Ignition Poker, in terms of player volumes, is the most popular US-facing site in the world. It is renowned for its fishy players, strong tournament roster and is the only poker site serving US players that currently has a mobile app. If you are perhaps returning to poker playing post-Black Friday then you may wonder who Ignition Poker really are? Where did they come from in such a short space of time? (only established in 2016) and how did they become so popular?
If you know a little of your poker history then you will have probably heard about Bodog Poker who then morphed into Boveda Poker. It was Boveda who sold their poker arm to Ignition Poker in 2016.
Sounds a little complicated? Just a touch but what has emerged is one of the leading poker products available to US players whose liquidity is enhanced from being part of the PaiWangLuo Poker Network, which consists of the following six poker rooms: Ignition Poker, Bovada, Bodog.com, Bodog.eu, Bodog88, and Bodog India. Ignition Poker does not accept players from Europe and has only recently started accepting players from Australia.
As mentioned above, Ignition Poker does accept US-based players though it is worth checking your individual jurisdiction as to the overall legality.
Bitcoin accepted
One of the features of the site is that Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals are front and centre of payment methods. This is partly due to some of the other usual payment option providers being risk averse when it comes to processing payments to online gambling sites.
Ignition mainly accepts payments from Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash with no additional costs (though there are usually Bitcoin transaction costs) and deposits and withdrawals can be made pretty swiftly.
Note that if other payment methods are used then payment is made only in the form of a cheque which can take a few days to process.
Does it have a gambling licence?
While other members of the network Bovada, Bodog.com, Bodog India, Bodog.eu and Bodog88 all hold licences, Ignition Poker does not currently hold its own. It is difficult to understand why this is the case. It is a grey area of legislation with many believing a gambling licence is nothing more than a glorified business licence.
If holding a current licence is important to you then you should avoid Ignition Poker for the time being.
Ignition Customer support
Ignition pride themselves on offering first-rate customer service. Most non-urgent enquiries are dealt with competently and speedily via e-mail. For more urgent matters there is a live chat option within the client.
Rewards at Ignition Poker
As standard, all players receive a sign-up bonus up to $1000. This is a very generous offer though it is worth delving into the release rate to see whether this headline-grabbing amount is suitable for you. The $1000 bonus is unlocked incrementally as you play. As is standard on all poker sites, these requirements are deliberately opaque with the headline amount grabbing the player’s attention. To put simply, the more you play the more you can earn. How fast it can be unlocked depends on the stakes played and the hours put it in. The welcome bonus is unlocked in $5 increments for every 150 Ignition Miles earned playing poker.
Ignition Miles are earned in Cash Games:
- 15 Ignition Miles for every $1 in rake collected
In Tournaments:
- 15 Ignition Miles for every $1 in fees paid
And in Jackpot Sit & Gos:
- 1.5 Ignition Miles for every $1 in buy-ins
Two important points to consider:
- You must opt-in when depositing for the first time
- You only have one month to rollover/play through the bonus
In comparison with other poker sites, the sign-up bonus is a generous one but while it is important to some, it is not the most important reason for signing up with any site. There are a myriad of factors to consider before depositing money onto a new site.
Extra Bitcoin deposit bonus
There is currently an extra $250 bonus available if a player deposits for the first time in Bitcoin. The rollover rewards are the same and is an extra nudge to anyone wavering about whether to take the Bitcoin plunge.
Ignition Rakeback
There is no such thing as rakeback on Ignition Poker but rather a system where players are awarded points or Ignition Miles as they call it.
Points are awarded as described above and you can improve your rewards as you move up a tiered system.
| Steel | 6% Cashback | 2,500 Miles = $1 |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | 7% Cashback | 2,250 Miles = $1 |
| Bronze | 8% Cashback | 2,000 Miles = $1 |
| Silver | 9% Cashback | 1,750 Miles = $1 |
| Gold | 10% Cashback | 1,500 Miles = $1 |
| Platinum | 11% Cashback | 1,250 Miles = $1 |
| Titanium | 12% Cashback | 1,000 Miles = $1 |
| Diamond | 15% Cashback | 1,000 Miles = $1 |
As you can see, the system rewards a player the more rake they earn or tournament fees they pay.
