Review

Overview

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Bovada Poker is one of the remaining high-traffic poker options for U.S. players. Because of their status as a reliable option with quick payouts for players in the States, there is always a wide variety of games available. When coupled with the attractive bonus options and promotions, it’s easy to see why so many players choose Bovada for their poker playing needs.

Promotions at Bovada

• Prize package tournaments for the 2014 WSOP with buy ins as low as $1.10
• 100% first deposit match up to $1,000
• 6 tickets to the 100k weekly tournament qualifiers
• Royal Flush and Bad Beat jackpots
• Drawings for prize money related to both poker and blackjack table play

Bovada Poker Bonus

One of the most confusing things about online poker bonus offers is that they aren’t automatically available in your real money poker account after you make your deposit. Everything on the website always makes it seem as though you’ll receive a phat 100% deposit bonus following your deposit; the fine print however is generally on another page.

Here’s the real deal

You WILL receive your 100% deposit bonus at Bovada Poker. After you make your deposit, an equal amount of bonus money will be placed into a bonus money account. Then you’ll have to earn that money by playing poker. This is so that the marketing team at Bovada knows you’re really there to play poker, not just to grab a quick double up for your bank account.

Bonus money is cleared at a very typical rate as compared to other poker sites. For every 1 dollar contributed to the rake or tournament fees, players earn 5 poker points. For every 50 poker points you earn, you receive $10 in your account. Since 50 points is equivalent to 10 dollars in rake and tournament contribution, this is effectively a 100% rakeback deal while a player has money in their bonus account.

Bovada VIP Perks: While many organizations offer money back to the player or the option to purchase items from an in-client store with VIP points, there is no such promotion at Bovada. Instead, players earn points consistently just as they would at any other site. These points are used for tournament entry fees and special weekly tournament structures that offer substantial cash prizes. While this is a different approach than the typical tiered model of VIP perk distribution, the number of tournament options available for these points make these points valuable nevertheless.

Bovada Poker Software: One of the most unique elements of Bovada’s poker service is their software. Their poker client is full-featured with multiple language support and an iOS version of the software as well. The unique element is that all of Bovada’s tables are anonymous. Players are given a number assigned to them when they sit down at the table. This takes the place of an identification number or nickname that most poker clients use. This number is randomized at every table, which makes most poker tracking software useless. For players who are worried about people getting too much information about the way they play the game, this is an attractive element. Reverse this for people who use HUDs.

Poker Games Available at Bovada: The typical games available at most poker establishments are available at Bovada. Hold ‘Em, Omaha, 7 Stud and 5 Stud are available, as well as the “eights or better” versions of the Omaha and Stud options. More exotic games, such as HORSE, Badugi and Razz are currently not available at Bovada.

Weekly GTD’s: Bovada offers a wide variety of GTD’s throughout the week. The weekly guaranteed prize pool is $100,000, meaning that there are a variety of guaranteed money tournaments available at every buy in point. There are also a number of promotional events and larger prize pool tournaments held every week, with satellites for these tournaments starting all the time.

Bovada Poker Rake: The rake structure at Bovada is an attractive one, particularly at the higher limit games. While quite a few poker rooms have a 5 dollar maximum on the rake taken from the pot, Bovada caps the rake at 3 dollars. Shorthanded tables have lower caps, and the micro limit tables are not unduly punished by the rake.

HUD Compatibility: There is one HUD that works with Bovada’s poker client currently. Called Hold’Em Indicator, it costs a bit of money to download and there is no free trial. However, there is something to consider when using a HUD at Bovada. Since the numbers assigned to players are completely random at every table, the HUD only works for a single session. There is a built in single session note feature available, but these reset when a player stands up from the table, just like the HUD. Players cannot track their own stats either, but they can download complete hand histories for their own use.