Download the Bovada Poker Software. As a new player to Bovada, you will need to access the Bovada Poker Download in order to get started with real money gaming. Bovada Poker offers their own free to download software for Windows and Mac devices. The original download is 13 MB. Once fully installed, the Bovada poker software needs 134 MB of space. With more than two decades of industry experience, Bovada Poker is basically a US adaption of Bodog.Initially launched in 2004, Bovada Poker is a member of the PaiWangLuo network and does not have a regulated license behind its brand. In 2016, the company decided to move its poker product to a US-facing brand known as Ignition Casino.
Overview - Bovada
Bovada was one of the first spin-offs of Bodog and has been offering online poker to the United States since 2011. After the Black Friday debacle that shut down Full Tilt Poker and drove PokerStars out of the country, the average poker player had trouble find a game in the US. That’s where Bovada stepped in.
Considered the US version of the renowned Bodog, Bovada Poker has been around since 2004 and boasts with more than two decades of industry experience. Currently, a part of the PaiWangLuo network, Bovada transferred its poker product to Ignition Casino in 2016 but managed to return in 2017.Bovada is not regulated or licensed at the moment which is a slight concern for most.
Focusing primarily on Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker, Bovada offers over $2 million in poker tournament guarantees a week along with popular fast-fold poker games and Jackpot Sit & Gos. The site also offers a comprehensive sportsbook and online casino games to provide a complete online gambling experience.
Bovada Pros and Cons
Pros
- USA Players Accepted
- $2 Million in Tournament Guarantees
- Sportsbook, Racebook, and Online Casino Available
- Jackpot Sit & Gos and Zone Poker Available
Cons
- High Fee for Check Withdrawals
- No Mixed Poker Games
Global Poker Overall. Global Poker is doing something very different in the USA online poker market. They claim to be the only “legal” poker site operating with cash prizes because of their unique sweepstakes model of play. Global Poker makes it work by allowing online poker players to purchase Gold Coins, get free bonus Sweeps Coins, and then redeem those Sweeps Coins for cash prizes. Bovada Poker has become a popular spin-out of Bodog Poker, an established leader in online poker as of its launch in 2020. Since then, however, online options for playing live poker in the USA have been severely limited due to the rise in offshore casinos. What’s more, many players are finding that Bovada Poker.
Overview - Ignition Poker
Ignition Poker is another spin-off of Bodog and launched back in 2016. Unlike Bovada, Ignition focuses on the remainder of the world. As such, US players are not allowed. Offering the same poker options as Bovada, players can expect a comprehensive online poker experience. Ignition also provides a full online casino. However, they only offer Virtual Sports betting as opposed to a comprehensive sportsbook.
Ignition Poker Pros and Cons
Pros
- $2 Million in Tournament Guarantees
- Generous Bitcoin Poker Bonuses
- Online Casino Games Available
- Freerolls Available
Cons
- Virtual Sports Betting Only
- No Mixed Poker Games
Bovada Poker vs. Ignition Poker At A Glance
Bovada | Ignition | |
US Players Accepted | Yes | No |
Cryptocurrencies Accepted | Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash | Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Litecoin |
Games Offered | Yes | Yes |
Fast Fold | Yes | Yes |
Jackpot Sit and Gos | Yes | Yes |
Beginner Friendly | Yes | Yes |
Deposit Options | Crypto, Credit Cards, Bank Transfer, P2P, Matchpay | Crypto, Credit Cards, Bank Transfer, P2P, Matchpay |
Support | Forum, Email, Live Chat | Forum, Email, Live Chat |
Online Casino | Yes | Yes |
Sportsbook | Yes | No – Virtual Sports only |
Deposit Fees | 5.9% for Credit Cards | 5.9% for Credit Cards |
Withdrawal Speeds (Crypto) | 15 minutes (Once every 3 days) | 15 Minutes (Once every 3 days) |
Yes, It’s The Same Poker Site
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Bovada and Ignition Poker are virtually the same site. They are skins of Bodog and serve different regions of the world. Bovada Poker serves the United States, while Ignition Poker serves other areas of the world. US players are not allowed to play at Ignition Poker, but you can play poker at Bovada.
