Bovada Poker Review

Site Name:	Bovada Poker
Founded:	2011
Network:	Bodog
Bonus:	100% up to $1000
Bonus Code:	No Needed

Bovada Poker Review

Bovada Poker is the brand new brand name for Bodog Poker in the States. The well-established brand of Bodog has been operating under license in the States since 2004, but has now chosen to distinguish between its interests in the USA and the Rest of the World by introducing a separate online poker site exclusively for American poker players. Although Bovada Poker will continue to operate on the Bodog network, players will notice many more changes than just the name.

If you are not from the United States, check our Bodog Poker review instead if you want to play on the Bodog Poker network.

If you are from the U.S. continue reading our Bovada Poker review below.

First Time Deposit Bonus

Since its establishment in 2004, Bodog Poker has been synonymous with generous first time deposit poker bonuses and the change to Bovada Poker is no different. The new Bovada Poker site will offer a Bovada Poker bonus of 100% match bonus up to $1,000 to all new USA players registering an account and making their first deposit. You don’t need a Bovada Poker Bonus code or something like that, as long as you make sure to just use our links to be able to get the bonus. The bonus will be released in tiers as players collect Bovada Poker points within a 60 qualifying period.

Games and Stakes

Bovada Poker players who have been used to playing on the Bodog Poker tables will see no difference in the structure of the games and the satellites to the major tournaments. Similarly, those now playing on Bovada Poker will still be able to enjoy the loose level of play from a Rest of the World database who play poker on the site as a distraction from their main sports betting and casino activities. It is wholly conceivable that the massive overlays in the guaranteed tournaments will also remain until the database of dedicated poker players increases in size.

Reward Programme

The Bovada Poker reward programme is an extension of the Bovada Poker first time deposit bonus. Bovada Poker Points are awarded on the contribution one makes to the rake in a cash game and paid in tournament entry fees. These points are collected until specific levels of the initial Bovada Poker Bonus is reached, at which time the Bovada poker bonus is released into a players account. Players at Bovada Poker also receive points for just playing at a table (one point per hour up to a maximum of 500 per month), which means that you could earn $50.00 of your first time poker deposit bonus just by occupying a seat!

As well as being used to convert the Bovada Poker bonus, points can be used as a replacement for cash to enter selected poker tournaments and qualifiers, or converted to cash (100 points per $) in the cashier lobby. You have to rollover the free cash 3 times per bonus dollar before you are able to withdraw it but, with the opportunities available at Bovada Poker, that should not take very long at all.

Player Traffic

Bodog Poker saw a major increase in traffic during the period April to December 2011 after the events of Black Friday when sites such as PokerStars and Full Tilt “withdrew” from the US market. As Bovada Poker is now the US-exclusive arm of Bodog Poker, one can expect to see a rise in traffic in excess of the year-on-year 64% increase already witnessed in traffic as new marketing initiatives are introduced in the States. Currently, peak-time traffic sees over 2,000 players participating in cash games – making Bodog Poker /Bovada Poker the fifth largest stand-alone online poker site.

Download and Software

The Bovada Poker download software is the same as players will have been used to using when playing on Bodog Poker. It is one of the lightest on memory (RAM) of any of the leading online poker sights and easy to use. You can download Bovada Poker for Windows and Mac operating systems, with three simple to navigate poker lobbies. The unique table design and moving spotlight effect will remain on Bovada Poker as will the straightforward playing controls and access to stats.

Banking and Customer Support

New banking options have been established at Bovada Poker to especially cater for the American market. Further details of the payment and withdrawal options offered to Bovada Poker players are available on the web site or from their excellent customer support department (Note the new number for Bovada Poker Customer Support – 1-888-263-0000). Bovada Poker (as Bodog Poker) published on its web site the length of time it takes on average for a client to receive an answer to an email (13 minutes) and the proportion of customers whose telephone enquiries are answered without having to place the customer on hold (99.3%). It is anticipated that this high level of support may waiver a little as the changeover to Bovada Poker is taking place, however the multi-lingual staff are highly trained and should be able to answer any questions you may have in a short space of time.

Review Summary

Bodog Poker was always acknowledged to be a fishy site, full of loose players and under-subscribed tournaments. The change of name to Bovada Poker will do little to improve the standard of play or decrease the value to be had in MTTs, as the existing American Bodog Poker players are being migrated onto the new site. Consequently, both Bodog Poker and Bovada Poker will remain online poker sites that competent players looking for an edge should register at – and visit often.