Black Chip Poker, which is a part of what is widely considered to be the most successful poker network in the United States, may be found hidden away under an ordinary website. As a pretty straightforward rebranding of the primary site America’s Cardroom, they have about as much unique personality as a box of oatmeal.
Both Black Chip Poker and America’s Cardroom are members of the Winning Poker Network, and as such, they share every table and tournament with one another, much like an elderly married couple who enjoys breakfast together. The poker community owes a debt of gratitude to the poker sites Black Chip Poker and Winning for their sustained success over the past few years.
Black Chip Poker continues to expand in terms of both the number of players and the variety of concepts and promotions it offers. They are in a favorable position. In point of fact, I believe that Black Chip Poker is one of just three US poker networks that will continue to deal cards and shuffle the deck in the long run.
I’m really impressed with how far-reaching Black Chip Poker is.
When you’re behind in a cash game and leave the table, Black Chip Poker presents you with an opportunity to wager in the style of roulette. This is one of the more peculiar things that the site is experimenting with.
I admire how Black Chip Poker and the Winning network are going for broke by flinging spaghetti pots against the wall. They are engaging in things such as:
- Combination cash-and-tournament games
- Instant tournament payouts
- Sit and Go tournaments with a double-prize lottery
- The ability to straddle in cash games is built in.
Some of it looks completely insane for the sake of gaining attention, but hey, at least Blackchip is trying in the midst of an ocean of complacency.
In 2004, I visited Black Chip Poker for the first time and studied its beginnings. At that time, it was just another me-too third-rate site fighting a war against some superpowers (anyone remember Yatahay?). In modern days? Black Chip Poker is one of the largest poker sites available to players in the United States, and I would play my whole bankroll in their hands if I could.
Black Chip Poker has relatively positive ratings across the board, with the exception of some silly technical issues on Mac and mobile devices.
Is it safe to play at Black Chip Poker?
In my opinion, this is the case.
Although they don’t do a whole lot to stick out, Black Chip Poker receives a positive review due to its overall consistency across a variety of aspects. The constant flow of players is a significant selling element, securing its position as the second-best poker room in the United States.
I enjoy the straightforward nature of Black Chip Poker’s payments, which are usually completed within 24 to 36 hours. Surprisingly, some of the largest tournaments that can be found online, despite the fact that they have insane rebuy requirements.
Perhaps most impressive of all? Black Chip Poker and the Winning Network are the two poker rooms that are responsible for the most ground-breaking innovations in the world of online poker.
Over the course of the past few years, blackchip has been experiencing a gradual but steady burn. It’s likely that the warmth will appeal to you.
The most egregious deficiencies of Black Chip Poker
Despite this, Black Chip Poker isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. The most egregious omission, in my opinion, is that Black Chip does not provide a software version compatible with Macs or any form of mobile app. That is really irresponsible and demonstrates a complete lack of awareness at this time.
In addition, this is likely to cause players to be divided, but I do not agree with Black Chip Poker’s strategy of trying to appease the HUD base. They make no effort to conceal their identities or safeguard casual players at the tables. In time of fact, they openly advocate HUDs such as PokerTracker and Hold’em Manager, which may be appealing to grinders but, in the long run, is likely to be detrimental to the overall quality of the Black Chip Poker games.
You can keep track of the progress of your deposit bonus quite easily in Black Chip Poker’s lobby, and you may cash in on it every time you earn $1. It is imperative that you choose the “Redeem” option in order to move funds from your bonus account into your main balance of real money.
Questions That Are Typically Asked
Is it safe to play at Black Chip Poker?
Black Chip Poker is still a respectable place to play online poker for real money, despite the fact that I find larger US poker sites such as Global Poker and Bovada Poker to be more enjoyable. They have never been late with my payments, which is a rare time. Black Chip Poker is owned and operated by the same licensed firm that also runs Americas Cardroom, which holds the record for being the longest continuously running poker site in the United States.
