Bodog88.com Poker Review – Sign up Bonus & Promo code – Ultimate Guide

Bodog88 Poker Review

It never really crossed my mind to check out an Asian-facing online poker site, but alas, here we are. The Bodog88 poker site came calling and I thought, why not? After all, I’ve taken a look at Bovada and Bodog before, so why not the Bodog88 option? Can it really be all that different to its alternative country counterparts? Well, as far as software is concerned, it isn’t. In fact, it utilises exactly the same.

However, being focused solely on the Asian market (and really, it’s much more focused on a set of four or five specific countries rather than the whole continent), it does bring in certain differences. For example, US players cannot access the site and register to play there. Then again, why would they need to when they can simply utilise the Bovada site instead?

Bodog88 caters to the Asian market, although really only operates within a small group of Asian countries.

Yet, the Bodog88 platform remains as one of the most popular online poker rooms operating in Asia. With this being the case, it often finds itself as one of the top poker rooms for that area of the world. It’s actually a site that has been in operation since 2009, although the overall Bodog brand has been providing gambling services since 1994.

The site itself does have the typical Bodog design to it, featuring the black and red setup that has become quite the norm for the brand. This does provide it with quite the easy-to-use system, with links running along the top of the site to take you between the different sections. On the right-hand side is the menu that you can open up specifically for the poker platform.

Is Bodog88 Poker Legit?

It’s not really so easy to see whether the Bodog88 site is legal and licensed from first viewing. This is a little bit odd, but there’s little need to worry. All you need to do is navigate to the “About Us” section, which provides more than enough information to verify its legal status. It’s there that you’ll see that Bodog88 holds a gambling licence from the jurisdiction of Curacao. This is what ensures everything is regulated and legal.

Now, I won’t say that Curacao eGaming provides the greatest sort of licensing and regulations for online gambling sites. Plenty of platforms do possess licences from the organisation, but that’s mainly due to the fact that you don’t really need to meet so many requirements to be on the receiving end of such. That being said, it does enforce certain regulations, so Bodog88 is at least trying to prove that it wants to ensure a secure and fair gaming environment to its players.

Furthermore, the platform holds a sort of secondary licence if some sources are to be believed. This comes from the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, which bases itself in the Philippines. There isn’t any information on the website that suggests this is the case, however, I would probably say that if it does hold such, it’s due to the fact that the poker room provides support in both English and Mandarin. I believe that the site has its customer support services in the Philippines, which is why it requires a secondary licence from there.

Will I Be Able To Play Bodog88 In The US?

It’s absolutely not possible for anyone from the United States to register or play poker at the Bodog88 site. Then again, there’s really no reason for anyone from the US to want to register at the Bodog88 site. When you consider that there’s the Bovada website, which is part of the same brand and places a focus on the US market, Bodog88 doesn’t need to be open to US gamers.

In fact, the only locations that Bodog88 provides its poker services to are China, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan. Therefore, it covers a small proportion of the Asian continent, although offerings its services up to the countries that it does, Bodog88 is covering some of the largest poker markets in existence.

Bodog88 Poker Software & Games

As noted, it is the PaiWangLuo Network that Bodog88 utilises for its poker games and tournaments. This falls in line with all other poker rooms from this brand, such as Bovada and Bodog.eu. In fact, this network was once known as the Bodog Poker Network, so you can see how it remains closely tied to the platform. It still focuses on recreational player-focused offerings, with anonymous gaming also being in force. This makes both the poker network and Bodog88 quite the appealing location for newcomers, who can rest assured that they won’t be targeted by seasoned professionals looking to bolster their balance.

The game lobby features a good enough selection of poker games and tournaments for players to enjoy. Texas Hold’em is, of course, the most popular option within the lobby, although Bodog88 also provides players with the opportunity to play Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi/Lo options. To add to this, the Hold’em variation provides 2-seater, 6-seater and 9-seater tables, while the variations of Omaha are available in the first two types. Of course, Omaha is also only accessible in pot limit versions, while Hold’em provides no limit and fixed limit games.

Depending upon what type of poker you choose to play, you’ll get to experience different stakes as well. For example, Hold’em no limit is available with stakes from the minimum of $0.02/$0.05 and up to the maximum of $10/$20. Alternatively, fixed limit versions of the game are accessible with stakes of between $0.05/$0.10 and $30/$60. Therefore, it really depends upon your own preferences as to which you go for. I personally like the lower stakes games of around $1/$2 when it comes to Hold’em.

