Black Chip Poker review

Our Complete Review of Black Chip Poker

Black Chip Poker is an online poker room on the Winning Poker Network. It was founded in 2009 as part of the Merge Network until 2011, when it joined the Winning Poker Network to serve US players looking for a new place to play after the Black Friday shutdown. It quickly established a solid reputation and remains one of the top choices for American players looking to play online poker.

Black Chip spreads a wide variety of game formats and poker variants, so whether you're an experienced tournament grinder or someone looking to play some cash games on the weekend, Black Chip Poker is sure to have a game for you. Both US and international players are welcome, and for the average player looking for a game, it's an excellent choice.

Software

There have certainly been some issues with the Black Chip Poker software in the past, but it was updated in 2019 and things have been much better since. The lobby is laid out so everything is easy to find and access, and filters let you show your favorite games and hide the ones you're not interested in. Promotional material is very limited, with just a small banner at the bottom of the lobby.

The software also boasts some other great features, such as:

• Blitz / Fast Fold Poker
• Fun, Dynamic Avatars
• Auto Top Off Settings
• Set Preferred Seating
• Preset Bet Size Buttons
• Synchronized Tournament Breaks
• Jackpot Sit & Go's
• 6 Max / Full Ring
• Cap & Short Tables

Player Traffic

Black Chip Poker joined the Winning Poker Network back in 2012, quickly gained traction, and built a solid reputation as a site for American players. It offers a wide range of poker games and formats and has more than enough traffic that you can usually find a game at most stakes.

At the time of our review, Black Chip Poker ranked in the top 10 for global online poker traffic, with an average of 1,200 cash game players online at a time and some tournaments drawing upwards of 3,000 entries.

You will usually be able to find NLH and PLO action all the way up to mid-stakes at most times of the day, although morning hours can be a bit slow. High-stakes action is hit or miss, but the $50/$100 game runs pretty regularly.

Games Spread

Black Chip Poker spreads a wide variety of poker games and formats. You can find cash games, multi-table tournaments, sit & go tournaments, and Jackpot Poker tournaments. Micro- to mid-stakes games usually run around the clock, so you can almost always count on a game to your liking.

Big Tournament Guarantees

If you are a tournament player, you are in luck. Black Chip Poker has one of the best weekly schedules and some of the biggest guarantees. It is home of The Venom, a $6,000,000 GTD tournament that ran in December 2019, with the winner taking home $1,039,982.

Here are some of the best tournament highlights on Black Chip Poker:

• Over $3.8 million in tournament guarantees every week
• A daily High Roller with a $530 buy-in
• A daily $25K guaranteed with a $215 buy-in
• Sunday warm-up with $150,000 guaranteed
• Sunday Special Main Event with $200,000 guaranteed
• Freezeouts

Real Money Banking Options

Black Chip Poker accepts real money play from US players and makes it easy for them to get money on and off the site. Here are the most used methods.

Black Chip Poker Deposit Options for US Players

• Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency: All players on Black Chip Poker can deposit using a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. It currently accepts deposits in more than 70 cryptocurrencies. There is a $10 minimum deposit and a $25,000 maximum for Bitcoin and some alt-coins, with some coins having smaller limits. This is the method we recommend, as it's free, fast, and secure.
• Credit/Debit Cards: Players can also deposit using a credit or debit card. Black Chip currently accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Even though these are accepted, they won't always work, because the transaction is often declined by the card issuer. There are also fees to deposit by card, so we do not recommend this option unless you have no other choice.
• Money Transfer: Another way to get money onto Black Chip Poker is a money transfer service. Deposits of $50 to $500 are currently accepted via MoneyGram. We do not recommend this method unless you have no other choice, because of the high fees and the extended time it takes.
• Player to Player Transfer: One final option is to have another player transfer funds from their player account to yours. You may choose to do this with a close friend, or visit one of the online marketplaces, such as the one on 2+2, and find someone selling Black Chip funds. If you trade with someone online, ALWAYS do your due diligence and make sure they have a good reputation for buying and selling player funds. While this method is quick and reasonably safe if you know the person, we do not recommend it unless you really don't have other options or you know the person you are trading with in real life.

Black Chip Poker Withdrawal Options for US Players

• Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency: The best way to cash out your winnings is Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is the one we usually recommend, as it is the most widely used and the easiest to trade, but if you have reason to choose another alt-coin, please do. The minimum withdrawal is $50 and the maximum is $10,000. Withdrawals are processed Monday through Friday, 7am to 7pm EST, and Black Chip is pretty good about processing most of them within 48 hours.
• Money Transfer: Black Chip Poker players can also withdraw through a money transfer service. MoneyGram is currently available, with a $100 minimum and a $350 maximum withdrawal. There is also a $60 fee for this method, so we cannot recommend it.
• Check in the Mail: Some Black Chip players may be able to withdraw their winnings by check in the mail. The minimum check payout is $100 and the maximum is $1,500. Black Chip processes one check payout per week and sends one free check per 30-day period, with additional checks costing $65 each. We do not recommend this method unless you have no other options. You may have trouble depositing the check, your bank may place an extended hold on it, and there have even been rare cases of people having their bank accounts closed for cashing a check related to online gambling.
• Player to Player Transfer: The last method is probably better suited to more experienced players. It involves selling your funds for real money and then transferring funds from your player account to the buyer's. You can sell to a close friend or try one of the online marketplaces, like the one on 2+2. Always do your due diligence on the person you are trading with. Once you send player funds from your account, it will be difficult to get them back if anything goes wrong.