What does that mean? That means you will have the same real money online poker software at both poker rooms. Both sites offer anonymous tables that focus primarily on Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker games. You’ll find plenty of cash game action ranging from micro-stakes to high stakes. Both sites focus on recreational players, so the average player’s skill level is somewhat lower.
Both sites offer multi-table tournaments with varying prize pools. You’ll find $2 million in poker tournament guarantees each week. You’ll find Jackpot Sit & Go tournaments at both sites that awards a winner takes all prize pool in most games. If you’ve played at one site, you’ll get the same gaming experience at the other. With that out of the way, we can start to look at some of the differences between the sites.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Deposits and withdrawals are the same for both Ignition and Bovada poker sites. They allow fiat deposits using MasterCard and Vista along with bank transfers, MatchPay, and P2P transfers. The minimum deposit for both is $20 for credit cards and MatchPay and $50 for bank transfers. If you deposit using a credit card, you’ll pay a 5.9% fee.
For fiat withdrawals, you can only cash out using a check. You can cash out once a month for free, but afterward, you will pay a fee of $100. You must have $100 in your account to cash out.
Cryptocurrencies Accepted
You only have two options for deposit with crypto at Bovada and Ignition. You can deposit using Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. The minimum crypto deposit is just $10, and there are no fees for crypto deposits.
Withdrawals are super fast at both sites, taking just 15 minutes. However, you can only cash out once every 3 days. Of course, some of us would love to have that “problem.”
Sportsbook Services
When looking at Bovada vs. Ignition, the differences start with sports betting. Bovada offers a full-service sportsbook. You have options for all major sports along with global sporting events. They also offer Live Betting along with betting on esports and a racebook.
Ignition only offers a selection of Virtual Sports to bet on. You can bet on basketball, soccer, horses, greyhounds, supercars, and even camels.
What Happened To Bovada Poker
For regular sports betting, go with Bovada as Ignition does not offer legitimate sports betting.
Online Casino
Similar to the online poker site, both Ignition and Bovada have the same Bitcoin online casino site. Both sites use proprietary gaming, with most games looking like they step down from your average online casino site.
Both sites offer online slots, blackjack, table games, video poker, and Live Dealer games. Ignition and Bovada do offer a couple of games you don’t see everywhere, such as Andar Bahar and Teen Patti. Otherwise, gaming is relatively average.
Promotions
The other big difference when comparing Bovada vs. Ignition is promotional offers. Ignition has a far superior poker welcome bonus. Fiat depositors get a 100% match up to $1,000, while Bitcoin depositors get a 150% match to $1,500. For Bovada, the poker welcome bonus is only a 100% match up to $500.
Ignition also has promotions you don’t see at Bovada. They offer $2,500 in weekly poker freeroll tournaments along with a Royal Flush Bonus and a Bad Beat Bonus of 100x when your aces full loses to a better hand. Outside of the Welcome Bonus, Bovada does not offer any other poker bonuses to its players.
Bovada Poker Room
Both sites allow you to accrue poker points that can be used toward free cash and various prizes at the poker room.
Help and Support
As you probably already expect, both sites have the same customer support options. Both sites offer a Help Center that covers many basic and intermediate questions. One difference between the two sites is that Ignition Casino does provide video tutorials for select topics. These videos cover essential topics like making a Bitcoin deposit. When you need additional assistance, you can access community forums, email, and live chat support.
Conclusion
Global Poker Vs Bovada Odds
For online poker players, Ignition Poker slightly edges out Bovada due to the extra promotions offered. However, if you want to bet on sports, Bovada is a clear choice. For US players, your only option is going to be Bovada. Overall, you will get the same gaming experience regardless of which site you play at.
Bovada Vs Global Poker
To learn more about Bovada, check out our Bovada review. For more about Ignition Poker, please read our Ignition Poker review.