The Honest Bovada Poker Review

Bovada Poker is one of the oldest US-friendly poker sites, launching in 2011 by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group. Bovada is also a popular casino and sportsbook, based in Costa Rica. Bovada has the highest USA poker traffic and fastest payouts. They also have a real-money mobile games.

In short, Bovada Poker is the most “PokerStars-like” of anyone in the USA market: tons of games, quick payouts, and a long clean history. The main difference is Bovada Poker actually has profitable games.

I’ve been safe playing at Bovada Poker and they’ve earned my highest poker site rating to date. They’ve built an impeccable reputation for excellent payouts and player support, all while successfully still allowing American players.

I have personally played at Bovada Poker since their launch. It has been my favorite poker site since the beginning because of its high player traffic, loose games, and stellar withdrawal system. As a member of their Bitcoin exclusive system, I can also get withdrawals every day, sent within minutes.

Is Bovada Poker Legit?

To me, Bovada Poker is one of the most legit online poker sites in the world, simply because I’ve had such a good experience there over so many years. Also, Bovada Poker outpaces player traffic of any other US-friendly poker site by a 2 to 1 margin, regularly landing in the top 5 for the world.

Thanks to their casino-and-sports-tinged flavor, Bovada Poker also attract one of the loosest clientele of gamble-it-up online poker players on the planet. Bovada Poker provides one of the most comprehensive mobile platforms, supporting every cash game and tournament without an app. Bovada.lv was also the first USA poker site to offer a Mac download.

Bovada also the original trendsetter of dependable USA payouts. Other American poker rooms have caught up, but Bovada Poker was legitimately paying out players quickly before it was fashionable. Bovada has a major advantage in the payout department, most often sending Bitcoin withdrawals instantly.

Further cementing Bovada Poker’s status as a legit poker site is how long they’ve been around without payout problems or a major scandal. In fact, Bovada Poker’s old motto used to be, “Never missed a payout”.

Because of all those positives and the fact that I’ve played at Bovada Poker for more than a decade without issue, I strongly feel they are as legit of a poker site as anyone else in the USA market.

The US market is littered with some solid poker choices that have some notable weaknesses. Bovada Poker pretty much transcends that. I feel they’re the best all-around poker site still open to USA players.

Bovada is Licensed Once Again

Bovada Poker has two official gaming licenses, from Curaçao and Anjouan. That means that Bovada games, including its poker room and other casino games, are officially regulated.

Back in 2016, Bovada lost its long-standing relationship with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Until recently, Bovada had been “self-regulated”, which means it was operating without an official license. That decision raised eyebrows and was my biggest complaint about an otherwise outstanding poker site.

In 2017, Harp Media B.V. purchased Bovada, who held and continues to hold a gaming license from Curaçao. Even if it’s only for player perception, having oversight in the form of a license should be expected from poker players entrusting a site with its real money.

Having a license doesn’t guarantee a poker site is trustworthy, but I personally trust Bovada more than anyone else on the internet. I’ve been playing there since their launch. In that time, I’ve never had an issue relating to my money and, from what I’ve seen publicly, no one else has either.

Bovada Poker Isn’t Perfect

Before you get the idea that I think Bovada Poker can do no wrong, they can and they do. There’s also reason I’ve trusted Bovada Poker for so long and played there since 2004.

I think bovada.lv has earned their reputation as the best remaining poker site for US players. However, there are a couple of key issues Bovada Poker should clean up if they want to get over that last hump.

Software could be improved

When the Bovada Poker software works, it works well and looks clean. However, I still occasionally load the desktop software to an empty lobby, which can only be fixed by relaunching.

I’m pleased that Bovada did add tournament capabilities on mobile, however, to fix one of my biggest complaints. The software is also starting to show its age and could do with a refresh to liven up its minimalistic look.

Increased rake

Back in 2017, Bovada Poker followed the trend of other online gaming sites and increased their maximum poker table rake to $4.00, up from the previous $3.00. That’s going to have a small but consistent effect on your win rate.

The Bovada Poker Bonus

The Bovada Poker bonus feels like a work in progress after they added poker back into the mix. Or not, as they’ve never seemed intent on attracting the bonus-hopping unsentimental rakeback clientele.

