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Visit Bovada Poker
BRAND NAME CHANGE: Bodog
has now officially been rebranded as
Bovada, which
will continue to service all US players. This change is in name only
as the poker room will retain the same bonuses, tournaments, deposit
methods, and virtually every other aspect previously hosted at Bodog.
PRIVATE FREEROLL ENTRIES:
Our new
Bovada now
receive 6 private freeroll entries with any first deposit.
Placing first in one of them earns a seat in the Sunday
$100,000 guaranteed tournaments, which usually has a $150
buy-in. Places 2-10 earn a token valid for any $17 satellite
entry. The freeroll field is restricted to new depositors,
making the competition and time commitment smaller. Please
note that this is valid for all players visiting
Bovada from
our links with freerolls taking place on Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and Saturdays. Players receive entry to every
event for 2 weeks.
US players have several deposit options at
Bovada,
which has traditionally been one of the better online poker rooms in
terms of banking. While the true e-check model may have been
abandoned years ago it is now essentially a pipe dream in search of
a friendlier future market. The easiest option for most US
players at
Bovada
is
going to be the major credit card route. Unfortunately, credit card
deposits now incur a 4.9% fee, although it is waived for our players
on their first deposit.
While I was incredibly off-put by this
fee structure when it was introduced the fact is that the high
success rates and sizable maximum deposit make it worth the small
fee in this market. If you're a regular player you will probably
have success in asking support to reimburse you for the fees
following your deposit.
Bovada
has
one of the better credit card success rates in the industry but
should your deposit be blocked by your bank I would suggest trying a
debit card, which as a rule tends to have greater processing
success.
The next-best US deposit alternative
would probably be the MyPayLinQ service, which has largely become a
Bovada
exclusive. This service essentially acts as a middleman between your
bank and the poker room and is the only way to use your checking
account directly for deposits. Players sign up with MyPayLinQ,
deposit using credit card or checking account, and then send the
funds to the poker room. MyPayLinQ is fairly user-friendly and an
account can be set up in 10-15 minutes.
Once you have your account
information on file with MyPayLinQ you can easily make future
Bovada
deposits without inputting any additional information. As a last
resort
Bovada
does
support the two largest cash transfer services, which can either be
accessed via thousands of physical locations or online. Be sure to
get the cash transfer information from poker room support and, while
you're at it, see if they'll reimburse you for the fees charged by
the transfer company.
 
Overall:
4.5/5
Bovada
(formerly Bodog)
and its poker room has had an interesting history filled with an
outlandish CEO, government seizures, and various sports
entertainment ventures. At its core
Bovada
is a one-stop-shop for online gaming and has been able to maintain a
solid foundation of player trust since its founding in 1994. Already
successful for its betting and casino aspects
Bovada
launched an independent poker room during the online poker boom of
the mid-2000s largely as a tacked-on feature for its existing player
base. Fast-forward a few years and
Bovada
has become one of the longest-tenured poker rooms left in the US
market and certainly one of its best.
Despite excelling in key areas such as
easy banking, personalized customer service, loose tables, and
strong software
Bovada
has always flown under the radar of the larger poker-only
operations. With the events of April 2011 wiping out most of its US
competition
Bovada
is clearly one of the strongest poker rooms in the American market.
Player loyalty runs high for those that do discover this semi-hidden
gem. Since sampling its bare-bones poker section in 2005
Bovada
has been one of my personal favorite poker rooms for cash games.
The three main draws that
Bovada
has had for years for new players remain just as relevant in
today's market: an instant deposit bonus, beatable loose cash games,
and quick payout processing. The
Bovada
cash games have largely gone against the trend of tighter tougher
games thanks to a steady stream of young American sports bettors and
inexperienced crossover players. This is also one of the only
remaining US poker rooms that can actually have check withdrawals
delivered to you within 7-10 days of being requested.
The overarching theme of my reviews is
to encourage players to choose a poker room based on their
priorities.
Bovada
will appeal to players looking for a simple yet large deposit bonus,
easy US banking, and loose cash games. This isn't the top
destination for tournaments or substantial game variety and is
probably best suited for regular no-limit cash game players. As a
veteran
Bovada
player it's easy to recommend this poker room because of the obvious
professionalism they display in a constantly evolving market.