Does Black Chip Poker allow players from the United States?
Yes, this is the case for each and every poker site that is part of the Winning Poker Network. In point of fact, Black Chip Poker caters particularly to real-money players from the United States. However, there is a possibility that they may not accept residents of specific states; thus, you should check this review for the most up-to-date list.
Is there a mobile app for Black Chip Poker to download?
Unfortunately, at this time there is no way to play on any mobile device. Regarding poker played on mobile devices, Black Chip Poker is light times behind the competition. The only method to play is to download the software onto a desktop computer running either Windows or Mac OS.
Does Black Chip Poker have a bonus code that players may use?
Black Chip Poker’s current bonus code is BCPBTF, so make sure you use it. In addition to this, new players who make their first deposit are eligible for a bonus of up to $2,000 and four tickets to a private tournament.
The Bonus for Playing Black Chip Poker
Black Chip Poker offers what I like to refer to as the “GPS” of poker bonuses: a bonus worth one hundred percent of your initial deposit. The auto salesperson claims that even the most basic model comes with a GPS system. It’s good to have, but in today’s world, it’s almost a need because everyone else already has one.
The maximum amount that may be utilized to claim the bonus on a first deposit of 100% is $2,000. You’ll have to play in some work and bring in some winnings just like you would anywhere else. At the time of registration, you will also be required to input the BCPBTF Black Chip Poker referral code in order to ensure that you receive the entire bonus.
After doing some review, I discovered that Black Chip Poker gives it out at a rate that is between between average and slightly below average, which comes out to roughly $0.75 to $1 per $.50/1 table every hour. Rakeback in its purest form for a period of sixty days; the structure of this bonus is identical to that of Americas Cardroom, Americas Poker Network’s sibling site.
Black Chip Poker might not have that one outstanding feature that would push it over the top, but it does have a reasonable promotional offering. It is what one would anticipate, and with the games being of the caliber they are, it appears to be sufficient to continue luring in brand-new players.
Those that grind consistently will make a good living. Microstakes grinders and new players will see virtually little action during these tournaments. It’s a problem that’s been there since the beginning of online poker promotions. The bonus for playing Black Chip Poker is exactly the same.
3.5/5 Stars
A point added to the bonus
Freerolls for people who have made deposits
The private depositors freeroll is an additional promotion that Black Chip Poker loves to advertise with its deposit bonus. This tournament takes place every Saturday. The prize pool is very tiny at $250 each event, but because it is confined to new depositors, you often won’t see more than 100 players there. This is because the event is limited to new depositors.
It’s a fast and easy way to earn some money and test out the Black Chip Poker tournament system all at the same time. As an added bonus, throughout the month that you make a deposit, you are eligible to play in each of these tournaments.
The Monstrosity
The Beast is one of the finest promotions that Black Chip Poker has to offer since it is essentially a rake race that awards cash prizes to about 60–70 players each week with a maximum value of $2,500. The fact that there is no additional rake required to support this feature at Black Chip Poker makes it stand out from anything else of its kind that I’ve seen at other online poker rooms.
Because everything is determined by how much you “feed the beast” in rake, Black Chip Poker is actually only going to be offering this to the best grinders because it is all depending on how much you “feed the beast.” However, if this describes you, then it is without a doubt one of the most advantageous promotions of its type.
Elite awards system
The final part of the promotions is something that Black Chip Poker refers to as “Elite.” It is exactly the same as every other rewards program that you have ever encountered. You can redeem your Player Points at Black Chip Poker for tournament tickets or merchandise. Player Points may be earned by playing cash games and paying tournament fees.
Although it’s a wonderful perk to have, the fact that Black Chip Poker has adopted the old PokerStars approach of requiring players to earn points each and every month in order to keep their Elite status is something I don’t particularly care for.
The Achievement Reward, which Black Chip Poker employs to pay out flat cash incentives as soon as you hit key milestones, is the one that I enjoy the best.
The concept of on-demand freerolls is rather ingenious.