The Bovada bonus details are simple to understand and straightforward in its requirements. You’ll get a 100% bonus on your first Bovada Poker deposit of any size up to $500.

As with every other online poker bonus under the sun, you’ll get your Bovada bonus money dumped into your bonus account rather than just added as cash. You didn’t think you were getting off that easy, right?

How Players Can Cash Out the Bovada Bonus

Bovada Poker will give you 30 days to clear as much of the bonus as you can in poker games, which is about average, but not as good as some online poker rooms that give 60 or 90 days.

How do you clear the bonus and convert it to real usable cash? Playing in cash games and tournaments, which will earn you Poker Points in the VIP Program.

Naturally, Bovada Poker bases their bonus rewards on how much rake you personally contribute to the pot in cash games or the amount of tournament fees you’re paying. The more rake you’re putting in, the more Poker Points and thus bonus money you’re getting out.

The weakness (or should I say designed shortchanging?) of that type of bonus system is that high-stakes players get richer while the micro-stakes newbies who could use the extra bonus money see very little. Bovada Poker does have one answer to that, which should guarantee the smallest players at least some bonus.

Instead of a flat earn X Poker Points to release Y bonus dollars, Bovada Poker has an unusual system where it takes very few points to clear the first $50 in bonus money before it ramps up for the last $450.

The Bovada Poker Bonus Tiers

Here are the specific bonus release points from the terms and conditions:

• $5 in real money cash is released when you earn 15 Poker Points
• $20 more after 85 Poker Points
• $25 more after 185 Poker Points
• $50 more after 500 Poker Points
• $150 more after 1,500 Poker Points
• The final $250 after 5,000 Poker Points

Those first couple of tiers are a cinch. For example, entering $50 worth of Bovada Poker tournaments will release $5 of the bonus right away. You can also check the current Bovada bonus codes.

Bottom line: the play-through 100% offer is standard fare, but playing Zone Poker (see below) can net you a remarkable $3-5 per hour. That’s the hidden gem no else in the US can offer.

How Quickly You’ll Clear This Bonus

For Bovada Poker cash games, I estimate that you’ll clear about $.75-1 of bonus (for the first 3 tiers) per $.50/1 standard cash game per hour, which I think is about the median level of where most people are playing.

That puts www.bovada.lv at about average-to-slightly-above-average when compared to competing poker site promotions. That drops about in half for clearing the upper Bovada Poker bonus tiers, which will be a grind.

The only other real poker-specific promotion bonus my Bovada Poker shows comes from using those Poker Points you earned to clear the bonus on real money tournament tickets.

It takes a lot. Specifically, you’ll see about $5 in tournament credits per 1,000 Poker Points, but it’s nice to have something to use these on aside from being used as an arbitrary scorecard for your cleared bonus.

Josh’s Pro-Tip: Zone Poker is Overpowered

This is the absolute key to clearing the Bovada Poker bonus at a ridiculous rate: play Zone Poker. It’s already my favorite thing to do at Bovada Poker, but it also serves as a pending bonus destroyer.

I reviewed how quickly Zone Poker earns Player Points, and thus clears bonus money, using some low-stakes games: $.25/50. They ended up netting me 15-20 Poker Points per table per hour.

Depending on where you are in your Bovada bonus, that could be as much as $5 per hour per table. That’s crazy good. It reminds me on an overpowered weapon in an online FPS. Let’s hope Bovada Poker never nerfs this.

Newer Bovada Poker Software Update

Bovada has recently updated their poker software platform, with the main changes being an official no-download software client as well as updated graphics.

The removal of a required Bovada Poker software download for desktop players is a welcome one. Downloading dedicated software for something lightweight like online poker feels outdated and I think we’ll continue to see forward-thinking poker sites go without downloads in the future. It was one of my favorite parts of newer poker site Global Poker and kudos to Bovada Poker for following suit.

Along with their anonymous tables, moving away from installed software also makes it easier for Bovada Poker to keep away third-party HUDs.

No-Download Play is Now Built In

After logging in at the Bovada website, you simply now click the play poker button and you immediately see the lobby right in your browser. There’s no trouble doing the same thing on mobile. You can play up to 4 tables in one browser window and I really like how Bovada Poker handles it.

I love the new bar at the top of Bovada Poker’s instant play window, which shows all of your open hands in one easy-to-see place. This is what the maximum of 4 tables looks like split across one browser window.