Every time a player earns an Ignition Mile, they also get a Tier Mile. Tier Miles helps improve your membership statuses. On sign up, a player at the base Steel level. Once you accumulate 2,500 Tier Miles, a player upgrades to Chrome status. Tier Miles don’t expire, so the status is never lost. Here’s a list of the eight tiers of membership and the number of Tier Miles needed to reach them.
| Membership Level | Tier Miles Needed |
|---|---|
| Steel | 0 |
| Chrome | 2,500 |
| Bronze | 10,000 |
| Silver | 60,000 |
| Gold | 150,000 |
| Platinum | 500,000 |
| Titanium | 1,000,000 |
| Diamond | 2,500,000 |
The first critical status level to reach is Chrome. Once achieved players are eligible to compete in the weekly $2,500 freeroll tournaments.
Royal Flush bonus
Should you hit a royal flush when playing a cash game in a hand that includes three or more people you are entitled to a bonus of 50x the Big Blind amount up to a maximum of $200 as long as you use both pocket cards and are playing Texas Hold’em and you email [email protected] within 48 hours.
It’s all a bit arduous but worth bearing in mind. And it is free money with no play-through requirement.
Bad beat bonus at Ignition
If your four of a kind or better gets beaten then you are eligible for 100x the Big Blind. There are restrictions see below:
- Both pocket cards must be used by both the losing and winning hand.
- Three or more players must be dealt into the hand.
- Both the winning and losing hand must go to showdown.
- All hands must be played independently. If you reveal your hand or instruct others on how to act, you won’t be eligible.
- You must be playing Texas Hold’em cash games. Tournaments not included.
Once again you have to alert the site manually but once again it is free money!
Extra Bonus
There is a refer-a-friend bonus in operation on the site giving extra bonuses to you and the friend. The play through requirements are quite complicated so it is worth checking out the details on the site when registered yourself.
Payments and Banking at Ignition Casino
There are two main ways of depositing on Ignition Poker both of which are options for US customers.
Bitcoin Poker
Bitcoin seems to be the most popular way players deposit money onto Ignition Poker. Players need to sign up for a Bitcoin wallet beforehand and there are many providers who offer this service such as Coinbase.
There are no transaction fees on Bitcoin deposits though there may be charges from the Bitcoin operator.
The minimum Bitcoin deposit is pretty low at $25 and Ignition does not take any fees for doing this.
Note: Transfers by Bitcoin are not made instantly and you may be made to wait up to an hour for a transaction to be processed.
The maximum deposit via Bitcoin is $5,000
Debit and Credit cards
Deposits can be made with debit or credit cards however there are occasions when certain institutions will not process transactions due to restrictions imposed by the card issuer or the financial institution.
The most popular method is by Visa or Mastercard. The minimum deposit is $20 and the maximum is $1,500.
Vouchers
Gift vouchers can be used to deposit but the holder needs to check whether the card can be used for international purchases online.
Are there deposit fees?
There are typically no fees for using Bitcoin though the exchange usually charges a 1% fee on all transactions. Ignition Poker does not benefit from this transaction.
Similarly, there may be charges incurred when using a credit or debit card but this is charged by your provider not the poker room.
Note: There may be slightly different deposit options depending whether a player is based in the US or based in Australia
Ignition Software
The software at Ignition Poker is pretty much industry standard. It comes with all the features poker players expect these days and has a smooth feel to it and an uncluttered lobby.
Everything you need for recreational play is provided and multi-table players will find it simple and straightforward to organise their game play.
Perhaps the most important feature is that all cash games are anonymous meaning no HUDs are allowed. Anonymous cash tables seem to be becoming standard these days and fits the Ignition Poker business model of encouraging recreational players as opposed to the grinders.
Another important feature geared towards the occasional player is the inability to choose the table you play at. Instead, you choose your stakes and you are automatically sent to a table. This feature can annoy some players because they can’t target weak players so easily but does provide a better environment for part-time players.
The software itself, as stated above, is perfectly adequate for cash and tournament play including multi-tabling. Everything from deck type to card color to seat position is customisable.
Anecdotally the network can suffer from some lagging and unusual behaviour at times but the general feedback from players is that the software is usually stable with low downtimes and connectivity problems.
The software is available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Portuguese.
Other software features
Hand Histories.
While HUDs are banned you will have access to your own hand histories to analyse your past play. This feature is available while at the table and from the main settings.
An additional feature is being able to review tournament play including seeing all the hole cards of your opponents. The hole cards of all players will be revealed regardless of whether they played the hand or not. This neat addition allows you to improve your game by getting a better understanding of how your opponents played certain hands.
All-in percentages
If you go all-in, a percentage bar will cdisplay under the cards for each active player indicating their win probability. The percentages appear as soon as the cards are shown and are updated after each action.
Play in your browser at Ignition Poker
If for any reason you can’t use the downloaded software. Maybe if you are travelling or visiting friends then the play in browser feature is an excellent option to have, From the browser you can play cash games and tournaments.