Bonus (100%
up to $1,100 plus instant 10%) and Promotions:
4.5/5
While it may seem like a small gesture I've always been partial to
the bonus at
Bovada
because of the instant 10% portion. Our new players receive 10%
instantly added as playable cash on top of any first deposit.
Receiving a small reward right away for depositing sounds like a
reasonable expectation but, incredibly,
Bovada
is the only poker room still doing it. Somewhere along the way poker
rooms figured out that it was better marketing to flash big bonus
numbers but hold it hostage behind a laundry list of convoluted
requirements.
Bovada
fosters some immediate good will by trusting players enough to give
them a little extra right away for cash games and tournaments. It's
only 10% but it's greatly appreciated in a market full of poker
rooms doing their best to keep your bonus from you.
Our new
Bovada
players also receive a standard play-through bonus on top of the
instant 10%, in this case a 100% offer good up to $1,000. The $1,000
cap is one of the largest in the US market and
Bovada
is fairly generous with the playing requirements. As it is based on
contributed rake (issued as Poker Points to your account) larger
players will obviously cash out the bonus sooner. I would estimate
that playing at $.50/1 NL or above would net you at least $3 or so
of bonus per hour.
Bovada
does release the play-through bonus in strange increments of $10,
$50, $150, $300, $600, and $1,000. If your maximum bonus falls
between one of those levels you get the remainder as soon as you
earn the required Poker Points.
Other uses for Poker Points include
using them for freeroll entries or converting them into real money
at the rate of 100 per $1. Our new
Bovada
players also receive 6 private freeroll entries for a chance to win
a seat to the Sunday $100,000 guarantee.
Bovada
has a standard Bad Beat Jackpot of 100x the big blind and 50x the
big blind for showing down a Royal Flush.
Bovada
doesn't have a huge number of promotions but the ones they do offer
are certainly above-average.
Fish: 
5/5
Aside from the obvious promotions and
the subtle positives like customer service the no-limit cash games
have always given
Bovada
players the most incentive to stick around. Perhaps due to a
combination of its sports and casino clientele and a marketing
campaign that focuses on younger players
Bovada
has always hosted some of the loosest tables online. Typical flop
percentages often exceed 40% for 9-seated tables and over 50% for
6-seated tables. Average pot sizes are usually at least 15-20x the
big blind and my anecdotal evidence confirms that most
Bovada
players tend to be willing to commit to larger pots than most other
poker rooms.
Those massive table numbers were an
oasis in the desert during the post-UIGEA years, which featured
outrageously tight games with single-digit flop percentages at the
former big-name US poker rooms. Surprisingly, the games have grown a
bit softer again overall with the US market shrinking to its
smallest point in 2011 but
Bovada
remains one of the most beatable choices for cash games. Regardless
of the limits
Bovada
tables tend to be filled with either inexperienced players who are
out of their betting comfort zone in the poker room or those that
simply try to run over you with blind aggression.
An effective strategy for your strong
hands that combats the frequent multiplayer action you'll be facing
on the flop is to eliminate some of the calling stations early with
larger-than-average bets and continue betting for value against the
clueless or stubborn players rather than bother disguising your
hand. While the overall traffic at
Bovada
may not be what it once was it remains one of the potentially most
profitable for players adjusting to the incredibly loose style of
play.
Tournaments:
4/5
Even with the slight drop in traffic due to restricting US signups
for a short period
Bovada
is
still one of the better US tournament options. During the peak
evening hours
Bovada
usually hosts 5 or 6 events per hour with the majority either being
standalone guarantees or qualifiers for the Sunday $100,000. The
daily guarantees have prize pools between $1,000 and $10,000 with
buy-ins ranging from $1 up to $75. Some of the best values are in
the daily $4,000 guarantees with a $10 buy-in at 6:30 PM. Usually
Bovada
draws 500+ players to these, which creates a prize pool of over
$5,000. Also,
Bovada
has
reversed on their rebuy position in the last couple of years with
the vast majority of tournaments being straight freezouts outside of
a few low buy-in events.