Instead of adhering to a complicated timetable, the online poker room Black Chip Poker came up with the ingenious notion of hosting freeroll tournaments on demand. Players who are limited in their bankrolls will like this feature because it is practically possible to play these at Black Chip Poker around the clock if your mental health can handle it. The awards are a pitiful ten dollars each, but they are awarded once or twice per hour once there are sufficient players. The typical field size for a freeroll tournament at Black Chip Poker is approximately 500 players, which is a manageable number.
The rewards part of Black Chip Poker is rather attractive, and the tables have a professional appearance; nevertheless, the fact that there is no software available for Macs or mobile devices is incomprehensibly dumb.
The Software Review of Black Chip Poker
I believe that the impact of software is grossly overestimated, despite all of the wailing and raving that comes from online poker players’ fingers. Black Chip Poker is an excellent illustration of this.
The visuals are crisp, there are a lot of customizing options, there are some lovely backdrops, and the maximum number of tables that can be used for multi-tabling is a massive 20. The interfaces for Jackpot and Sit and Go 2.0 were notably polished and easy to use.
In addition, Black Chip Poker has only lately incorporated some wonderful little touches, such as player avatars.
The Rewards area is exceptionally nicely done, allowing Black Chip Poker players to watch their bonus release status down to the fraction and readily check progress for medals and awards. This section also provides a lot of information to the player.
3/5 Stars
Ranking of software
Mobile Version of Black Chip Poker
So, let’s talk about Black Chip Poker’s mobile app software or the possibility to play without downloading anything. In light of the fact that people all over the world are now almost surgically hooked to their smartphones, it seems inconceivable that a poker site would genuinely disregard… Start the horn for failure. The rest of the Winning Poker Network, including Black Chip Poker, does not support mobile devices of any kind, including smartphones and tablets.
For screaming out loud, the Blackchip website is not even mobile responsive. I really hope that Black Chip Poker will soon get its head out of the sand and realize how important mobile gaming is. They need to develop regardless of how much it will cost them.
Mac version of Black Chip Poker
Okay, mobile is its own category, but surely Black Chip Poker won’t neglect the nearly 25 percent (and increasing) market share that Mac now holds. This is not the year 2005! Oh my, they’ve done it once more. On Windows computers, Black Chip Poker functions flawlessly, however the company does not provide any help for Mac players. It’s a move so stupid that people on the development team ought to be losing their jobs over it (does Blackchip even have a development team?).
Participating in a game at Black Chip Poker? I really hope that your tournament schedule includes things like re-buys, re-entries, add-ons, and maybe even lottery spins. It is because to this tournament that the poker room is able to host such a large number of tournaments.
Poker tournaments Using Black Chips
My David Copperfield award for poker tournaments goes to Black Chip Poker. Congratulations! The findings are really remarkable; nevertheless, a lot of smoke and mirrors were used to get those outcomes.
First of all, you have to give respect to Black Chip Poker for spreading out large daily guarantees throughout the course of the week.
At Black Chip Poker, virtually every hour there are many tournaments with guarantees ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, but on Wednesdays there are tournaments with guarantees as high as $50,000 for an unusually cheap buy-in of only $100. You can find these tournaments at Black Chip Poker.
Even if you aren’t located in the United States, Black Chip Poker offers a decent tournament of tournaments. If that’s the case, then those are the highest you’ll discover anywhere.
The tournaments with the highest tournament pools and guarantees on the schedule
Every Sunday offers a guaranteed prize pool of $150,000, and the buy-in is only $200—a very fair amount. Only Black Chip Poker, which is available to players from the United States, can compete with that, especially at that buy-in. In addition, Black Chip Poker will periodically host “Million Dollar Sundays” for a buy-in of $540. These tournaments are exactly what they seem like they would be.
Black Chip Poker is the only poker site other than PokerStars that hosts tournaments of this scale, and they only do so a few times a year at the most.
