Bodog vs. Pokerstars

Hi All,

Just a general poll type question. I play online exclusively with Pokerstars and Bodog. Due to reasons pertaining to suck outs, cards dealt, and an apparent "cycle", I had stopped playing at Pokerstars and started up with Bodog (this was a couple years back).

I found that I liked Bodog better than pokerstars in respect to the suckout-cycle ratio. My brother had introduced me to Pokerstars and I, in turn, introduced him to Bodog. However, he much prefers Pokerstars.

So, the question is this... In terms of playability, pay outs, withdrawing, etc... What is your overall preference between these two sites?

Any examples of reasons why one is preferred over the other is welcome. Thank you.

Well. I hear about bounced/late checks from bodog a lot lately. I am not sure what the status is on withdrawing right now, but I know the feds seized 24 mil in US accounts from them.

Having said that, i prefer the payout and play at bodog. I do think the flushes tend to hit there a bit too often.
The payouts on pokerstars are kinda weird, with a little money spread around to a lot of players below the final table. Also, in cash games there, I find it difficult to win since you have so many more chasers, they seem to all stay in, and one of them sucks out.

I play at a pretty low level, so some of the donkey-ness may be due to the level I play at

I can't even get Bodog to work properly---I have down loaded, but when I try to play, it won't let me! It keeps not allowing me to even SEE the table or cards or players---nothing! So. its gotta be PS!

i vote for pokerstars
bodog is not bad but the sofware are not realy friendly to use.

lmao @ "suck out cycle ratio".....PS FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's ridiculous even comparing the two.

Only because fulltilt wasnt in the poll.

well i still prefer bodog main reason becuz pokerstars doesnt accept my card make deposits but when they do i will def prefer pokerstars over bodog becuz of the tournaments they have cheap buyins big payouts but till then i still play at bodog it was the 1st site i played at and learned poker

The only real advantage to bodog, is that when you win a freeroll, you can use that money and bet it on sports, which I do, since I find much more success there then on the felt. Also, the freerolls have bigger payouts, and pokerstars really has no freerolls, they are only for tickets to larger freerolls....so it takes more time to make the money, if at all.
Also, fewer people play the bodog CC freeroll, so better odds there too.

But in terms of pure gameplay, pokerstars far and away.

People that have little live experience cannot adjust to the higher skill and quality of game PS offers.

I have had more sucess in cash games on Bodog, but the lack of tournies and the long drawn out payouts makes me prefer Pokerstars.

pokerstars is better because has more action, but i like bodog ,seems to me that people play better

+ 1

FT hates me so I hate them back

Bastard!

but pokerstars > bodog by far for everything except freerolls. the support is great, the traffic is great, the play level is pretty average at pokerstars (better is bad).

I think pokerstars has the most donkeys, which could be a good thing but for me its bad because i cant STAND them whatsoever.. But BODOG seems to be less populated site so id much perfer Bodog.

LMAO
QFT

Stars. At least for me, the software is more user friendly and the range of games is outstanding.

Is this even a real debate? There's no question that Pokerstars is better. It's like saying:

"DEBATE: Who's the better boxer in his prime ... Mohammad Ali or Buster Douglas?"

No, I wouldn't classify this as a debate at all. Merely getting varied opinions, to make a determination for myself. As I said, I personally prefer Bodog. As Deki mentioned, it just seems to have better players. And by that I mean players who seem to be mature and make the game fun and challenging, rather than a session in idiocy and stupidity.

Now, of course, that's a broad generalization about PS players. I don't consider that to be indicative of the majority at all. Just my personal experience with PokerStars is not one that endears me to that software regardless of its usability factor. I would agree wholeheartedly that PS is very user-friendly.

Bodog has its issues as well, but the caliber of players is not one that I find. Nor is what I call the "suck-out ratio". PokerStars is just simply terrible when it comes to that. IMHO, of course.

Thanks for the replies. You've given me some things to consider next time I'm hovering my pointer over the PS and Bodog icons. lol

Although Bodog was my first introduction into online poker and will always seem like my poker home, Pokerstars blows it out in terms of variety and traffic. If anyone has ever gotten a late night poker Jonez in the US good luck finding any, let alone the limit your desire, SnG fill-up. The Sun might rise quicker than a 9-person table will fill.

pokerstars....and it seems to be the favorite by many

Online poker is rediculous about suckouts. No way that some of the bs suckouts I've seen would happen in real life. At least not anywhere close to as often. Anyways I prefer Pokerstars to Bodog. I've played real money at Pokerstars and have had plenty of suckouts but also a some success. I've only recently played at Bodog and only their freerolls and every time I got sucked out, but what can you do besides not gamble, its a computer your playin against.

