Bovada Poker Site – Take Your Seat at The Bovada Poker Tournaments

Posted by James Guill . Published:
Bovada
4.95
BONUS
100% up to $500
Play Now
Currency Accepted
BTC, USD,
Deposit Methods
  • American Express
  • Bank Transfer
  • Bitcoin
  • + 5
Security Verified Secure

Expert Consensus

There are $1.5m in weekly guarantees, including the $150,000 and $100,000 guaranteed events. Bovada’s poker lobby is really impressive with slick graphics and a secure hub for your funds whether you’re depositing to get in the game or withdrawing your winnings!

Bovada Information

Country Availability
USA
Device Compatibility
Android iOS Windows
Year Established
2011
Available Games
Omaha Hi/Low, Omaha Poker, Poker Tournaments, Texas Hold'em
Number of Slots
12 daily options
Available Bonuses
Jackpot Games, Loyalty Bonus, Referral Bonus, VIP Program, Welcome Bonus
Welcome Bonus
100% Match up to $500
Licenses
Curaçao
Min Deposit
$10 (Bitcoin) $20 (Credit Card)
Payout Speed
24-48 hrs (check),15 minutes (Bitcoin)
Bovada
4.95
BONUS
100% up to $500
Play Now

About Bovada Poker Room

Welcome to our Bovada poker review, highlighting the biggest online poker room in the United States. When it comes to USA online gambling, Bovada is the biggest by a wide margin. This site also has a long history. Originally, this site went under the name Bodog Poker. The U.S.-facing part of that brand was spun off in 2011 following Black Friday and renamed Bovada Poker. When you join the games, you will be playing against people from several brands on a shared poker network.

We identified some great reasonsto play at Bovada.lv. Not only will you find the biggest selection of poker tables of any United States site, we found policies in place to keep the games ‘recreational.’ With the games at other sites suffering from too many pro grinders, you will notice the difference.

Pros

  • Tons of cash games, poker tournaments available
  • Great site for first timers and advanced players
  • Solid bonus options
  • Fast-fold poker game
  • Instant-play mobile gaming

Cons

  • Only accepts players from USA
  • Lack of high-limit games
  • Bitcoin bonus only for casino, sportsbook

Expert Testimonial

We absolutely love Bovada’s poker room. While you won’t find the biggest sign-up bonuses, ongoing promotions like the Monthly Milly lead us to give Bovada our highest recommendation.

Bovada Poker Welcome Bonus and Promotions

While it is not the biggest bonus you’ll find, we found the first deposit offer at Bovada is the easiest to clear. This is a 100% welcome match up to $500. As we discovered, it works in increments, passing money from your bonus account to your real money account in stages. The first installment requires only 15 points. You will collect these by online poker for real money or tournaments.

Here is how the bonus clears:

  • After 15 Points: $5
  • After 85 Points: $20
  • After 185 Points: $25
  • After 500 Points: $50
  • After 1,500 Points: $150
  • After 5,000 Points: $250

You will have 30 days to earn as many points as possible. Note that if you cash out before your point collection is completed, you can’t reach any more milestones.

Other Promotions at Bovada Poker

Loyalty Program

Loyalty Program

There is a tiered loyalty program at Bovada Poker. The same points you earn to clear your bonus are used for this. As you reach milestones, you will move up a level – getting progressively better points earn rates. You can swap your points for tournament entries or bonuses.

  • You can earn 15 Rewards Points per dollar rake in cash games
  • You can earn 15 Rewards Points per dollar of tournament fees
  • You can earn 1.5 Rewards Points per dollar of buy-in in sit-n-go tournaments

You will also find plenty of promotions on offer. These change all the time, and include satellite qualifiers, freerolls and reload bonuses. Players will also be offered deals for the other parts of the brand – with sports betting and casino games offers available.

Refer-And-Earn

Refer-And-Earn

Adding cash to your bankroll is as easy at 1-2-3 at Bovada Poker. Simply share your referral link with friends and family, and when they make a deposit, you earn a 200% match up to $100, as well as a bonus $25 if they use Bitcoin.

Casino and Sports Bonuses

Casino and Sports Bonuses

While this is a poker review, the other offerings at Bovada will also include a welcome bonus. Check out what their sports and casino bonuses are to start!

Types of Poker at Bovada

This is just a taste of the poker games you will find at Bovada Poker. There is always a game to be found, especially when it comes to Texas Hold’em online and Omaha poker.

Types of Poker Games

We found a long list of games at Bovada. These are just some of the games you will find at Bovada Poker:

Cash Games

This U.S. poker room has the biggest list of tables online. The vast majority of the games are No Limit Hold’em, with 6-max poker tables the most popular. You will find full-ring and heads-up games on offer too. While many smaller sites are only busy at the micro limits, you will find action up to $5 / $10 blinds ($1,000 buy-in) regularly at Bovada. Pot Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo are also spread.

Zone Poker is an entertaining variation for cash game players. This is a ‘Fast-Fold’ format. You choose a buy-in and then play new opponents each hand. The second you fold, you’ll be combined with new players and start the next hand. This is at least 3x faster than a regular cash game – and entertaining too. You can play more than one table for even more action.

Zone Poker and regular cash games are both available on mobile phones. The format of Zone Poker in particular makes it perfect for a quick session on your phone.

Poker Tournaments

If you enjoy lower to middle buy-in online poker tournaments, then the selection at Bovada is huge. While this site does not have many ‘high-roller’ events (outside of the Black Diamond Open), their lower-stakes games are busy throughout the week.

Other than the occasional PLO tournament, NL Hold’em is where all the action is. Turbo (fast blind) tournaments are popular here. You will also find re-buy events and satellite qualifiers. You can win tickets into bigger buy-in games, and even win packages to live tournament events.