Due to the fact that Black Chip Poker’s traffic has been increasing steadily over the past five years, they are currently the only online poker room in the United States that is able to provide significant prize pools. They have a player base that will consistently participate, often ranging from 300 to 1,000 players for standard tournaments, which is a very positive sign.
That’s right, Black Chip Poker, you’ve successfully erased the Statue of Liberty and cut me in half. Bravo!
The only poker sites that are accessible from the United States of America and that provide hyper-turbo winner-take-all Sit and Go’s with random rewards are Black Chip Poker and the Winning Network. The game is referred to as Jackpot Poker by Blackchip.
What exactly is going on behind the scenes of Black Chip Poker’s ostentatious tournament numbers?
If you ask a grizzled veteran of online poker, they will tell you that this is just a “get off my lawn” rant, but Black Chip Poker makes up a lot of their tournament stats. How?
According to a speedy mathematical review, re-buys are permitted in 88–90% of the tournaments hosted by Black Chip Poker. Compare this to a site in the United States such as Ignition, which displays the numbers in the opposite order.
I am aware that re-buys, lotteries, spins, add-ons, and the very fine line that exists between skill and luck in current online poker tournaments are all simply a normal aspect of the game. I am aware of that fact; nonetheless, I continue to dislike it.
Black Chip Poker is able to provide such generous guarantees due to the fact that they have a large number of “donks” who keep wagering money with their mouse fingers until they either hit a winning streak or run out of money. Players at Black Chip Poker that are serious about their game “had to” continue to take re-buys and add-ons in order to stay competitive. As a direct consequence of this, the buy-in figures are misleading, and the assurances are exaggerated.
The tournaments at Black Chip Poker are fantastic, especially if you don’t mind re-buys and could even find them appealing. They are chaotic, enormous, and wild in nature. Just bear in mind that you will probably wind up spending between two and three times the amount that is mentioned as the buy-in for each Black Chip Poker tournament.
You will have to play cash games at Black Chip Poker or participate in the once-in-a-blue-moon freezeouts if you have the same sensitivities as I do and enjoy slow and methodical tournaments.
4.5/5 Stars
The score of the tournament
The confinement and the freedom
In my review, I have a lot of positive things to say about Black Chip Poker, and one of them is how frequently they release new ideas. My favorite innovation from Black Chip Poker is a combination of a cash game and a tournament called the hybrid cash game/tournament. Black Chip Poker requires players to pay a specific buy-in for these games, just like they would for a tournament, and there are increasing degrees of blind play.
The best part is that each chip is actually worth a certain amount of money. You are required to play until the game is over, there is no opportunity to re-enter, and once it is over, you will be awarded monetary value proportional to the number of chips you have remaining in your stack. Black Chip Poker is the only site that offers this feature, therefore it is truly one of a kind. The main negative is that it only sometimes appears and that there is a limited range of buy-ins.
The Cage is a one-day-only event that costs $1,050 and takes place only on Wednesdays. In contrast, The Playpen costs only $10.50 and takes place only on Fridays.
The fact that incentives and player points at Black Chip Poker are determined by the rake that you individually contribute to each hand is one aspect that may help Black Chip Poker cash games become looser.
Scores for Black Chip Poker and Other Fish
In this day and age, coming up with an accurate Fish Rating review based on statistics is not a simple process. Poker websites aren’t making too many metrics visible to players anymore since we’ve entered the era of anti-HUD play, which is something I wholeheartedly embrace.
Black Chip Poker is unique in that it displays the identities of all players, along with the flop percentages and average pot sizes, prominently in the lobby for all to see.
The issue is that they aren’t accurate, which is something that I’ve seen for years when playing on the Winning Poker Network and Black Chip Poker.
This is an issue that has been around for a long time with Black Chip Poker. You will really see a flop percentage of one hundred percent, along with zero hands played each hour. 100 times the size of the large blind on average, with a 5% flip percentage. Calculations in the Blackchip program are incorrect, and this issue should have been rectified a long time ago.
