyins start at $.11 and run up into the hundreds.  All games are available in sit and gos.

There are $2 million worth of guaranteed tournaments each week.  There are 13 daily ones with a prize pool of at least $5,000 each.  The main event each weekend is on Sunday at 4pm where there is a $100,000 guarantee.  All major events are No Limit Texas Hold’em.

Bovada Contact Information

Bovada Poker offers above average support. Players can contact Bovada Poker by email, phone or live chat. Each Bovada product has its own support department. Email support starts with a form on the website.

  • Bovada email contact: https://www.bovada.lv/help?pushdown=contact-us&menu=secondary
  • Bovada Poker phone number: 1-800-263-0000
  • Live chat: Yes

Bovada Poker FAQ

Which network is Bovada on?

Bovada is a U.S.-facing skin on the PaiWangLuo Network.  It is the sixth largest poker network in the world.

Does Bovada accept U.S. players?

Yes, Americans can play at Bovada.  In fact, it does not accept players from any other country than the U.S.

What states are banned at Bovada?

Bovada does not accept players from Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and New York.

How do you deposit at Bovada?

Bovada accepts Visa and Bitcoin for deposits.  There is a five percent fee on credit card deposits.  There is no fee for Bovada Bitcoin deposits.

How do you withdraw from Bovada?

Bovada offers several withdrawal options.  The most popular is Bitcoin. There are no fees. The maximum Bitcoin withdrawal is $9,500.

Checks and bank wires are available for Bovada payouts. Checks are delivered in amounts up to $3,000 in about one week. Bank wires arrive in two to three weeks with a cap of $9,500. The fee for each of these transactions is $50.  Bovada will process one free payout every 120 days.

What is the first deposit bonus at Bovada?

New players receive a 100% up to $500 first deposit bonus.  It releases in six tiers and expires after 30 days.

Does Bovada offer reload bonuses?

There are no reload bonuses offered by Bovada.

What games are available at Bovada?

Bovada offers Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha High/Low. A fast fold variant called Zone Poker is available.  This creates a player pool and rotates players to different tables immediately after folding.

Is there Bovada rakeback?

Bovada no longer allows new players to receive rakeback.  Existing rakeback deals were honored when this decision was made.

Where is Bovada licensed?

Bovada is not licensed in any jurisdiction.

What other skins are on the same network as Bovada?

Players in some countries outside the U.S. have access to the Bodog brand.  Bodog is on the same network.  Most players on the network access it through Bovada. Ignition Poker is nearly identical to Bovada and accepts US players.

Does tracking software work at Bovada?

Tracking software like PokerTracker works at Bovada but it isn’t all that helpful.  The tables at Bovada are anonymous.  When a player gets up, the information processed by the tracking software becomes worthless.

Why are Bodog and Bovada tables anonymous?

The owners of Bodog and Bovada became unhappy with the direction online poker was going.  In an extreme effort to help its ecosystem of players, Bodog decided to remove all usernames from the table.  This keeps professional poker players from hunting the weaker players and breaking games when the fish leave.

Why are there no waitlists at Bodog and Bovada?

Players cannot see full tables at Bovada.  This helps create more games by forcing players to join existing ones.  It also prevents what some describe as bumhunting.  This means expert players seeking out weaker ones and better games.

Is there a Mac client at Bovada?

There is a Bovada Mac client.

Are there casino games at Bovada?

Yes, in addition to the poker rooms, Bovada has one of the best real money online casinos.

How do I contact Bovada support?

Players can contact Bovada through a form on its website or by calling 888-263-0000. Phone support is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

How many tables can I play at Bovada?

Players can have up to four cash game tables open at one time.  A maximum of 20 tournaments may be entered at any given time.