Mobile Poker
At the time of writing, Ignition Poker is the only US-facing poker room which has an option to play on mobile phones.
Given the ubiquity of mobile devices this a very smart move by the owners. The app is downloadable for Android and iOS for iphones.
The app is also able to be used on a tablet or iPad.
The features are pretty similar to desktop but you are limited to the number of tables you can play at one time – either 4 cash or 4 tournaments.
Deposits and requests to cash out can be made through the app using the cashier feature. You can also sign-up through the app.
There are arguably better poker apps on the market but given this is the only one accessible to US-based players, it certainly is a huge plus point for Ignition Poker.
Ignition Casino and Sportsbook
The casino and poker products are closely tied together with casino games available straight from the software for those so inclined. There are also some cross promotion bonuses available on the site from time to time.
There is no sportsbook connected directly to Ignition Poker though they do allow you to place bets on virtual sports through a dedicated tab.
Chat and find a player
Every table has a chat feature but this has become less used over the years..All chat must be respectful and in English. There does not appear to be an option to find a player in the software though railing in the big tournaments is allowed.
What is Zone Poker?
Zone Poker is Ignition’s version of fast-fold poker. Don’t like a hand, fold and get re-zoned to another table instantly. You have half the time to act than in a normal cash game meaning the action is fast and you can play more hands per hour.
If you are a competent player then Zone Poker is one way to play through your signing on bonus because the Ignition Miles system works the exact same way as a standard cash game. However, because Zone Poker gives you the ability to play more hands in the same amount of time, a player should be able to score more Miles than they would in a normal cash game.
Poker tournaments
The flagship poker tournament on Ignition in the weekly $150k Guaranteed which takes place every Sunday. It has proved so popular that on many occasions the guarantee has been more than met.
There is a huge raft of satellites throughout the week funneling players into the big one.
Players can use their Ignition Miles (earned by playing on the site) to redeem tournament tickets for extra chances to qualify through the satellites.
Ongoing promotions
A popular ongoing promotion on Ignition Poker is the Monster Stack series with guaranteed prize pools for tournaments which run throughout the week. Once again players can use their accumulated Ignition Miles for extra entries into this tournament series.
Each evening there is a $5,000 guaranteed tournament with slightly different tournament conditions.
Currently it runs as below for a $25 + $2.50 buy-in with satellites running daily into each event.
Monday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack)
Tuesday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack 15-Min Levels)
Wednesday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack 10-Min Levels)
Thursday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack 6-Handed)
Friday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack Unlimited Re-Entry)
Saturday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack Freezeout)
Sunday – $5,000 Gtd (Monster Stack 10-Min Levels)
Weekly $2,500 Freeroll Tournament
All players who have reached their first Tier milestone by earning 2,500 Ignition Miles are eligible for the weekly $2,500 freeroll tournament.The freeroll takes place every Thursday at 9:05 PM ET.
Jackpot SNGs
As common with most poker sites, Ignition has plenty of jackpot sit and gos played three-handed with hyper-turbo blind levels and a small starting stack with a random prize lottery-style from a prize pool.
Regular SNGs
These can be found with stakes up to $200. Popular variations include hyper turbos, double up and Triple ups (three players from nine triple their buy-in
There are also plenty of heads up tables for those so inclined. Given the high level of traffic at peak times, tables at most stakes fill up fairly quickly.
Cash Games
Six-handed cash games are most prominent on the site though there are some nine-max tables available for those who prefer larger tables.
Due to decent traffic, there are always plenty of games available throughout all stakes, obviously tempering off towards the higher levels.
As said before all games are anonymous and players are automatically seated rather than given the chance to choose who they play against.
Rake
Rake levels on Ignition Poker are pretty much industry standard with a 10 cent maximum at the lower stakes up to $4.00 at the highest stakes.
Poker Variants
Texas Hold’em Limit and No limit tables dominate the lobby but there is also plenty of Omaha games to be played in various formats and at most stake levels.
Should I play on Ignition Poker?
The high traffic certainly benefits players wanting to play various games at most times of the day and the quality of opposition probably means you can drop your stakes slightly and still come out on top in cash games.
The spread of guaranteed tournaments is excellent with guarantees often being exceeded. Zone Poker is a buzz if fast games are your thing while the mobile app is the only one available to US-based players.
On the downside, the software is not the best around and there are occasional stability issues. The lack of a gambling licence will be a worry to some and the main deposit and withdrawal method being Bitcoin may prevent some players from accessing the site.
