Ignition Poker
Ignition Poker is the US-facing skin for the Bodog Poker Network. The site was established in the summer of 2016 using the same software and same selection of games as was previously available at Bovada Poker. In September 2016, Bovada Poker migrated its players to the new site, which has maintained its position as the leading destination for US poker players.
One significant change that was introduced during the migration was the implementation of deposit fees for players funding their accounts from any source other than a Bitcoin wallet. Further incentives were added to encourage players to transact in Bitcoin, including more valuable casino bonuses and higher withdrawal limits – Ignition Poker Bitcoin withdrawals also being free of charges. Since October 2017 Ignition Poker also accept Bitcoin Cash deposits.
Limits for Bitcoin Transactions
The minimum limit for depositing with Bitcoin at Ignition Poker is the equivalent of $20.00 while the maximum you can fund your account with is the equivalent of $5,000. The site makes funding your account with Bitcoin easy by offering the options of depositing from a desktop wallet or scanning in a QR code to make a deposit from your cellphone.
Bitcoin withdrawals from Ignition Poker are equally as straightforward. You simply request the dollar amount you which to take out of your account (minimum $20.00, maximum $9,500) and insert your Bitcoin address. Processing your request usually takes three days, and you cannot make a second request until the first one has been processed.
One important consideration is that the maximum first deposit bonus for both poker players and casino players is $1,000. Although you may want to fund your poker account with more than the maximum bonus to help with your bankroll management, there is no need to fund your casino wallet with more than the equivalent of $1,000. This is because casino players are eligible for daily reload bonuses and special Bitcoin deposit bonuses through the site´s Ignition Rewards program.
The Ignition Poker Bonus
As mentioned above, the Ignition Poker bonus for first deposits is a 100% match bonus up to a maximum of $1,000. The bonus is released in eight stages as you collect Player Points for paying fees to enter Sit & Go games and Ignition Poker tournaments, or contribute to the rake deducted from cash game pots. Three Player Points are awarded for each $1.00 paid in fees, while the rate at which Player Points are distributed in cash games depends on the amount of rake paid:
| Rake Paid | Points Awarded |
|---|---|
| $0.01 – $0.04 | 0.05 |
| $0.05 – $0.24 | 0.10 |
| $0.25 – $0.49 | 0.25 |
| $0.50 – $0.99 | 0.50 |
| $1.00 – $3.00 | 1.00 |
The release of the Ignition Poker bonus is weighted to make it easier to clear the earlier stages and applicable to all deposits over the equivalent of $20.00. This means that irrespective of whether you deposit the equivalent of $50.00 or $1,000, you will still receive a total of $50.00 in bonuses once you have collected 185 Player Points. You get thirty days in which to clear the Ignition Poker bonus – a factor that might also influence how much you initially fund your account with.
| Stage | Points Required | Bonus Amount | Total Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | $5 | $5 |
| 2 | 85 | $20 | $25 |
| 3 | 185 | $25 | $50 |
| 4 | 400 | $50 | $100 |
| 5 | 1,000 | $100 | $200 |
| 6 | 2,500 | $200 | $400 |
| 7 | 5,000 | $250 | $650 |
| 8 | 10,000 | $350 | $1,000 |
The Ignition Casino Bonus
By comparison to the rather tough demands made on poker players, if you like to play casino games, the Ignition Casino bonus is relatively generous – and you get six months to clear it. The bonus is cleared by playing selected casino games and rolling over the combined deposit and bonus amount twenty-five times. This clearing requirement compares favorably with many other online casinos that require players to rollover their deposits and bonus amounts forty times or more.
There is a wide choice of games you can play to clear the Ignition Casino bonus. All slots games and specialty games (Keno, Bingo, etc.) contribute 100% towards the clearing requirement, while most table games count 60%. Most games of Blackjack (except single-deck and double-deck Blackjack) count 30% towards the clearing requirement, as do video poker games. Unfortunately, if you are a fan of roulette, baccarat, Sic Bo or craps, none of your action will contribute towards clearing the Ignition Casino bonus.
Other Bonuses and Promotions
Here again, casino players benefit more from playing at Ignition Casino than poker players get from their action at Ignition Poker. Once the initial casino bonus is cleared, you can take advantage of daily reload bonuses up to the equivalent of $100 and participate in the Ignition Rewards program – a pretty decent eight-tier rewards program that offers free casino chips, preferential reload bonuses for players who deposit using Bitcoin, cashback and monthly cash bonus draws.
Sadly, the Ignition Poker Rewards program is a poor cousin. Once the initial Ignition Poker bonus has been cleared, the Player Points you earn for paying tournament entry fees and contributing to the rake deducted from cash game pots can only be exchanged for tournament entry tickets and casino bonuses. The site does have offer bonuses for getting a Royal Flush and for suffering a Bad Beat but, as a rule, the bonuses and promotions at Ignition Poker leave a lot to be desired.
So, Why Play at Ignition Poker?
If your sole motive for playing online poker is to collect bonuses and rewards, we respectfully suggest that you play at Ignition Poker for just thirty days, collect whatever bonus you can, and then register with another Bitcoin poker site. If you aim to win money by playing online poker, then there are three compelling reasons why Ignition Poker is the right Bitcoin poker site for you.
- Traffic
Being the largest US-facing online poker site, there is no lack of traffic at Ignition Poker. Furthermore, as the site forms part of the larger Bodog Poker network, you are assured of a game any time of the day or night. Other sites might offer bigger bonuses or more lucrative rewards programs but they cannot guarantee the same volume of traffic as you will find at Ignition Poker.
- Guaranteed Tournaments
Ignition Poker hosts poker tournaments with guaranteed prize pools in excess of $2 million per week. This fact alone does not make a compelling reason to play at Ignition Poker – until you consider the buy-ins. Having a much larger database of players, Ignition Poker can charge much less for its feature tournaments than competing online poker sites offering the same level of prize money.
- Anonymous Tables
Probably the most compelling reason to play at Ignition Poker – especially if you are a new player – is the anonymous tables. Ignition Poker has continued the “recreational model” developed by Bovada Poker, which means that players using poker tracking software and heads-up displays (HUDs) are unable to gain an unfair advantage over other players. Effectively, if you win money at Ignition Poker it will be because you are a better poker player, rather than because you have invested in software aids.
Our Overall Impression of Ignition Poker and Casino
As players familiar with the “old” Bovada site, we pretty much knew what to expect when Ignition Poker was launched – a reasonably solid online poker site with a good variety of games, reliable cashouts and excellent customer support. What has pleased us is that the volume of traffic has remained steady, that Ignition Poker is maintaining the same tournament schedule, and that the site is continuing to implement Bovada Poker´s recreational model.
The Ignition Casino – and particularly the Ignition Casino bonus – is outstanding. There are hundreds of slots to choose from, a good selection of table games, and video poker games with fantastic payout percentages. It is not difficult to rise through the statuses in the Ignition Rewards program – even by playing games that do not contribute 100% to clearing the bonus – and adding to your bankroll with free casino chips and extra reload bonuses.
Players using Bitcoins as a deposit and withdrawal option are definitely at an advantage playing at Ignition Poker and Casino. As well as free deposits, Bitcoin withdrawals are processed faster than other cashout options; plus you have the opportunity to take advantage of Bitcoin Casino bonuses not available to players using alternate methods of payment. Effectively, if you want to get the fairest gaming experience and maximize your return on investment, you should be playing at Ignition Poker and Casino.