Bovada Poker Review 2015
Bovada Poker Review 2015
- Bovada is a recreational player friendly poker site that has completely anonymous games. With high traffic, #1 in the United States, the games are among the softest in the world. Bovada shares its player pool with Bodog and Ignition and features exceptional customer service, fast payouts, and is a safe legit place to play poker.
- As today Feb-15-2014, I'd withdraw money from BOVADA my account for $650.00 and the fee cost $100.00 payout method by western union on Feb-05-14 was approved on Feb-06-14(By this method money should available funds in 3 business days).
The Bovada company (www.Bovada.lv) has been involved in online sports betting for more than 15 years and has since expanded into both online gambling and online poker. At one point, Bovada also had an entertainment division in which it promoted mixed martial arts fights and its own record label. Bovada is a diversified company but our main focus today is the online poker aspect (also read our Bovada Casino review).
- Location: Antigua
- Established: 1994
- Promo Code:n/a
- Traffic: 12,129 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
In keeping up with Bovada’s pledge to provide the best online poker experience possible for their players, Bovada Poker for Mac has made it possible for Apple users to play online poker. For players who like action on the go, Bovada also has a mobile poker app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
Visit BovadaBovada Poker is one of our top rated poker rooms. Bovada has been in business for over fifteen years, and in that time has built an iron-clad reputation for providing fair online wagering to all players, regardless of nationality.
Plus, Bovada is currently running a special promotion for all BestPokerSites.org visitors - sign up through any of the Bovada.lv links on this page, and automatically receive a 110% up to $1,100 bonus on your first deposit.
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The Bovada poker room isn’t the biggest in the world but it has grown steadily over the years. Texas Hold'em players can find plenty of competition at a wide variety of stakes. One of the poker room’s greatest strengths is its reputation for soft games. Apparently, casual players wander in to the poker room after initially getting started at the casino or sportsbook. These players are invariably inexperienced and contribute to a laid back poker atmosphere.
Bovada Poker Deposit Bonus
All new players to the Bovada poker room are eligible to receive a hefty bonus on their first deposit. This bonus is issued as a 110% match rate on your first deposit for up to $1100 extra. The first 10% of the bonus is offered as an instant cash bonus and the remaining 100% is earned out by accumulating frequent player points.
For every 10 points you earn, $1.00 of your bonus money is considered “cleared.” Every time you clear $10 worth of the bonus, that money is released to your player account. You’ll have a total of 60 days to clear as much of your bonus as possible. After you release your bonus money, you are free to wager or withdraw it as you please. Read on to learn how to earn frequent player points:
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Bovada Frequent Player Points
Players earn frequent player points by playing real money cash games, sit and go's, and multi table tournaments. At the cash games, players earn points based on how much rake they contribute to each pot. Here is how it breaks down for real money cash game pots:
- $1.00 to $3.00 of contributed rake = 1 Bovada point.
- $0.50 to $0.95 of contributed rake = 0.5 Bovada points.
- $0.25 to $0.45 of contributed rake = 0.25 Bovada points.
- $0.05 to $0.20 of contributed rake = 0.1 Bovada points.
For sit and go's and multi table tournaments, players earn three player points for every $1 paid in tournament fees. So, if you enter a $50+$5 tournament, you will earn fifteen player points ($5 tournament fee x three points per dollar). Player points can also be used to redeem player rewards - we discuss this later. For a full discussion of the Bovada Poker bonus as well as an expanded discussion on Bovada Points, read our Bovada Poker bonus guide.
Bovada Poker Software
The Bovada poker software is a little different than the industry norm. Instead of going for the real-life-poker-table look, the Bovada tables are designed to be as simple as possible. The tables have a minimalist design that makes it easy to see who the action is on and how much the last bet was. Here is a screenshot of the software:
Without a bunch of complex graphics bogging it down, the software runs fast and smooth. The simplicity and tight controls have actually made the Bovada poker software one of the best packages on the market. As far as features go, the Bovada software is about on par with the rest of the industry. Players can take notes on each other, the tables can be sorted, and four color decks are always available.
Bovada Poker Tournaments
Bovada is still a growing poker site, but its tournament selection gets better every year. Their biggest regular tournament is the weekly Sunday $100,000 Guaranteed. It’s not the biggest regular tournament on the Internet but it just might be the greatest value. The buyin is only $100 and Bovada regularly has to add $30,000+ to meet the guarantee. With only 400ish players competing for a $100,000 prize pool, it’s a hard value to pass up.
In addition to that, dozens of other tournaments run every day with buy-ins that range from $0.10 all the way up to $200. The tournament types include normal tournaments, satellites to live events, and a variety of guaranteed prize pool tournaments. The selection is focused mostly on Texas Holdem but there are a few other game offerings. If you’re looking specifically for non-Holdem games, though, you will probably have better luck at PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker.
Player Traffic
Player traffic is still a little hit and miss at Bovada Poker. The Texas Hold'em games are always up and running but the other game types can get pretty dead during the day. The prime time to play is during American evening hours. You’ll find quite a few people logged on during those hours.