You can see miniature tables at the top of your window, which shows not only your hand at each but whose turn it is to act. It’s an intrusive and elegant way to multitable. There’s also just the option to tile all 4 tables in one window, which works fine, albeit with text getting a bit too small to read well.

Classic Bovada Poker Software

When you’re reviewing Bovada Poker’s software, there are 2 factor you can grade: personal preference and pure functionality.

Starting with the former, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bovada aesthetics here going back to the old days. It’s flat, it’s functional, it’s dark, and feels slightly unique from everything we’ve seen in online poker software over the past 15 years.

The biggest visual customization you can make is changing the felt color and background image. Bovada Poker added several sports-themed felt backdrops, which I like a lot. I’m a sucker for anything that stands out.

Windows and Mac Downloads

For functionality, my Bovada Poker review process shows that the software is very good. You’ve got the must-have Windows version, which works fine on my 2 Windows 10 machines aside from the occasional and inexplicable endless hang when I try to launch it sometimes. Exiting the Bovada Poker software and launching it again fixes it, but I shouldn’t have to do that.

Bovada Poker has supported Macs with their own native download since around 2009 or 2010. You can play up to 15 tables at once at Bovada Poker, mixing and matching game types. Insane.

The sports-themed poker tables look nice and the rabbit-hunting and all-in percentages stand out. Fix the occasional hang and the desktop software is nearly perfect.

The Bovada Poker Software Standouts

In terms reviewing the actual Bovada Poker software feature set, I like some of the specialized rare functions. Rabbit hunting is an option, which is always good for self-mutilation.

Bovada Poker also displays your hand strength information in words along with TV-style winning percentages on all-in situations. You can fold and show. You can also be extra proud of yourself when you see flaming cards, which means you’ve hit a full house or better or won several straight hands.

It’s inconsequential stuff, but it adds a bit of flavor to a core Bovada Poker software package that hasn’t undergone much of a facelift in years. Just because it looks unremarkable, that doesn’t mean there aren’t several noteworthy parts of the Bovada Poker software to review further.

Bovada Poker Builds in a Full-Fledged Casino

One interesting feature in the Bovada Poker software is they build a Trojan horse right in: a fully-featured casino. Kind of reminds me of having to walk past the slots and Blackjack tables on the way to the poker room. This is aside from the full sports betting suite on the Bovada website.

What’s kind of cool is you can launch the entire suite of Bovada casino games from the standard poker software window. Most poker sites that try to tempt poker players with casino games limit it to a gaudy Blackjack graphic.

A Tribute to Bovada Poker Anonymous Tables

I’ll unabashedly admit it: I love anonymous tables at Bovada Poker. I love how far they go with it and I think it’s largely to thank for bringing online poker back from the HUD-infested brink.

Anonymous tables were controversial when Bovada Poker introduced them way back in 2011 and they continue to be for the HUD-dependent and the agenda-havers.

Anonymous tables are a game changer. Nowhere on Bovada Poker will you ever be able to track who you’re playing against. No one can be tracked, preyed upon, or followed with tracking software. Not in cash games, not in tournaments. HUDs are rendered useless.

Is Bovada Legal?

Aside from residents from the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia, Bovada Poker does accept all other American players. Players from Washington D.C. are also not allowed on Bovada.

Ever since corrupt politicians and special interests changed online poker in America forever way back in 2006, prospective USA players have wondered the same thing: “Is Bovada Poker legal for me?”

I answer this question more in depth here, but the key you should keep in mind is that simply playing online poker at Bovada or anywhere else is not illegal. In fact, it’s a huge misconception that any laws about online poker or any other casino game were even changed in with the UIGEA back in 2006.

Bovada isn’t available directly to players in Canada.

Bovada Poker App

The Bovada Poker mobile offering was the first to do it for real money in the US, and it’s still excellent for Zone Poker and straight cash games. I love how lightweight it is for both iOS and Android. Part of it is out of necessity.

No US poker site is going to get approved or reviewed for the App Store or Google Play. No worries. Bovada Poker treats apps like a relic of the past.

How to Play Bovada Poker on Mobile

All you have to do is visit Bovada Poker from your phone or tablet. Sign in to your account and click poker. On iPhone and iPad, you previously saw a message asking you to save Bovada to your home screen and launch it from there. However, now you can play right in your browser as soon as you log in.