Bodog88 Poker Game Type	Minimum Stakes	Maximum Stakes
No-Limit Hold’em	$0.02/$0.05	$10/$20
Fixed Limit Hold’em	$0.05/$0.10	$30/$60
Omaha Hi	$0.02/$0.05	$10/$20
Omaha Hi/Lo	$0.02/$0.05	$10/$20
Zone Poker	$0.02/$0.05	$2.50/$5

To add to this, Bodog88 also features the network’s wonderful Zone Poker offering. This operates as a sort of fast-fold version of poker, whereby whenever you fold at a table, you’re automatically removed from that seat and taken to a different table with other new players who have also just folded elsewhere. This keeps things moving along speedily, and it’s one of the PaiWangLuo Network’s greatest additions.

You’ve also got the opportunity to access a few of the cash poker games, but with play money. Bodog88 provides you with $1,000 of play money to utilise, although there are less options available for this. 6-seater tables are removed from all poker variations in this instance and you get to choose the buy-in amount that you play as well. These demo tables are basically to allow you to get a feel for the PaiWangLuo games and how they operate.

How Is the Anonymous Gaming at Bodog88?

The PaiWangLuo network has solidified itself as one of those that incorporates a completely anonymous gaming experience. Now, I don’t mind which way I play if I’m honest, but if anonymous tables make other players feel safer and more comfortable, then I’m all for it. Especially when it comes to new players. It allows them to see how everything works, experience the different games and not feel like they’re being targeted by anyone who is more seasoned than they are.

It is for this reason that you won’t see any other player’s name at the table when you play at Bodog88. You will create a username upon registering for an account there, but this won’t be displayed at the tables. Instead, anyone involving themselves in the game will simply be known as player 1, player 2, player 3 and so on.

I have experienced the anonymous tables at Bodog88 and, while I can’t say that I specifically found it to be more comfortable for me personally, it was nice to know that any others could potentially be in that position. As I said, I don’t mind playing at non-anonymous tables, so it’s immaterial to me. I like to think that all sites will be able to provide at least the option of anonymous gaming, though. So, with Bodog88 incorporating this as a standard, I’m more than happy to access the different games and tournaments on offer.

Of course, those players who are looking specifically for non-anonymous poker tables will need to find an alternative platform to play at. Then again, if you’re the kind of player who seeks this out specifically, can you really say that you’re a fair poker gamer? I’d suggest not.

Windows and MAC Downloads

I have had issues in the past with downloading poker software to my desktop from some brands. It can take longer to complete the download and installation at some places, which doesn’t make for as good an experience. With the PaiWangLuo Network, it seems as though this is something that affects it. I’m guessing that it’s due to the fact that it is of such high-quality, that there’s more to download and, subsequently, install.

The process isn’t exponentially long, but it was noticeably longer than other networks, I found. Furthermore, when it comes to loading up the different tables, I found there to be a longer loading process to go through. Normally, it’s a quick click on the game you want to play, and the table loads up within five seconds. At Bodog88, you locate a table, click to join it, then a pop-up window shows up with a percentage loading screen before everything shows up.

Now, again, this isn’t something that takes forever to do, but in comparison to other poker rooms, Bodog88’s loading process is a lot longer. So, if you’re the kind of player who doesn’t like waiting to play their favourite games, this site may not be the one for you.

Registering for an account at Bodog88 is a lot quicker than most sites though, because you don’t need to enter as much information. Therefore, once you have actually downloaded and installed the software, you’re likely to be able to sign up and start playing instantly after you make a deposit. If the network could actually make the download of the software a little quicker though, this would be a pleasing scenario.

Bodog88 Poker Bonuses

One of the areas that Bodog88 really differs to its counterparts, is in the area of the welcome bonus that it provides to players. Now, I’ve never been hugely concerned with receiving special offers. Although they are very nice, especially for newcomers, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over not getting one. Bodog88 does provide one to its new sign-ups, which can help with bolstering your balance somewhat.

You just need to ensure that you meet the minimum deposit requirement for it and then you will start earning Reward Points when you begin playing poker at the site.

