Bovada Poker

Bovada Poker is another US-facing skin of the PaiWangLuo poker network. Best known as a reliable sportsbook, the site shares traffic with Bodog Poker and currently ranks fifth on PokerScout’s list. The room features a unique “amateur-friendly” pool with restrictions that will be discussed in this review.
Bovada opened in 2011 and focused on sportsbooks and race books, later adding poker to its portfolio.
Bovada Poker’s Rake
Bovada charges a standard rake: 5% in all cash games with different caps.
This includes rake in limits up to NL25:
Rake up to NL25
NUMBER OF PLAYERS | RAKE | CAP |
---|---|---|
2 | 5% | $0.5 |
3–4 | 5% | $1.5 |
5+ | 5% | $2 |
Rake at stakes above NL25:
NUMBER OF PLAYERS | RAKE | CAP |
---|---|---|
2 | 5%: | $0.5 |
3 | 5% | $1 |
4-5 | 5% | $2 |
6+ | 5% | $3 |
- Jackpot Sit & Go Rake: 7
- Regular SnG: 5%
- Tournaments: 7% to 10
We think Bovada Poker’s rake structure is fair for cash tables and regular SnGs, standard and low stakes MTTS, and high for jackpots and high stakes tournaments. Recall that there are no long-term rakebacks here.
Games and Traffic

Bovada Poker features large and soft traffic. This unique combination has led to an average of over 2,000 players and a 5th place finish in the PokerScout rankings.
Let’s take a closer look at what players can expect in the lobby.
Cash Games
Exotic formats are trending at Bovada Poker due to the presence of American fans. Besides the traditional No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, there is also Fixed Limit and Omaha Hi/Lo. Also, the availability of HU tables is great news for Americans.
Action ranges from $5 to $2k ($60 at the limit tables).
Fast Fold Poker (Zone).
Amateurs don’t like to waste time while playing. That’s why Zone, a variation of Fast Fold Poker, is trending at Bovada. Most tables are played in Hold’em, but you can play anytime with stakes ranging from $5 to $500.
Tournaments and SnG
Bovada features one of the most attractive tournament grids in the modern industry, with monthly millionaire tournaments and a regular series of hundreds of events. The regular schedule features events ranging from $1 to $300 and large weekly tournaments with guaranteed $150,000 or more.
Meanwhile, regular SnG is also popular, with games ranging from HU to 9-max and buy-ins up to $200.
Jackpot Sit & Go
Another design for casual players. The popular Spin & Go is called Jackpot Sit & Go, and in the beginning, the spin wheel determines the prize pool, which may be affected by a maximum buy-in multiplier of $1,200.
Six buy-ins up to $100 are available, and it must be emphasized that more than 70% of the games are x2 multipliers.
Bovada Poker is one of the best platforms for playing online games in the US. Both regular and casual customers will find ample action. Regular customers will be delighted by the softness of the field, and second customers will feel at ease on a platform designed for them.
Skill Level of Players
Bovada poker inherits the ecological “rules” of Bodog Poker. All usernames are anonymous, table selection is prohibited, and third-party software is strictly limited.
In addition, Bovada is better known as a bookmaker than a poker room, and as such attracts many wealthy gamblers to its tables.
Trackers and Other Helping Software

Since Bovada poker is regular poker site, which is home to much more veteran regs, who are used to using different kind of helping software – below you can find out what kind of helpers, you can use :
- Trackers / HUDS – yes
- Automatic seating script – yes
- Preflop charts – yes
- Bum Hunt – yes
- Data mining – no
The Rakeback machine has no reason to play Bovada Poker after clearing the welcome bonus, and the multi-tabling restrictions make it hard to call it a main site to play. However, the soft field has attracted many pros to BP.
Predatory regulations are not welcome here, but those who play by the rules are allowed to swim with the fishes. Rules include restrictions on third-party software, anonymous usernames, no rake-backs, and random table seating.
Bovada Poker Software

The BovadaPoker platform is no different from PaiWangLuo’s other sites. However, it is unique compared to other sites. The lobby only has a quick-sheet feature for cash games, and only the tournament sections (MTTs – SnG – Jackpots) are similar to the regular site; there are native clients for macOS and Windows, and an HTML5 client compatible with the website.
However, all players are anonymized, so after opening a table or event, only tags such as “player1”, “player2”, etc. are displayed. However, there is a “secret” formula for using the HUD at tables, at least for the current session.
Companies like AcePokerSolutions and Holdem Indicator sell hand converters that catch current session hands and display the HUD in caches (including zones) and tournaments. Not a perfect solution, but better than nothing.
Overall, the platform is user-friendly and works without lag on older computers.
Mobile Clients
There is no native Bovada Poker client for iOS and Android, but the development team has created a mobile-friendly version from the website. It is compatible with all formats and requires no download or installation. In our tests, the mobile app worked very well on phones and tablets of various sizes.
Bovada Poker Credibility
Year Established – 2011
License – Curacao
RNG Certificate – iTech Labs
Identity verification – required
Bovada was founded in December 2011 and has since become a trusted gambling company in the United States. Poker is just a side business for the management team, but they are part of the highly trusted PaiWangLuo network.
We could find no information on licensing (many sites announce that Bovada has obtained a Curacao license, but there is currently no verification link) or RNG certificates, but such situations are common in US-friendly online poker rooms.
Overall, Bovada has been highly rated for over a decade and is, in our opinion, a trustworthy poker room.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Bovada Poker offers many deposit and withdrawal options at the cashier, but we strongly recommend using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. There are no fees for such transactions (credit cards have a 15% fee) and there are no restrictions (other than the usual limits). In addition, withdrawals are made only in cryptocurrency or by courier check. Other methods include MatchPay, Vouchers, Zelle, or Cards.
Withdrawals are reflected in the player’s wallet within 24 hours, usually less.
The minimum deposit is $10 and there are no restrictions on crypto cashouts.
Bovada Poker Allowed Countries
Bovada Poker room is available pretty much only for American residents. The only exceptions being the following states :
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Maryland
- Delaware
There is a way to infiltrate the soft Bovada Poker games , by using VPN, but this practice is considered cheating and you attempt at your own risk.
How to Join Bovada Poker
- Clear your cookies
- Follow the link Bovada Poker
- Click on “Registration”
- Create an account using real information, including your postal code
- Download and install the client software
Finishing Words
Bovada Poker is probably the best choice for licensed online poker site for people in United States. The main attraction are the soft low to mid stakes Texas Holdem games.
What we liked about Bovada Poker :
- US-friendly poker room.
- Very low casino fan traffic.
- Designed for amateurs.
- Soft Games
What we did not like :
- Multi-table caps.
- Anonymous games.
- Geographical limitations.
- KYC
If you live in a Bovada Poker approved country (USA), you should definitely give this field a try. The weak lineup is a strong reason to play any format, from cash games to tournaments.
However, the absolute best games in 2023 and highly likely in the next few years – can be found on club based poker apps, such as Pokerbros, PPPoker, ClubGG and X-Poker.