The gist of the situation with the fish at Black Chip Poker
Despite all of this, Black Chip Poker does have a rather loose play style with above-average analytics. According to my statistics, the regular flop percentages at 9-seated tables are somewhere in the range of 25-30 percent, whereas 6-seated tables often see 30-40 percent. Because of this, Black Chip Poker is now in a fairly good position, and it is likely only second to Ignition in terms of having the loosest tables in the United States.
According to anecdotal evidence, I’ve discovered that the player population of the Black Chip Poker network is, on average, beatable, and I’m happy to include them in my cash game rotation.
As I mentioned in the review of the tournament section, Black Chip Poker tournaments frequently play out like a birthday party full of sugared-up five-year-olds. There are re-buys galore and all-in fests in hyper-turbo donkaments, and players are encouraged to bet everything they have on a single hand. It may appear to be too much, but in reality, if you are able to persevere through the preliminary rounds, the tournaments in particular may be some of the most lucrative opportunities available on the internet.
4/5 Stars
Evaluation of Fish
HUD Usage
The fact that Black Chip Poker and the Winning Poker Network as a whole have embraced heads-up displays is one of the things about which I strongly disagree with both of these entities (HUDs). Black Chip Poker is one of the few online poker sites that does not offer anonymous tables or the banning of table stats, which goes against the usual trend of other online poker sites.
In addition to this, they boast about their compatibility with HUDs such as Hold’em Manager and PokerTracker in their marketing materials. Excellent for grinders, but I have my reservations about their ability to keep their casual player base if they are involved in making casual players become targets. At some time in the future, I hope that Black Chip Poker will modify their stance on that matter.
When it comes to withdrawals from Black Chip Poker, I have nothing but positive things to say. They are quick and provide every payment method that one would want.
Withdrawals from the Black Chip Poker Table
It would appear that Black Chip Poker, along with the rest of the online poker site market, has finally realized that the quality of their payments determines how successful they are.
I’ve been incredibly impressed with how Black Chip Poker has handled payments, quietly surpassing just about everyone else in the US market. I would recommend them to anyone.
Black Chip Poker has never had me wait more than 48 hours to receive a Bitcoin payout, and I’ve often gotten it in less than 12 hours.
The only two things that seem a little bit fishy about Black Chip Poker are the restricted hours of the day during which you may request Bitcoin withdrawals (are you serious? ), and the additional confirmation email that you have to submit with larger winnings.
You Luddites who are still dealing with checks will have them within a week, if that’s how you do business. You may cut it in half through the use of cash transfer. I also really enjoy that Black Chip Poker provides a service for receiving payments on an ATM card. With this service, you can have your winnings instantly deposited onto your card so that you may withdraw cash.
5/5 Stars
The score for the payments at Black Chip Poker
If you’re still too lazy to figure out the magnificence of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin but want to play poker online, Black Chip Poker accepts credit cards and has built-in support for cash transfers.
Deposits Made with Black Chip Poker
You have any idea what it would mean to me to witness? Bitcoin is the only kind of currency accepted for deposits at popular poker sites like Black Chip Poker, which also pays out solely in Bitcoin.
If players at Black Chip Poker and elsewhere were required to use the absolute greatest deposit option that has ever been made available for online poker, you would eliminate every single deposit-related problem that has ever arisen.
Sadly, it will not be happening today. At Black Chip Poker, you can undoubtedly make deposits using Bitcoin, and the site has a minimum requirement of $25 for deposits.
Black chip deposit options from the good old days
Credit card deposits are accepted without any fees at Black Chip Poker, which also has a success rate that is somewhat higher than usual. For those of you who like the old-school method of doing things. According to my review, anywhere between sixty and seventy percent of card transactions will go through without being stopped.
Additionally, I appreciate that Black Chip Poker allows for direct financial transfers to be made using Western Union or MoneyGram. Transferring cash cannot be stopped, and you have complete discretion over which of your personal details are disclosed to the recipient. Black Chip Poker even boasts that they would cover the often considerable costs for deposits made via MoneyGram or Western Union that are more than $100 or more than $300, respectively.