Every time you collect 100 Reward Points, you unlock $10 of that bonus that you have claimed as part of the welcome offer. You’ll need to get as much out of this as possible within a 60-day period, because after then, any remaining locked bonus funds will become unavailable to you.

The Reward Points will help you with unlocking the initial welcome bonus, but they’ll also be useful later on, too. This is because the site has something known as the Bodog88 VIP Club. Through this, you get the chance to increase your reward options as you ascend up the ladder.

Bodog88 Poker Rewards System

It’s not uncommon for online gambling sites to have their own VIP programs. They all operate slightly differently, though. Bodog88’s VIP scheme is something that you’re able to ascend up the different tiers of by playing at the poker site, Bodog88 casino and more. Basically, you earn Reward Points as you play and then you can exchange these for prizes whenever you’re ready.

Every $1 that you spend on tournament entry fees will reward you with 6 of these Reward Points, while if you’re playing poker ring games, you can earn up to 2 Reward Points, depending upon the rake that you contribute. You’ll also earn Tier Points while earning Reward Points. However, these simply track your progression through the VIP scheme and allow you to move up to the next tier once you collect enough of them. As you do this, you’ll get to benefit from enhanced prizes the higher that you go.

Everyone signing up to the Bodog88 platform starts out at the Novice tier level, but as you continue gaming there, you’ll be able to ascend up to the Rookie level when you get 500 Tier Points. This is how far I got during my time playing poker there. After this, there’s the opportunity to increase up to Pro, Prime, Elite and finally Legend tier levels. The higher you go, the better the Reward Point redemption rate becomes.

Once you reach the Prime Tier level of the VIP scheme at Bodog88, you’re able to also receive exclusive and special bonuses, as well as your own Personal VIP Account Host. On the next level, this increases to priority speed deposit and withdrawals and many more perks. You’re able to choose your own Bitcoin deposit bonus once you access the Legend level, too!

Bodog88 Poker Tournaments

Tournaments have always been something that I take pleasure in entering. They’re just a bit more enthralling for me personally, than playing standard cash games. Fortunately, Bodog88 provides a good selection of these for its members to participate in. With a variety of buy-ins and different guarantees running through them, the Bodog88 selection of tournaments are quite a marvel.

To make things easier in the tournament section of the lobby, you can filter the options by the buy-in, the type of game, the limit type, how many people are already enrolled for it and more. I particularly like this part of the lobby, because it allows me to find the events that I’m more interested in. Plus, there are various check boxes at the top of the lobby, which allow you to see specific types of poker game tournaments, tournament types and buy-in level.

From the lobby, you can also see that there are five different types of tournament available. These are the regular, special, $100k guaranteed, satellites and private options. You can also factor in to things that there’s a section for Sit & Go Tournaments as well.

Alongside the standard Sit & Go tournament section, the Bodog88 platform also includes the Jackpot Sit & Go offering. This is the latest inclusion at the poker room, and it operates as an easy three-player poker tournament. The buy-ins range from between $2 and $60, with each player beginning with 500 chips. The prize pool is randomly determined at the start of the game, and that amount can be up to $72,000. The winner of the game is the player who is left holding all 1,500 chips by the end.

So, the variety of tournament options that Bodog88 provides to its players is quite extensive. This goes for standard tournaments, as well as the two Sit & Go sections. In fact, I’d say that the tournament options at Bodog88 make up one of my favourite perks of the site. I like a choice when it comes to this, and the poker room is able to provide me with exactly that.

Bodog88 Poker Traffic

Bodog88 has quite the specific focus on the Asian market, that its traffic levels are usually at their highest when the rest of the world is starting to wake up properly. Players from the accepted and supported countries will want to access the site at around 8pm local time for the highest level of competition. However, anyone looking for a lower level of traffic would be better accessing the site prior to 6pm and after 11pm.

Unfortunately, it’s quite difficult to see when other players are active at the Bodog88 platform, due to the fact that figures for this aren’t displayed on the site. That being said, it is a part of the PaiWangLuo Network, which shares its liquidity with other sites utilising the same software. Therefore, you’ll get to match your wits against players on Bovada, Ignition and other platforms as a player at Bodog88.

Because of the large tournament guarantees that I mentioned before though, Bodog88 remains as a very popular location for gamers. With the inclusion of Sit & Go tables as well, everything blends very well together to provide an exciting platform. This is also a reason as to why the traffic levels at Bodog88 remain at quite a high level during peak times. Even outside of those hours, the poker room experiences a decent number of players.