Withdrawals are processed Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm central time.

Sign-Up Bonus

New players on Black Chip Poker are eligible for the new player welcome bonus: a 100% match on your initial deposit up to $1,000. If you want a bigger bonus, deposit using a cryptocurrency and you will receive an amazing 200% match on your initial deposit up to $1,000. You simply will not find a better bonus than this.

Black Chip Poker also runs reload bonuses several times a year for existing players looking to cash in on a little extra.

Claiming your sign-up bonus is easy: create your new account and make sure you enter the code tbpsRB when signing up to get your bonus.

Rewards & Promotions

If you are looking for great rewards and promotions, look no further: Black Chip Poker has you covered on both. For rewards, players can choose between Elite Benefits and 27% rakeback. For promotions, check out the weekly Beast and Sit & Crush races.

Elite Benefits

Elite Benefits is Black Chip Poker's VIP points program and the default rewards program new players are enrolled in when they sign up. You accumulate points based on how much you rake, and as you generate more points you move up levels that bring better rewards and incentives. You can then trade your points for cash and tournament seats. We do not recommend Elite Benefits unless you are a serious grinder who rakes more than $18,000 a year.

Rakeback

Black Chip Poker also offers rewards in the form of rakeback, which is a percentage back of the total rake you paid. Black Chip Poker offers a very generous 27% rakeback, so if you rake $100, you receive $27 back. You can claim your rakeback every 24 hours in the rewards section of the poker client. To be enrolled in rakeback, contact Black Chip Poker and ask to be switched. Be aware that you can only change your rewards program once, so once you enroll in rakeback you will always get rakeback. New players can also enter a bonus code at signup to be enrolled in the rakeback program automatically.

Elite vs Rakeback

If you are still unsure which rewards program is most beneficial for you, don't sweat it. We took all the data and ran calculations at every level to find out which program generates the most rewards, and most players benefit most from rakeback. To earn more through Elite Benefits, you would have to reach the level of General, which means raking $18,181 in a single year, and for the average player that simply isn't realistic.

Sit & Crush

Black Chip Poker is home of Sit & Crush, a weekly progressive race for Sit & Go players. It runs each week from Saturday at 12:00am until the following Friday at 11:59pm EST. Players receive points for every Sit & Go, Jackpot Poker, and On-Demand tournament they enter, and results in the tournament are irrelevant for the promotion. If you climb to the top, you can win cash prizes of up to $1,250 every week as well as tournament entries.

The Beast

If you are a cash game player looking for a juicy promotion, look no further than The Beast, Black Chip Poker's weekly progressive cash game race. It runs every week from Saturday at 12:00am until the following Friday at 11:59pm EST. To compete, just sit down at a cash game table and start playing. You accumulate points as you play, and if you earn enough, you can win a cash prize of $2,500 per week as well as tournament entries.

Mobile

Unfortunately, Black Chip Poker does not currently support mobile play. If you would still like to play on the Winning Poker Network from your mobile device, we strongly recommend Americas Cardroom. You can find our full review here.

Safety & Security

When it comes to playing online poker, safety and security should be at the top of your list when choosing a room. As part of the Winning Poker Network, Black Chip Poker maintains an excellent level of player safety and security. There have been some bumps along the way, but at the end of the day Black Chip Poker has always paid out and kept its players safe.

By using military-grade encryption on all its software and cashier systems, Black Chip has maintained an excellent level of safety and security, never having a security breach and always protecting player information. A security team on staff constantly reviews hands and player behavior to spot malicious activity. If anything doesn't seem normal, they investigate and confiscate the player's balance if they find something malicious like botting or collusion.

The random number generator used by Black Chip Poker is certified by iTech Labs, an ISO/IEC 17025 certified testing laboratory for online gaming systems.

Customer Support

Taking everything into consideration, Black Chip Poker has pretty good customer support. Players can contact them by phone, by live chat, or through the contact form on their website. Telephone support is available 24/7, but if you call at odd hours you may get stuck waiting for someone to answer. Live chat is also available, but only during normal business hours. Contact form messages are usually answered within 48 hours. One thing to note is that you will usually be speaking with someone who speaks English as a second language, so there may be a bit of a language barrier when you explain your issue. It's best to use simple, easy-to-understand wording and not get frustrated.

Conclusion

For online poker players in the United States, Black Chip Poker is an excellent choice, especially for more experienced players looking to put in volume. It has a great tournament schedule with big guarantees, cash games at most stakes run at most times of the day, and it has one of the best bonus and rewards programs in the US market. Another, and the most important, point about Black Chip Poker is that it has always paid out, so you can be sure to collect when you hit that big score. Sign up HERE (opens in a new tab) to receive a 200% match bonus of up to $1,000 when you deposit with Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency.