Black Chip Poker provides the following e-wallets to players located in countries other than the United States:
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Instadebit
That wraps up the more reputable deposit options for poker players in the United States as well as the most prevalent options for players in every other region.
4.5/5 Stars
Deposits from Black Chip Poker get a score
Check the cash game and tournament action that is taking on at Black Chip Poker. It is rather astounding that there are at least $5/10 games going on around the clock, and that there are almost 2,000 players participating in the tournament.
Traffic involving Black Chip Poker
Black Chip Poker is a great example of how to organically increase the number of poker players by continually and steadily improving the site.
In 2013, when Black Chip Poker was gaining a lot of traction as one of the few quality US alternatives, I started considering the Black Chip Poker network seriously for the first time. Since that time, I have been a loyal player at Black Chip Poker.
Black Chip Poker is now ranked in the top 10 worldwide for online poker player traffic, with an average of 1,000 to 1,500 players participating in cash game poker and larger tournaments attracting twice as many participants.
To what extent, exactly? The cash tables at Black Chip Poker, up to and including the $5/10 level, will be active for the entirety of the day. Sit and Go tournaments at Black Chip Poker reach the $20 level in a matter of minutes and the $100 heads-up level in the same amount of time.
That is very reliable, and I can honestly say that I have never once thought to myself, “Self, I wish Black Chip Poker had more players.” These poker tables might as well be abandoned cities.” Contrary to claims made by several of Black Chip Poker’s rivals, this is not the case.
Black Poker Poker for US Players
Black Chip Poker welcomes all real-money players from the United States and, in fact, caters particularly to those customers. Only residents of jurisdictions that have strict regulations, such as Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, are unable to open Black Chip accounts.
The Winning Poker Network is one of only three US-friendly networks that I trust and which receives a sufficient amount of traffic. The other two are BetOnline and Bovada.
4.5/5 Stars
The score of the player’s traffic
Even if some of the pre-programmed live chat replies aren’t very good, Black Chip Poker at least provides this feature in addition to a phone number.
Assistance from Black Chip Poker
If you’ve ever read one of my reviews for Beat the Fish, you already know how I feel about player support: you can’t get a high score unless you have all three of the following:
- Telephone
- Real-Time Chat
Black Chip Poker is able to get through that first obstacle. What about putting your nose to the test?
Phone service is available around the clock and appears to be managed in-house at Black Chip Poker, or at the very least on the Winning Poker Network, rather than being contracted out to a third party. Check. Naturally, the network would be thrilled to assist players in making deposits at whatever cost possible.
My favorite aspect about live chat that is antisocial? It may be found at Black Chip Poker, despite the fact that it is inaccessible during some times of the day, and it typically gives replies that are vague and cryptic. Semi-check.
The final recourse of electronic mail? I didn’t have to wait more than an hour for responses. It’s quite decent, but there’s room for improvement.
They have the steak and all the fixings, however the meat could be cooked more to the customer’s liking.
4/5 Stars
The score for player support
Final Thoughts on the Black Chip Poker Review
In conclusion, my review of Black Chip Poker demonstrates that this is most definitely one of the few legitimate online poker sites that players from the United States have the option of selecting from. Black Chip Poker is part of the Winning Poker Network, which is known for its high volume of players and its extensive array of tournaments. No mobile software and a subpar deposit bonus stick out, but Blackchip is one of the best poker room alternatives for online players.
3.7/5
Aces:
- Number Two in Player Traffic in the USA
- A number of the major online tournaments, with prize pools of up to one million dollars guaranteed
- Outstanding payment system, boasting among of the shortest turnaround times in the industry
Deuces:
- There is no software for Macs or mobile devices (seriously)
- Re-entries are permitted in around ninety percent of all tournaments.
- Vouchsafes the use of the HUD.