The PaiWangLuo Network will always be able to offer an entertaining selection of games, so you can expect any poker room operating on such to have at the very least a decent level of traffic. Worldwide, as far as traffic is concerned, Bodog88 is considered to be the 7th largest network. No Limit Hold’em is perhaps the site’s most popular variation of poker for players to access, although Omaha also sees its fair share of enthusiastic gamers during peak times.

Bodog88 Poker Mobile

If you’re a mobile gaming enthusiast, then the great thing is that Bodog88 is also accessible from smartphones and tablets. While there isn’t a mobile app to download from your operating system’s store for this, you can simply access it through a web-based instant play mode.

This was quite alarming for me, considering that you can’t access an instant play mode of poker at Bodog88 from a desktop computer. However, it saves you from having to download a specific app to your device’s home screen.

You’ll get to play all of the same poker games, receive all of the same promotions and enter the exact same tournaments as on the desktop version. So, playing poker at Bodog88 via a mobile device won’t see you missing out on anything. In fact, it will provide you with more opportunities to benefit from, being able to access the lobby anywhere.

The gameplay is just as smooth on a smartphone as it is on a desktop computer, too. As it happens, you don’t have to wait as long for the tables to load up this way. Therefore, if you’re ever on a break at work, or travelling on the bus, you’ve got the opportunity to load Bodog88’s mobile poker site up and play a few hands. You’ll still get to collect Reward Points as you go too, so you’re always being rewarded for your gameplay in this respect.

Bodog88 Poker Deposits & Withdrawals

I can honestly say that I’ve never been a big fan of online poker sites that don’t provide a decent number of payment methods for depositing and withdrawing purposes. It’s always good to have choices, and if I know that the platform I’m accessing supports at least a couple of my favoured payment methods, then I’m usually quite satisfied.

When it comes to Bodog88, it obviously has a focus on providing the Asian market with payment methods that cater to its supported countries. However, one thing that remains available at the poker room, is the possibility of depositing through Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. I do use the latter of these cryptocurrencies, although I’ll speak a little more about such in a short while. Other than cryptocurrencies, members of the Bodog88 site can utilise a local debit card, a bank transfer or an Astropay Card.

With regard to the local debit cards, you’ll be required to select your bank before proceeding with a deposit this way. The site supports the following banks:

• Maybank
• CIMB
• Public Bank
• RHB
• Hong Leong Bank

So, if you hold a debit card that doesn’t link up to one of those five banks, you won’t be able to use it for depositing purposes at Bodog88. On the other hand, if you opt for a bank transfer instead, you can do so by a larger number of banks. As well as the five mentioned above, you can do a bank transfer from AmBank, United Overseas Bank, OCBC Bank, HSBC (MY), Citibank, EON Bank, Alliance Bank Malaysia, Affin Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

Different payment methods also come with differing depositing limits, although you’ll always find that cryptocurrencies lead the way in this respect. The minimums and maximums are always better than the payment methods associated with banks and cards.

Deposit Method	Minimum Deposit	Maximum Deposit	Fees	Approx. Success Rate
Bitcoin	$10	$50,000	Free	100%
Bitcoin Cash	$10	$50,000	Free	100%
Local Debit Card	$50	$50,000	Free	100%
Astropay Card	$10	$25,000	Free	100%
Bank Transfer	$10	$25,000	Free	100%

Fortunately, depositing money into your Bodog88 poker account should be a swift procedure, unless using the bank transfer method. In this respect, it may take longer for the funds to successfully transfer over into your account. However, this shouldn’t be longer than a 24-hour period

Speedy Withdrawals from Bodog88

Far be it for me to criticise an online poker room for its withdrawal information, but the Bodog88 claims that it will send all withdrawal requests within 24 hours. Now, while this may be quite true for Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash users, anyone opting to withdraw through a bank transfer for example, will have to wait longer for the process to complete.

As well as this, the different withdrawal methods (of which there are just four), come with different minimums and maximums, just as the case is with depositing. Cryptocurrencies once again win out for this, although you can take out quite a high level using a bank transfer, too. It’s just that you have to wait longer for it to arrive.

Bodog88 does not impose any additional fees for withdrawing from the site though, which is quite the appealing change from many other online poker rooms. That’s not to say that your bank won’t add anything on top, so be sure to check into that with them beforehand.