There is a positive side to the low traffic, though. Hardcore grinders don’t play at Bovada because they like to have hundreds of table to choose from. If you play casually, you’ll be up against other casual players. In fact, the games at Bovada are notoriously soft because they tend to attract players from the Bovada sportsbook/casino.
Bovada Poker Banking Options
New players can deposit at Bovada Poker via a variety of deposit options:
Withdrawal options are basically the same as the deposit options:
- Paper Check
Getting your money on and off Bovada Poker is as easy as logging in and visiting the Cashier. Bovada has never had any problems issuing withdrawals or processing payments - in fact, Bovada has some of the smoothest payment processing in the online gambling world.
Support
Customer support at Bovada is well above the industry average. The biggest thing going for Bovada is the fact that they are one of the few US-friendly poker sites with a 24 hour customer support phone number. Most online poker sites restrict their players to e-mail support only.
In all likelihood, you’ll never have to contact Bovada’s support team. Their software works well and everything is processed smoothly. However, if you ever have a problem, their support reps are fast and responsive. You won’t have to sit around all day waiting for solid answers.
Now that you know everything there is to know about Bovada.lv's poker room, it's time to get started. Visit Bovada Poker through any of the links on this page to automatically receive our exclusive 110% up to $1,100 sign up bonus.
Full www.Bovada.lv Poker Review
Bovada is relatively new to the online poker scene, but the room has already made the radar of most players thanks to slick (and quick) software, substantial promotions and innovative features not available at other online poker rooms. To learn more about Bovada Poker, including game selection, game toughness, compatibility, banking and regulation, read on.
Games Available at Bovada's Online Poker Room
The list of available formats at Bovada is short and sweet: Texas Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. Bovada ranks in the top 15 of all online poker rooms by real-money play, ensuring that typical players will be able to find their game of choice at the room - especially during times of heavier activity.
Cash game traffic is primarily concentrated in No Limit Hold'em games, but you will find a handful of games in almost all available formats (mostly at lower limits). As is the case with every online poker room, the bulk of traffic lives in the lowest limits. Bovada does play host to the occasional mid-stakes game. The highest NLHE game available at Bovada is $10/$20; the highest limit game available is $30/$60.
As for tournaments at Bovada, SNG players will find fair volume in the $10 buy in and under range. Almost all SNGs are 6-max NLHE turbo events, with the occasional LHE or PLO game thrown into the mix. High buy in games run only sporadically. MTT players will have their choice of dozens of daily tournaments, with big-ticket events on the weekends and during special promotions. On a typical day, the average buy in hovers right around $15, with almost all events playing NLHE. Bonus for MTT players: Bovada is one of the few rooms still offering generous guarantees on smaller tournaments, with frequent overlays on a daily basis. The overlay on their weekend guarantee remains the highest regular overlay in all of online poker.
Fast-fold poker is not available at Bovada, and the room has not indicated any plans to develop such a client in the near term.
How Easy Are the Games at Bovada Poker?
Bovada is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to player toughness. Since the room is part of a tier of smaller-volume sites, it doesn't take more than a few good players occupying multiple tables to quickly toughen up the games.
Balancing out that negative factor is the restrictive approach Bovada takes to hand histories (and the other preferred tools of high-volume poker players), and a VIP program designed not to appeal to grinders. Both help to diminish the interest professional players might have in the room, an excellent state of affairs for players looking to find softer-than-average games.
What Devices Can I Use to Play Poker at Bovada?
Bovada Poker made poker news headlines recently with the long-awaited introduction of their Mac-compatible poker client. That means Mac users can now join those running Windows in enjoying the unique online poker experience the Bovada software provides. Linux and Ubuntu users are out of luck, however, as are mobile users - Bovada does not currently offer support for those systems, and we're not aware of any pending plans by the room to do so.
So, ultimately it's an average grade for Bovada when it comes to compatibility - no problems if you run Windows or Mac on your desktop, but other operating systems and mobile devices appear to have a significant wait ahead to play at Bovada. You can read more about Bovada's software and what operating system it is compatible with in our Bovada download guide.
How to Deposit and Withdraw Funds at Bovada
Players are always advised to check with the cashier of an online poker room to confirm current deposit and withdrawal options. As of this review, Bovada offers credit cards (VISA) and Rapid Transfer as deposit options. Some fees may apply depending on the size and timing of your deposit, but they're generally minimal. As for cashing out at Bovada, you can take your pick from check, bank wire or Rapid Transfer. Minimums and maximums vary by withdrawal method.
Bovada has earned a solid reputation for fast payouts in its short time as an online poker room; surveys of reports that track cashout times for rooms and informal research of player experiences with Bovada on various forums both suggest that Bovada's withdrawal speeds are above average at present.
Bovada Poker Problems
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker at Bovada?
Bovada Poker Review 2015 Reviews
Bovada is a licensed and regulated online poker operator. Obviously, all players have the responsibility to confirm the local legality of online poker - with literally hundreds of thousands of jurisdictions across the globe, it's impossible for a room to ensure that all participants are acting within the confines of the law. As a regulated entity, you can feel comfortable that Bovada offers an online poker experience that is completely legal unless specifically prohibited by your local code.
Bovada Poker Review 2015