Bodog Poker's parent site, the Bodog Sportsbook, has had an online gambling presence for well over a decade, proving that this brand has stood the test of time and new technology. Bodog Poker has only recently started to get a piece of the press for its beginner-friendly format, software and environment. True poker amateurs will have no trouble playing comfortably and confidently at this no-nonsense poker room.

Good Bonuses, Blah Promotions

Bodog Poker starts its players off right with a 110% first deposit bonus of up to $500 and six entries to $100K Guaranteed qualifiers. They also offer a rare monthly 100% reload bonus. These cash heavy bonuses should be enough to satisfy players looking for a quick boost to their bankrolls, but if you're looking for play-oriented awards you may be disappointed. The rest of the Bodog Poker promotions package is pretty standard: a player loyalty program with double points events, a bad beat jackpot, and a handful of guaranteeds and freerolls.

Joe Schmo Software

Bodog Poker features an attractive, masculine design, but their platform is strictly Poker Software 101. The lobby has no subtabs or expandable filters; what you see is what you get. The helpful hints on the right side of the screen make it clear that this site is aimed at beginners and amateurs. The tables are exceedingly simple (and yet are still occasionally slow to load), with players always sitting center seat. The player notes option is easy to use and your personal stats are available from any table, but game stats are limited to flop percentage and average pot. Their one divergence from the norm is their new overhead view, which has become something of a trademark of the site.

Bodog Poker only allows each member to play four tables at once, which all but ruins the point of multi-tabling for most serious players, but for first-time multitablers the ability to view all games in one screen can be very handy. Ultimately, the simple setup means even new players get comfortable fast, allowing them to focus on what's most important the game.

Plenty of Fish in This Sea

When it comes to cash games at Bodog Poker, you'll find ample Texas Holdem opportunities, abbreviated Omaha offerings, and less than two dozen combined tables for Five and Seven Card Stud. Despite a solid reputation, the traffic here is always light (3,000 or less). The upside is that low traffic generally translates to soft competition. Bodog Poker has no pros to speak of (at their tables anyway), so if you're looking for easy pickings then this poker room won't disappoint.

Strictly Texas Holdem

Bodog Poker's tournament offerings are strictly Texas Holdem. We reviewed the schedule during the site's anniversary when they were offering special event freerolls in addition to the regular dailies and a 15-day poker tournament which probably beefed up the roster quite a bit. MTT buy ins range from a quarter to $250 and sit and go seats can be had for as little as $1 or as much as $220. The site seems to take a lunch break between 11am and 3pm when tournament opportunities thin significantly, but the evening schedule is packed. Once again we are reminded of the site's amateur slant when looking at the small tournament fields (500 or less for the $100,000 Guaranteed) and the many designated 'beginner tournaments.'

U.S. Friendly

Bodog Poker is often seen as an American-oriented site, and to emphasize that point they offer U.S. players more than just the standard credit card deposit option. All members (Americans included) can also elect to deposit using eWalletXpress or Click2Pay. None of these methods carry a usage fee, and all three have a very low minimum deposit of $20. American players depositing with a credit card or eWalletXpress can only request a payout via check, but Click2Pay users can have funds transferred back to their account instantly.