The center of the
Bovada
tournament universe has always been the $100,000 guarantee, which
takes place every Sunday at 1:00 PM. Unfortunately the buy-in was
raised from $100 to $150 recently, although this is still one of the
top 2 weekly events left in the US market. One of the advantages
Bovada
has
over Merge with the larger buy-in is the smaller time commitment
required and the fewer opponents you'll have to outlast in order to
see any prize money. The Sunday
Bovada
event also features one of the best overlay opportunities in online
poker with the poker room often having to make up the shortfall in
entrants due to the minimum guaranteed prize pool. The difference
between the paid entry fees and the minimum prize pool is often at
least $10,000, which essentially means you're starting the
tournament with at least 70 players that have contributed to the
prize pool but have already been eliminated.
Most of the sub-$55 buy-in tournaments draw at least 300-400
players, which is quite strong for the current US market.
Bovada
doesn't host an incredible variety of tournaments but still has a
solid schedule overall due to the dozens of daily guarantees and the
high attendance. Rounding out the tournament schedule are satellites
to the Sunday $100,000 and a handful of Poker Point-based freerolls.
The
Bovada
satellites usually either a $7 or a $16 buy-in and run several times
daily. The freerolls take place twice per month with a 1,000 Poker
Point buy-in and offer a $7,500 prize pool each, which is quite a
bit more than similar frequent player freerolls at other rooms. Our
new
Bovada
depositing players also receive 6 private freeroll entries with the
top prize of each being a $150 coupon to the Sunday $100,000
guarantee.
Software:
4.5/5
Although I was a fan of the original
unique but extremely barebones software incarnation the overhaul
that took place several years ago has updated
Bovada
with one of the better software packages online. Unlike the old
software players are clearly delineated by a grid with a
user-friendly spotlight indicating the active player. The actual
table viewpoint and graphics are certainly not remarkable compared
to the last 5 years of online poker software but the swift game
speed, customization, and usability adds to the overall comfort of
the game. Players are able to upload their own custom photo, write a
player profile, and choose the table felt hue from a color wheel.
Bovada
has also always been one of the fastest choices for cash games with
9-handed tables running at 60-70 hands per hour.
Bovada
also seems to have made an effort to present the lobby as
minimalistic and simple to get into the desired game. You're greeted
with 3 big buttons for either cash games, Sit and Gos, or multitable
tournaments. Once you make your selection you can easily filter the
results by game type and limit, as is the case with most poker rooms
these days. Active
Bovada
promotions are also nicely integrated as graphical buttons into the
bottom of the main lobby.
Bovada
is also one of the few poker rooms to display text describing the
strength of your hand. While you're unlikely to need this if you're
paying attention to your hand it can save you from disastrous fold
if you mentally missed making a rare hand like a straight flush. The
Bovada
offers a quietly solid software package that excels in every area
without any glaring drawback.
One controversial new and very unique
feature of the
Bovada
software is that players are no longer identifiable at the table. As
opposed to the standard industry use of a screen name
Bovada
assigns arbitrarily assigns each player at the table a number from
1-9. It is certainly an interesting approach with both positive and
negative effects. The negatives will mostly affect players using
stat-tracking programs and those who like to take notes on others at
the table. The main positive that prompted
Bovada
to introduce anonymous tables is the ability to stay hidden from
advanced players using stat-tracking programs to use historic
gameplay to their advantage.
The theory is that the stat-tracking
sharks will avoid playing at
Bovada
and thus cultivate the loose tables they've been known for since its
inception. Although I wouldn't like to see this become an
industry-wide feature I think that
Bovada
is making a smart move by introducing this. I think it could be
highly effective at keeping professional grinders from
overpopulating the tables. While the potential for player collusion
is a greater fear players have to trust that
Bovada
will continue to closely monitor gameplay.
US Payouts:
4.5/5
Bovada
has
always seemed to be one-up in the payment processing route and
that's still evident in the way they handle US payouts. The
withdrawal options are check, wire transfer, or cash transfer with
checks being the most popular. Once requested checks only day a day
or two to process unlike the 2-4 weeks taken by some US sites. After
being processed the typical delivery time is only 5-7 days. Players
are offered a free check or wire transfer payout per month with
subsequent ones incurring a fee, unfortunately. The quick turnaround
time is probably worth the trade-off of less-frequent requests. Wire
transfers have a high minimum of $2,500 but can be extremely
convenient for large payouts as they're electronically sent directly
to your bank account. Cash transfers can be picked up immediately as
cash but incur fairly large fees and require visiting a supported
retail location.