The biggest event of the week is the $75k Guaranteed, held each Sunday. When the Black Diamond Open events run, you will find tournaments with guarantees many times this size.

Sit-N-Go’s are also available, with nine-handed single-table tournaments at $22 and under where you will find most of the action.

Recreational Player Model

When Bovada first introduced their ‘Recreational Player Model’ a few years ago, some eyebrows were raised in the poker community. These policies ensure that recreational and amateur players get a fair shot in the games. Poker tracking tools and data services which identify fish are often used by online pros – and give newer players little chance of growing a bankroll before their inexperience is taken advantage of.

Bovada has banned these tools. To make it impossible to track players beyond a single session, you are seated at anonymous tables. You’ll play as a seat number (or tournament entry number). You can start fresh each time you sit in a new game.

The restriction on multi-tabling also helps recreational poker players. Pros at other sites tend to sit in 10-plus games, playing a tight, difficult-to-exploit strategy. This kills the action.

The recreational player model has been a huge success. Bovada is many times bigger than their closest rivals, and their games are amateur-player friendly.

Banking Methods at Bovada Poker

This site did not grow to be the biggest of the offshore operators without some easy payment and deposit options:

Bitcoin

Bovada was one of the first poker sites to offer Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals. You will not play in Bitcoin, as your balance is transferred to dollars to use in the games. Setting up a Bitcoin wallet is very easy these days. Taking the time to do this will make depositing and withdrawing from any gambling brand quick and easy. You can also use Bitcoin SV, which helps with bigger transactions and the poker room can process more transactions.

Visa / MasterCard / AMEX

Your credit card can be used for deposits, though keep in mind that your bank may sometimes decline the transaction. Your card must be able to make payments outside of the U.S. for this to work.

Prepaid Visa Cards

You can buy these at convenience stores for a small fee on top of the loaded amount. These work well, though I do recommend you speak to the Bovada support staff and find out which brands to buy before you head out and purchase one.

Money Transfer

You can pop to your local Western Union or MoneyGram branch office and wire money. This will involve contacting Bovada first; you’ll need to send this money to an individual. This is a reliable deposit option, though it is more expensive – especially for smaller deposits.

Zelle

A United States digital payment service (EFT) and formerly clearXchange.

Voucher

Receive money from fellow Bovada poker players.

Note: available deposit methods vary based on region and/or account origin.

Unless you are using Bitcoin, your withdrawals will arrive via a paper check. U.S. banks will accept these – though keep in mind that if you need the money quickly, this is a slower option. Money transfer and bank wires may also be possible, though you’ll usually have to pay the fees for this.

How to Deposit Bitcoin

Get an E-Wallet

Get an E-Wallet

The first thing you’ll need to do is get an e-wallet and purchase Bitcoin. Once you’ve done that, making a BTC deposit is a simple 3-step process. Bovada recommends using the desktop wallet Blockchain, or the mobile wallet Exodus.

From here, the next thing you need to do is sign up for a FREE Bovada poker account.

Visit Cashier

Visit Cashier

Once you’ve registered at the casino, visit Bovada’s cashier to make your first deposit. Select “Deposit”, then “Bitcoin”. Bovada will give you two options to pay with Bitcoin: a unique Bitcoin address to send your payment to, or a QR code to scan to send your payment through the BTC wallet app. Make sure you only send BTC to the payment address,not BCH or BSV.

Make a Deposit

Make a Deposit

Once you’ve made your payment using one of these methods, click “Done” and your payment will be added to your Bovada wallet in USD. Keep in mind, it may take up to 10 minutes for your money to be available to use.

Once it has gone through, you’re good to start gambling with Bitcoin.

Bovada Poker Details

Mobile Gaming

Mobile Gaming

Bovada Download: You will find Windows and Mac versions of the mobile poker client. This is quick to download, and gives you access to all the games and tournaments. The design is a smart black and red. While the graphics and design are not eye-catching, this site is easy to use. I like the way that a spotlight appears on your seat when it is your turn to act. You can play up to four cash games or Sit-N-Go tournaments at once. For regular tournaments, you can play up to 16 poker tables.

Bovada Mobile / Instant Play: This makes games available on mobile devices, as well as on a browser on your desktop. The number of games is restricted, featuring only cash games and Zone Poker. You can access the same account both ways (though you can only log in at one at a time). This means cash game players can enjoy the occasional session on the go – and save your bigger sessions for when you are using your laptop or desktop.

Safety and Security

Safety and Security

With their long history and solid service, Bovada is one of the best-trusted poker sites around. They are located in Antigua. Until 2016, Bovada was licensed by the Kahnawake Gambling Commission. They voluntarily relinquished that license.

Games are tested by iTech Labs, who have certified the deal as random. This site also uses the latest SSL encryption, and has a comprehensive responsible gaming policy.

Add to this the 24-7 support and dedicated phone line – and lack of any scandals or payment issues over their long history – and you have a trusted poker brand.

Customer Support

Customer Support

If you have any questions about Bovada’s poker platform, the site offers several customer support options. There is a community section that allows poker players to share information, feedback and help answer questions.

There is an email option that typically garners a response in 72 hours. Bovada also provides a customer support phone number and on-again, off-again LIVE chat options.

The Verdict

Bovada Poker benefits from an immutable law of poker rooms: size matters. With decades of built-up goodwill, Bovada has the size to offer the best tournaments and other poker variants for every player.

Though you don’t need to take advantage of the Monthly Milly, we recommend Bovada Poker for players looking for a huge variety of online poker options.

Bovada Poker FAQs

Poker Site of the Month October 2024

Bovada
4.95
BONUS
100% up to $500
Min Deposit: $20
Payout Speed: 24-48 hrs (check),15 minutes (Bitcoin)
Back To Top
Back To Top