House Rules

You can play with Texas Hold'em rules but if you want to know how to play poker by the book you've got to know the house poker rules. Bovada's online poker rules are the standard rules in poker at most sites. Read up on these rules before you start.

• We won't tolerate collusive activity of any kind, including soft playing, whipsawing, and chip dumping.
• If, for any reason, you do not act within the time allotted, your play will time out, your hand will fold and your action placed on auto-fold until you return to the game.
• You will be removed from a cash game table if you remain idle for more than 10 minutes.
• You cannot intentionally slow down play at the tables.
• In re-buy tournaments, you can use eCash to re-buy or add on chips only when it is available in your account before registration and still accessible during the tournament.
• Bovada reserves the right to start, stop, pause or resume any game at any time.

See the Tournament Cancellation Policy for resolution policies following the cancellation of a tournament.

Engaging with other players

• You cannot use the chat function in an abusive, sexist, racist, or otherwise disruptive manner.
• You cannot use the chat function to disclose cards you're holding or have folded while the hand is in play.
• You cannot use the chat function to coach players, whether you're playing or observing.
• You may not use the chat function at any time to claim that you are a representative of Bovada.
• You may not use the chat function to advertise or spam at any time.
• All chat must be in English.

Disconnection Protection

• If you lose your connection during the play of a hand and are unable to act, your hand will be checked if no other action is required from you. If action is required on a bet, the hand will be folded.
• Disconnection Protection is available if you are disconnected and as a result cannot act on your hand within the given time.
• Disconnection Protection will only apply if you have been completely disconnected from the game server. If you are still connected but it is lagging and as a result you can't act, your hand will time out, be folded and your action will be put on auto-fold until you can get back to the game. 

Want to know more about Disconnection Protection?

Tournament Tickets:

• Tournament Tickets cannot be used for some Single-Table and Multi-Table Sit and Go tournaments or cash games. 
• Tournament tickets cannot be used for re-buys or add-ons.
• Tournament Tournaments do not have a dollar value other than for buy-in purposes.

See which tournaments payout in Tournament Tickets in the Poker Lobby.

Bovada reserves the right to decide when a player has broken the rules, subject entirely to our discretion and interpretation. We also reserve the right to choose whether to grants requests and issue reprimands which may include a warning, suspension, revocation of chat privileges, revocation of full privileges and/or seizure of funds. 

Bovada reserves the right to modify House Rules at any time without notice. Such modifications will be posted on the bovada.lv website and will be effective immediately upon posting. It is the player's responsibility to review the website and remain aware of the rules. Decisions pertaining to the above rules will be made at the discretion of Bovada Poker Management. All decisions are final.

See the Terms of Service for  a complete list of the rules all players must adhere to.