Customer Service: 
5/5
As one of the few poker rooms that I've
had to contact regularly over the years
Bovada
has always impressed me with their professionalism. They're also one
of the few poker rooms remaining that actually publishes its phone
number. Despite that being a basic form of communication for
customers to get help quickly with virtually every other business
it's surprising how few online poker rooms will invest in a call
center. I've called in previously for cash transfer deposit
instructions and was guided through the process easily by an English
speaker.
Bovada
was also able to quickly confirm by phone that they received the
transfer.
E-mail replies have been quick and
personal such as when I suspected a player at my table of blatantly
abusing the all-in protection. Finally, I've occasionally gotten
e-mail promotions directly from one of their managers who I
proceeded to exchange several personal e-mails with asking about the
offer.
Bovada
usually keeps players happy on the customer service front, largely
because they offer phone support, personalized service, and aren't
afraid to hear from players.
Player Traffic
Bovada
is
about in the middle of the pack in terms of player traffic at
remaining US poker rooms. Their overall player base numbers took a
bit of a hit after they stopped actively seeking US players but
should rebound now that they are re-entering the market in full
force. As expected, no-limit cash games dominate the lobby with
smaller stakes achieving 10+ active tables at each limit during peak
hours. For higher limits such as $.50/1 and $1/2 there will
typically be about 5 active tables at each limit. Occasionally
tables will be populated at the $2/4, $3/6, and $5/10 levels. The
split between populated 6 and 9-seated tables is about 60/40 with
the shorthanded tables having the advantage. Omaha and Stud games
are surprisingly active with 1 or 2 active games around the clock.
Tournament traffic can be quite good with larger daily guarantees
drawing 300-500 players.
Best Features
Solid history in the market.
Bovada
is
one of the longest-tenured names in online gaming having been
founded in 1994.
Loose tables. This poker room still boasts some of the highest flop
percentages and largest average pots online.
Instant bonus.
Bovada
is
the only remaining poker room giving out instant cash bonuses. It's
10% but is added on top of the 100% play-through offer.
Quick payouts.
The turnaround time for checks of about a week beats most other US
poker rooms.
Game Selection: Hold'em,
Omaha, Stud
Limits: Limit: 5c/10c up
to $30/$60 No-Limit: 2c/5c up to $10/$20
Deposit Methods:
Please see the "Easy US Deposits"
section at the top of the page for more information. In short,
Bovada
accepts major credit cards, MyPayLinQ, and cash transfer. Their
credit card success rate tends to be some of the best in the
industry. Should a credit-only card not be accepted players are
encouraged to try a debit card if possible.
Minimum Deposit:
$20
Tips: As indicated
by the high average flop percentage the typical
Bovada
player doesn't mind gambling a small amount pre-flop with an unmade
hand hoping for a killer flop. Of course, blithely allowing a
multiway pot with 4 or 5 players is highly detrimental to premade
hands like pocket Aces or Kings. The average winning percentage of
the strongest preflop hands decreases exponentially with every extra
player in the pot. The most profitable strategy against the current
breed of
Bovada
is
to simply bet for value with your made hands both to build a pot
that you expect to win and to thin the field of low-to-medium
strength hands that are easy to disguide on a ragged flop. With
loose gamble-centric players that are likely jaded by standard
raises of 3-4x the big blind I recommend increasing your raise to
5-6x the big blind against calling stations.
When I launched Beat The Fish in 2005 a
viable strategy against the absurdly wild games was to simply allow
the overly aggressive players to hang themselves with their own
mistakes. While you still may encounter the random maniac at
Bovada
the
days of rampant unbridled aggression are largely finished. Whereas
several years ago you could allow your opponents to build a pot for
you by check-raising or waiting until the river to raise you'll find
even inexperienced players to be timid and guarded these days.
Repeatedly acting weak when you're strong against timid players
allows them free or cheap draws that will eventually come back to
haunt you. With players at
Bovada
much
more likely to call moderate-sized bets post-flop (1/2 to 2/3 of the
pot) than to fall for a check-raise or try to bluff you off a hand
simply try betting for value when you have a strong hand. After
almost a decade of the poker explosion and several years into US
deposit difficulties even inexperienced players are more learned and
tight with their bankroll. Don't rob yourself out of a potential
sizeable pot by trying fancy weak plays.
Visit
Bovada Poker
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