You’re in. Seriously. There’s nothing to download or overload our app-averse brains. You’ll see 2 options: Zone Poker and Cash Games. Pick your stakes, turn your device sideways, and off you go.

After a lot of review, the Bovada app responsiveness has been fine on my iPhone 6S Plus, although I occasionally have to exit the “app” and reopen it to get it to load the lobby or tables.

That mirrors the same issue I’ve experienced on desktop an something Bovada Poker should fix ASAP. Cash games and Zone Poker looks and works identically to the Windows/Mac big siblings, sharing the same tables and players.

You’re limited to the red flat visual theme, which is kind of a bummer after the stellar sports-themed Bovada Poker additions to the desktop versions.

Bovada Poker is one of the only US poker rooms to offer mobile. Zone Poker should come with a Surgeon General’s warning for addictiveness. Tournaments and multi-tabling are all that’s missing.

The Two Drawbacks to the Bovada Poker App

• $.02/.05
• $.05/.10 (during peak hours)
• $.10/25
• $.25/.50 (during peak hours)
• $.50/1 (during peak hours)
• $1/2

How Does Bovada’s Zone Poker Work?

No one really talks about it, but I think Zone Poker is one of Bovada’s main X factors in beating their US competition. As soon as you fold a hand, you’re instantly brought to a new table full of other players who have also just finished a hand. Blinds are determined by who has gone the longest without paying them.

I love Zone Poker as I’ve always loved fast-fold, and I’ve heard from a number of Bovada and Ignition Casino players whose minds are similarly blown when they try it for the first time.

I think Zone Poker and its ilk are the best evolution that computers have enabled for poker. We’re all inherently using a piece of technology to play online poker, so why not use it to make the game faster and more engaging?

You’ll see up to 300+ hands per hour per entry and, on review, I believe you can have up to 4 Zone Poker entries simultaneously, with 2 seats per limit. That equates to 4-5 standard Bovada Poker cash games, meaning you can see more hands in less time at a single table and increase your win ceiling similarly.​

Josh’s Pro tip: Mix Zone Poker and Mobile

Want to try the closest thing to mixing chocolate and peanut butter in online poker? Mix Zone Poker with mobile, which Bovada Poker was smart enough to do.

Got 10 minutes sitting by the pool, waiting for commercials, or a 4-hour baseball game that would put mere mortals to sleep? Grab your phone, load www.bovada.lv, and get in a few dozen hands of real-money poker. No waiting, easy in and out, and something that will actually entertain you in short bursts.

Bovada Poker Fish Rating (Hint: It’s Fishy)

When you first arrive, you’ll have no indication that Bovada Poker is one of if not the loosest poker sites online. It far beats out other loose USA sites like Global Poker.

There are literally no table stats with the exception of average pots for Zone Poker, and the experience seems just like every other online poker room of the past 15 years.

Once you start to play at Bovada for awhile, though, you’ll understand my Fish Rating. I know because I’ve played at Bovada Poker since 2004. They were notably loose back then and that’s saying something for those insane days.

I also took records for my old review before Bovada Poker switched over to Quick Seat to back it up.​

The big guarantees at www.bovada.lv are on Sundays

As has become standard in the online poker world, Bovada Poker also saves their biggest tournaments for Sundays. Here are the highlights:

• $100,000 guaranteed for $150
• $50,000 guaranteed for $250
• $30,000 guaranteed turbo deep stack for $50

A competing US-friendly poker site like America’s Cardroom has bigger tournament numbers. They even occasionally go to $1 million guarantees.

You know how Bovada Poker does it? Unlimited re-buys, late registration until the cows go home, and insipid things like lottery spins to reverse your bust-out. If you like that style, you’ll probably be bored at Bovada Poker. For my money, I’ll take Bovada Poker’s slow one-buy guarantees.

Jackpot Sit & Go’s

Bovada Poker was late to the party, but they’ve now added Jackpot Sit and Go’s. They’ll occupy a prominent space in the poker software.

Jackpot Sit & Go’s are 3-player poker tournaments with 3-minute hyper turbo blinds. Blinds start at 10/20 and players only have 500 chips. The winner drags the whole prize pool.