Method	Minimum	Maximum	Frequency	Time to Deliver
Bitcoin	$15	$50,000	As often as required	Within 30 minutes
Bitcoin Cash	$15	$50,000	As often as required	Within 30 minutes
Astropay Card	$15	$35,000	One per day	Up to 3 business days
Bank Transfer	$15	$35,000	One per day	Up to 3 business days

As far as bank transfers go, Bodog88 has a policy in operation that means that the processing of your withdrawal will take place within 30 minutes as standard. This is solely the processing from the poker room’s side of things. The actual funds themselves could take a few days to reach your account. Despite Bodog88 proclaiming that the actual receiving time of such is 30 minutes, I’m reticent to believe this for a bank transfer operation.

However, using Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash will ensure that your withdrawal request is processed within 30 minutes and you’ll also receive it instantly after this time period. That’s why I always recommend it as a better payment option to go for.

Bodog88 Poker Player Support

I can quite honestly say that I’ve managed to find out a few nuggets of information relating to Bodog88 from its FAQ section. This is something that’s easily accessible from the poker room’s website. You just need to click on the “Help” link on the right-hand side menu to load this up and search for your question’s answers.

I have, however, also contacted the customer support team, which bases itself out of the Philippines. This is available in both English and Chinese, with the live chat function being the most direct route to take in this respect. Otherwise, you’ll need to send an email along to [email protected] as an alternative. Responses to emails will be sent to you within 24 hours, and the two times that I utilised this option, I had a reply within 5 hours.

Live chat still remains the most effective means of contacting a support agent, though. Advisors have always been friendly with me, even if slightly longer at providing me with the information that I need than some other sites that I’ve been a poker player at.

Bodog88 Poker Rating

It’s very difficult to figure out the fish level of Bodog88, because of two things. First of all, the anonymous tables don’t allow you to really track anything in terms of player data and history. And secondly, the game lobby doesn’t really display much information on the level of players that are accessing cash games there.

This is one of the reasons why Bodog88 (as well as all of its sister sites) is quite the haven for fish to dive into the poker pool and garner their own experience without feeling set upon by a mass of seasoned sharks. That being said, the site is very much a recreational poker room, meaning that there’s bound to be quite a high level of fish in action there. Not only that, but Bodog88 has its own casino and sportsbook as well, meaning that there’s likely to be an overflow of players coming from those platforms to the poker side of things.

In most cases, those who have primarily opted for casino or sports betting won’t really be that experienced in playing poker. Instead, the likelihood is that they’ve come over to the Bodog88 poker room as a way of experiencing something a little bit different to the norm. With this being the case, it’s probable that they’ll access the tables and go with the flow, rather than really inject any kind of strategy into their gameplay. The issue with this for the sharks, is that they can’t find them or target them due to the anonymity factor.

So, while fish levels could be (and most likely are) quite high, it’s not really something that can be exploited at Bodog88.

Final Thoughts

While it’s true to say that Bodog88 is a little bit restricted in where its poker options are available, this is of little consequence. Because it links up with the PaiWangLuo Network that caters to the other Bodog sites around the world, the liquidity level at Bodog88 is one of the best I’ve seen. This is what counts towards the high traffic levels during peak times, but also the decent levels outside of those hours, too.

I’m always going to be a fan of a platform that supports cryptocurrency deposits, too. Yes, it’s true that Bodog88 only provides deposit and withdrawal options for two of these, but there’s the potential for this to expand in the future. Speaking of withdrawals, the transaction time for this remains as a quick process, despite the fact that I’m not of the belief that a bank transfer will be done within 30 minutes.

Plus, with so many tournaments, cash games and even Zone Poker to involve yourself with, Bodog88 provides a truly tempting game lobby for players. It’s one of the reasons that I’m such a fan of the PaiWangLuo Network. Of course, anonymous table fans will no doubt be enamoured with the fact that this is a standard at Bodog88.

The only major downfall for me is that the welcome bonus only extends up to $100 as a maximum. Other Bodog platforms are able to provide up to $1,000 with this, so Bodog88 trails behind its counterparts in this respect. Yet, it’s a minor gripe of mine, as various ongoing promotions and the VIP Scheme make it all the more worthwhile to continue playing there.

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