In Terms of getting paid Stars Blows Away Bodog

I voted for Bodog because of the payouts compared to PokerStars.When it comes to being user friendly there is not much difference in my opinion.Well except for when it comes to finding a player PS has that advantage.When it comes to withdraws,I here that people are having troubles with BD now.I don't know about PS,I never have had to withdraw from PS.Everyone says they have no problems with PS on withdrawing.Well thats just my opinion and you know how that is,everybody has one.Some bigger than others...lol. : )

I just find Bodog easier to navigate. i have accts a t both and at Pokerstars, but I find myself playing at bodog most often.
With regards to people staying in and sucking out, I agree that that is a function of freeroll play and low limit. It is quite a different game at higher limits. even as low as a $20 buyin improves the quality of play. I do play freerolls, because they are free, but I simply try to triple up early then sit out for an hour and repeat that process. Lately, I have had more luck playing cash games. frankly, I have never been great on line. I do well live in Vegas. I have won tourneys ther at Cesars, flamingo and Planet Hollywood. I just love the game and look onit as a hobby

Well I think that most people agree that Stars has the better software and it is a known fact that they offer the most tables/tourneys.

The only argument that I can even think of for playing at Bodog is that the competition is softer since they are a sportsbook.

Seeing as how Bodog has already said that they will be pulling out of the US market very soon, I cant see why anyone would want to play there... (anyone from the US obv)

Really?? When/where did they say that? It's certainly news to me, and I'd want to make sure I get what little funds I keep on there out before it happens . . . can you please list the source you have for this?

I believe that I read about it on 2+2 and that they will pull out of the US market after the football season. (?)

Some pages that may shed some light:

Online Poker Room Bodog Down to a Skeleton Crew

Feds Hound Bodog

Is Bodog In Trouble With the U.S. Government?

Bodog Continues to Frustrate Vendors, Players



I again am not positive, as it may be all rumour, but I thought that they were being forced out of the US market.
These links show that they are at least having some big problems. The US government has it out for them bigtime.
I also believe that the 20 something million that was seized, was the problem they were having with cashouts (not to mention finding someone to handle cashouts at all).

There are a bunch of threads over on 2+2, if you want to see what they are saying. Most are weary about keeping large sums on BoDog now, just in case there is another NetTeller type of issue.
I never play on BoDog, so I cant really say that I have investigated the matter too much.

Thanks for those links, Odin. I've never kept a lot of money at Bodog anyway, but this definitely doesn't make me want to ever deposit there again, nor really play much . . . meanwhile, there are still some of the best money-added small-stakes tourneys at Bodog (including our own weekly CC events), so I guess I'm not quite ready to cash out completely, but if I ever build my Bodog roll past a couple hundred bucks, I'll be pulling most of it out in hurry.

I picked Pokerstars because that is where i started and where i won all my money online. But i really do want to try Bodog since i like betting on sports games. So maybe one day Bodog will be my pokersite of choice.

I'm playing Bodog at the minute I'm finding the players in general a different style tp Pokerstars there's a rude mix of trappers and passive bad players it can be quite disconcerting, luckily the bad player is a majority at the low levels I'm playing at. I found the Tournament competition in Pokerstars extremely tough.

I had a weird time at Pokerstars when I played there, I was using pokertracker and 66 was a massive loser for me easily my worst hand 56 suited was a winner for me oddly enough. The thing was on review I rarely overplayed it or played it bad. Everytime I hit a set with it on the flop and was pushed all in by AA or similar overpair they were guaranteed to hit their two outer, in the end I had to stop playing the hand

you are saying you had to stop playing 66?

He's saying he's a loosing poker player but since his mind won't accept that fact, he rationalizes his losses by thinking the site he plays on is a bit rigged.

We should not try to convince him otherwise because then he would stop playing poker and we would loose his contribution to the fish pool.

So yeah, PokerStars is obviously rigged. Please come play on FullTilt where I reside...

I'd die if I had to stop playing 66

bodog is not bad. i like the graphics somehow. but i wouldnt bet there.