Bovada Poker Review
Bovada Poker Reviewed by Pete Kaminski –
Bovada is the new home for US traffic that formerly played poker, sports or casino games at Bodog. The software, account information and much of the other details about Bodava are essentially identical to Bodog. The difference: Bodog no longer accepts US traffic, so players from that country are routed to Bovada.
Confused? It’s not as complex as it sounds. Essentially, Bovada is now the American arm of Bodog. Here’s a look at the various features and elements of Bovada that may be of interest to players interested in giving the room a spin.
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Bovada Bonuses – Up to $1,700
Use this link to sign up at Bovada Poker. Get up to $1,700 in total bonuses and qualify for any special promotions OPSR runs for our players.
Breaking down the Bovada Bonus
The total bonus available for new players of $1700 actually represents three separate bonuses: A poker bonus of 100% up to $1000 on your first deposit, a 100% bonus with a max of $500 on slots play and a 100% bonus with a max of $200 on table game play for a total of $1700 in available bonuses.
Poker Bonus – This bonus clears at about 20% for cash game players and a massive 60% for tournament players. The bonus is released in 6 increments that increase in amount as you move toward the maximum bonus – $10, $40, $100, $150, $300 and $400. You earn $1 of the bonus for every 5 poker points you earn, but the bonus is only released to your account when you hit one of those six thresholds. No deposit code is needed for this bonus. Use coupon code SLOTS500 when making your deposit to qualify.
Slots Bonus – This bonus can only be cleared by playing slots at Bovada. Play in the poker room or casino will not count toward the clearance of this bonus. You need to wager 25 times the amount of the bonus before you’ll be able to withdraw any part of the bonus. Use coupon code SLOTS500 when making your deposit to qualify.
Casino Bonus – This bonus is for selected table games in the casino. You’ll need a 40x wager rollover to earn the bonus and you’ll have to be somewhat selective to clear the bonus, because and number of table games do not contribute to the rollover, including blackjack with one or two decks, play at the craps tables or sic bo tables, Baccarat games and spins of the roulette wheel. Use coupon code CASINO200 to qualify for this bonus.
Signing up at Bovada
When you sign up at Bovada, we ask that you use our referral number as shown below. Doing so ensures that you’ll be eligible for any special bonuses we offer, and you’ll also qualify for all of the Bovada bonuses as well.
Use this link to sign up at Bovada Poker and then enter the number 1790902 in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” field at signup.
Bovada Poker Games & Software
Bovada Poker offers the same upgraded poker software rolled out by Bodog only weeks ago. That means a slick interface with a few view options, totally anonymous poker tables and new features such as rabbit hunting.
Overall, the software provides a relatively speedy and stable platform for playing online poker. There is not a native Mac version of the client, nor a flash version, so Mac players will have to run Windows within their machine in order to play on Bovada.
Bovada Poker Traffic
Bovada’s traffic is somewhat in flux at the moment, with the transition – and the attention the transition has generated – creating some variance in traffic numbers. When the dust settles, you can expect a medium-tier room in terms of traffic that supports a wide number of games at lower-limits and a few games at mid and high limits. No limit holdem is the dominant game in the room, with shorthanded tables outnumbering full tables, but players also have a good chance of finding an Omaha cash game or limit holdem game at most times in the lobby.
List of available games at Bovada:
Limit Texas holdem
No Limit Texas holdem
Omaha Poker (PLO and Hi/Lo)
7 card stud / 7 card stud Hi/lo variant
As for tournament play, Bovada recently introduced a number of new tournament formats to go along with the standard tournament types already present in the lobby. New formats include: Omaha tournaments, knockout tournaments, heads up tournaments and shootout tournaments. The popular buy-ins tend to be under $100, with weekend tournaments generating interest in the occasional higher-buy-in affair.
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Bovada Poker Bonuses & Loyalty Programs
The first deposit bonus at Bovada is 100% up to $1000. You can make multiple deposits on the same day and they will all count toward the bonus. You have 60 days from your deposit to clear the bonus. You get 3 Bovada points for each dollar you pay in rake; for every 5 Bovada points you earn, $1 of your bonus is released.
Bovada doesn’t have a formal VIP program, but does offer players a points-for-tournament entries system that provides some value. Every hundred Bovada points you earn are worth $1 in tournament entries. That’s a 3% return on your play – not stellar, but better than nothing.
Bovada Poker Deposits & Withdrawals
Bovada accepts VISA, Rapid Transfer and MyPaylinQ for deposits. For withdrawals, players can use check, wire transfer or Rapid Transfer; the fees associated with each method can be significant and vary based on the amount you are withdrawing. Generally, checks are the most economical option, with one free check withdrawal allowed per month.
Bovada Poker Safety & Customer Service
Bovada offers customers toll-free phone support around the clock, along with email and live chat support options. Bodog was well-known for excellent customer service, so it follows that the service team at Bovada would carry on that reputation.
Support inquiries and banking transactions all occur in a 128 bit encrypted environment.
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