Frequently Asked Questions about Black Chip Poker

Is Black Chip Poker legit?

While not officially licensed and regulated in the United States, Black Chip Poker is as legit as they come. Since joining the Winning Poker Network in 2012, it has remained one of the leading sites serving US players. The most important thing about an online poker room is whether you can get paid, and Black Chip Poker has always paid. It has room for improvement in some areas, but overall it is one of the best choices for American online poker players.

How is Black Chip Poker legal?

There is a lot of talk about whether online poker is legal, with some people believing it is illegal. This simply isn't true: there are no federal laws that prohibit a person in the United States from playing online poker. The state of Washington has a law that prohibits a person from engaging in online gambling, but to this date there have been zero cases of anyone in the US being prosecuted for playing online poker.

How can I deposit onto Black Chip Poker?

Black Chip Poker has several deposit options, but the method we recommend most is a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Cryptocurrency is fast, safe, secure, not tied to your personal accounts, and gets you a 200% match bonus compared with 100% for other deposit methods. If you don't want to use cryptocurrency, you may be able to use a credit or debit card or a money transfer service like MoneyGram. These methods have higher fees, may not always work, or may take longer than cryptocurrency. Basically, we recommend cryptocurrency for all banking related to online poker.

Can US players play on Black Chip Poker?

Absolutely. Black Chip Poker has served US online poker players since 2012 and doesn't look like it plans on stopping anytime soon.

How do I download Black Chip Poker?

To download the Black Chip Poker client, click this link (opens in a new tab) and select the Windows or Mac download, depending on your computer. Once it's downloaded, install it as you would any other program, create your new account (make sure you enter the bonus code to receive your bonus), make a deposit, and play. The total time from download to play is about 15 minutes when you deposit with cryptocurrency.

Does Black Chip Poker have a mobile app?

Black Chip Poker does not have a mobile app, and you cannot play on your mobile device through a web browser as you can on other rooms. If you are looking for a mobile-friendly room, check out Americas Cardroom or Ignition Casino. Both offer mobile play and are top recommended sites.

How do I play Black Chip Poker on an iPad?

Unfortunately, there is no way to play Black Chip Poker on your iPad. You can, however, play on your iPad at Americas Cardroom or Ignition Casino, both top sites in the American market.

How do I install Black Chip Poker on a Mac?

If you are a Mac user who wants to play on Black Chip Poker, click this link (opens in a new tab), select the Mac download, and install the program as you usually would. When signing up, don't forget to use the code tbpsRB to receive your 100% match bonus (200% when using crypto) up to $1,000.

Can I use a HUD on Black Chip Poker?

If you want to use a HUD while playing on Black Chip Poker, you are in luck. It currently supports Poker Tracker 4, Holdem Manager 2 & 3, Drive HUD, and Hand2Note.

What games are offered on Black Chip Poker?

When it comes to game selection, Black Chip Poker is one of the best US online poker rooms.

There are tournaments for all levels, with buy-ins from $0.10 all the way up to $2,650.

Sit & Go players will find single-table and multi-table Sit & Go's ranging from $1.50 to $520, spread in both NLH and PLO formats.

For American online cash game players, Black Chip Poker has some of the best action around.

You will find NLH and PLO games at the following blinds:

• 0.01/0.02
• 0.02/0.05
• 0.10/0.20
• 0.25/0.50
• 0.50/1
• 1/2
• 2/4
• 3/6
• 5/10
• 10/20
• 15/30
• 25/50
• 50/100

Limit Omaha games are spread at the following blinds:

• 0.02/0.04
• 0.05/0.10
• 0.10/0.20
• 0.25/0.50
• 0.50/1
• 1/2
• 2/4
• 3/6
• 5/10
• 10/20
• 15/30
• 20/40
• 30/60
• 40/80
• 75/150

Limit 7 Card Stud games are offered at the following blind levels:

• 0.04/0.08
• 0.40/0.80
• 1/2
• 2/4
• 4/8
• 5/10
• 10/20
• 20/40
• 30/60
• 40/80

Black Chip Poker also offers a fast-fold format it calls Blitz Poker. NLH games are spread at both 6-max and heads-up tables at the blind levels below:

• 0.05/0.10
• 0.10/0.25
• 0.25/0.50
• 0.50/1
• 1/2

If you're a bit of a gambler, maybe Jackpot Sit & Go's are for you. They are 3-handed, hyper-turbo Sit & Go's where the winner takes all. The prize amount is random and determined before the start of each tournament, ranging from 2x the buy-in all the way to 2,500x the buy-in. Think of these like scratch-offs: you will most likely be playing for 2x to 4x the buy-in, but you may get a shot at a huge payout. Jackpot Sit & Go's are offered at the following buy-in levels:

• $2: max prize of $5,000
• $10: max prize of $25,000
• $25: max prize of $62,500
• $40: max prize of $100,000

For more information about Jackpot Sit & Go's on Black Chip Poker, click here (opens in a new tab).