Those that know the industry will know that Bovada Poker has been around for a long time. Since 2004 in fact which for an online poker site is a lifetime and a half. There were a few issues with the site back in 2016 – anyone remembers black Friday? – but it relaunched in 2017 and is now one of the top poker sites catering to the US markets.
So, what makes Bovada Poker so good compared to the rest of the competition?
Bovada Poker, Promotions & Bonuses
Bovada Poker No Deposit Bonus Code: Not available at this time.
Welcome Bonus: 100% up to $500 using bonus code ‘PWB500’. It is necessary to download the Poker Software to unlock the bonus. The bonus is paid in $5 increments for every 150 Rewards points earned playing poker (30 Rewards Points per dollar). There is no rollover on the welcome bonus. T&C apply. 18+.
Loyalty Program: Yes, Reward point are earned and can be redeemed for cash bonuses. Players earn 15 Reward Points per dollar rake on Cash Games, 15 Rewards Points per dollar fees on Tournaments, and 1.5 Reward Points per Dollar of Buy-in on Jackpot Sit & Go games. The higher level players reach, the bigger and better rewards.
Cashback: Yes, daily cashback before 5PM ET. 3.5% on Starter levels and up to 10% on Hall of fame level. The Rollover is 5x Rewards Points per bonus dollar. T&C’s apply.
Refer a Friend: 200% up to $100 on friends first deposit. $25 extra if the deposit is made using Bitcoin. The minimum deposit is $20. There is no limit on referred friends. Rollover is 30x Reward points earned in Poker per Dollar. T&C apply. 18+.
USA Excluded States: New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Maryland.
Poker Games
Poker Games: Texas Hold’em and Omaha, Omaha Hi/lo.
Bovada Poker Tourneys
Poker: 100K guaranteed poker tournament and 2 million guaranteed every week. $25,000 guaranteed nightly tournaments starting at 8pm ET. Also, available are Turbo Tournaments, Sit-an-Go Turnaments, the Summer Million Poker Open (SMPO), the Golden Spade Poker Open (GSPO), and the Black Diamond Poker Open (BDPO).
Minimum Stake: $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold’em. $0.02/$0.05 Pot Limit Omaha, $0.05/$0.10 Fixed Limit Hold’em.
Maximum Stake: $10/$20 No Limit Hold’em. $10/$20 Pot Limit Omaha, $30/60 Fixed Limit Hold’em.
Rakeback: 5%
Other Games: Bovada Sports, and Bovada Casino including games such as blackjack, roulette, slots, baccarat, craps, video poker to name a few.
Bovada Poker Deposits & Withdrawals
Minimum Deposit: $10 Bitcoin & Voucher, $20 With Visa & MasterCard.
Maximum Deposit: $1,500 for Visa and MasterCard, $3,000 for Voucher, $5,000 for Bitcoin.
Minimum Withdrawal: $10 for Bitcoin and Voucher, $100 for Check.
Maximum Withdrawal: No Limit for Bitcoin, $3,000 for Check and Voucher.
Payment Methods Accepted: Bitcoin, Voucher, Bitcoin Cash, Zelle, Visa, Mastercard.
Withdrawal Methods: Bitcoin, Wire Transfer, Check.
Currency Used In Games: USD
Mobile: Yes, iPhone 4 and up, Android, iPad or tablet.
Languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese and Chinese.
Downloads: Yes, both Downloadable software and instant play for Mac and Windows and mobile devices.
Software: Propietary
Software and Games
Based on the PaiWangLuo Poker network, there is a decent amount of traffic at all times of the day, including evening time in most areas of the United States.
The software uses dark coloring and the lobby is very easy to navigate, even for new players.
There is a good selection of guaranteed tournaments and freerolls and cash tables are always busy. All the popular games are available including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo. Tables start from $0.02/$0.05 upwards.
There are plenty of ways to customize the tables and cards, so you can change the view to suit your mood. One thing that is worth mentioning is that tables can take a while to load up which can be frustrating if you are itching to start playing straight away.
You are able to download the poker software on both a PC and Mac and the software is optimized for use on IOS and Android devices, although there is no separate app for these.
Promotions
Bovada Poker offers a 100% match on your first deposit up to $500 when you use the bonus code ‘PWB500’. You will receive a $5 bonus for every 150 Rewards Points earned in the 30 days after your first deposit.
With a large range of tables and tournaments to choose from, there is a great opportunity to earn some extra bucks whatever your game of choice.
They also have a Rewards System which is ongoing and rewards players not just for Poker play but also on the Casino and Sportsbook sides which is certainly worth a look. As you play more and more poker, you move up levels and get a better return on bonuses compared to points earned.
You earn 15 Rewards Points for every $1 in rake on cash tables, every $1 in fees in tournaments, and 1.5 Rewards Points for every $1 in Buy-in on Jackpot Sit and Go.
You can exchange Rewards Points for a cash bonus at any time.
Tournaments & Tables
The tournaments available on Bovada Poker are some of the best around.
There are $1.5m in Guaranteed tournaments every week, including a $150k Guaranteed on Sundays and a $100k Guaranteed High Roller tournament the same day.
They run regular Monster Stack tournaments, many with large guarantees. This gives players a large starting stack to ensure more play for your money, such as Jackpot Sit & Gos with a random prize pool up to $1m and plenty of Turbo tournaments with nice guaranteed prize pools if you don’t have much time to spare.
In terms of tables, for the most popular poker version, Texas Hold’em, stakes are from $0.02/$0.05 up to $10/$20 for No Limit and $0.05/$0.10 to $30/$60 for Fixed Limit.
Fast-Fold tables are available from $0.02/$0.05 to $1/$2, whilst you can play Pot Limit Omaha from $0.02/$0.05 to $10/$20 and Fixed Limit Omaha from $0.25/$0.50 up to $30/$60.
There are Anonymous tables here too, so no one knows who they are playing against and means note-making on players is irrelevant.
Payment Methods
You can use Bitcoin to deposit funds into your Bovada Poker account, along with the more standard methods such as Visa, MasterCard and Chase Quickpay. It is a bit disappointing that you cannot use online wallets such as Neteller or Skrill though.
Licence
The main downside to playing at Bovada Poker is perhaps that they aren’t licensed. They lost their Kahnawake Gaming Commission license back in 2016 when there were issues with sites accepting players from the US and haven’t seen the need to apply for a new one.
Having said that, they have been around for a long time and always pay their players in a timely manner so we cannot see them going away anytime soon.
Pros
• US players accepted from most states
• Good level of traffic for tournaments and cash games
• Accepts Cryptocurrency
• Fast payouts
• Anonymous table play available
• Large guaranteed tournaments
Cons
• Don’t offer payments via online wallets
• No license
• Table limits not as high as at other sites
Bovada Poker Conclusion
Bovada Poker has been around for a long time and sites can’t boast that unless they are legitimate. Despite the fact they don’t hold their own license, we have no hesitation in recommending them as a safe place to play with good traffic at all times of the day and an excellent range of tournaments.
