$2,000
Use bonus code 'BEAST'
- Rakeback Up to 60% Elite VIP / Fixed 27%
- Extra $500 Exclusive Freeroll
- Part of the Winning Poker Network
Highlights
- Part of the Winning Poker Network
- Huge first deposit bonus up to $2,000
- Several millions in guaranteed tournaments monthly
- Great alternative for US players
Poker room details
- Network: Independent
- License: Costa Rica
- Founded in: 2001
- Website: blackchippoker.eu
- Email: [email protected]
Payment methods
Games and formats
HOLDEM
PLO
SNG
MTT
7 Card Stud
Blitz
Jackpot Poker
Black Chip Poker Review
Black Chip Poker is a part of the Winning Poker Network that originally began life as the Merge Gaming Network way back in 2001. The poker site is predominantly a European online poker room serving Europe and the poker scene in USA.
Although the brand is based in San José, Costa Rica, it has a global reach with players across Europe. The Winning Poker Network also ran several other rooms at the time including DSI Poker, Casual Poker, and Aloha Poker but Black Chip’s most notable stablemate was, and still is Americas Cardroom.
In fact, as part of the same network, Black Chip Poker shares player liquidity with ACR making it one of the busiest online poker rooms in the US.
Today Black Chip Poker runs on software supplied by SJH Studio. Prior to this all of the Winning Poker Network’s skins ran on IGSoft and before that Dobrosoft.
While Black Chip Poker has never really been what you might call a household name, the brand has created a good reputation for itself particularly among online poker grinders who like the site due to its policy of allowing HUDs. To help you choose whether to play at BCP, let’s dive further into our Black Chip Poker review and see how it does in each important area:
How to sign up
It’s super simple. Just follow these steps.
- Clear your cookies.
- Head to Black Chip Poker.
- Download and install the software.
- Open up and click on ‘Create New Account’.
- Enter your nickname.
- Enter your verification code sent to your email.
- Choose a password.
- Make a deposit.
- Play some poker!
Like we said, super simple.
Welcome bonus
With Black Chip Poker being part of the WPN aka Winning Poker Network, it’s no surprise that you get the exact same welcome bonus as new players on Americas Cardroom — a first deposit 100% match welcome bonus of up to $2,000.
There are no codes required, you simply make your first deposit of over $25 and your bonus is added directly to your account.
The bonus is then released in $1 batches for every 27.5 Benefit Points earned through the Elite Benefits Loyalty program. You can earn these player points at a rate of 5.5 points for every $1 in fees or rake paid.
But before you make that deposit, just be aware that your bonus will only match your first deposit. So if you want to take advantage of that incredible offer, you’ll need to deposit $2,000 right off the bat.
Whatever amount you decide to deposit, you’ll have 60 days to make use of the bonus.
Why is Black Chip Poker so popular?
Black Chip Poker is quite starting to grow in popularity and it’s not because of that nice welcome bonus.
Here are some of the real reasons why players love the skin:
- Decent traffic
- Impressive guarantees
- Wide range of poker tournaments
- Cryptocurrency support
- Flat rakeback rate of 27%
- Jackpot Poker
Black Chip Poker UI
Black Chip Poker is much the same as ACR (surprise, surprise!) and that means that you get a solid client that isn’t much to get excited about but that does the job that it’s supposed to do.
The seemingly endless customization options are pretty cool but not it’s just eye candy, right? However, the lobby is quite easy to navigate and everything you need is simple enough to find.
Since the Winning Poker Network made the change to SJH software, the brand now offers support for Mac and mobile devices. Interestingly, this is where the brand was way behind its competitors for many years, but now Black Chip Poker mobile version is available on both iOS and Android.
We like the sharp graphics and the avatars but there are still a few glitches here and there such as the fact that the waiting list doesn’t always work correctly. Yet, we’d say the mobile device version is worth trying out if you’re on the move a lot!
Overall we’d still give this software a solid 7/10.
Traffic overview and games
Believe it or not, Black Chip Poker is one of the top 10 poker sites in the world for player traffic. The peak player numbers are around 1,000 – 1,500 a day and that can double when the big poker tournaments come up (more on them in the promotions and campaigns section).
This great traffic is because of the shared poker player pool with Americas Cardroom and other poker sites in the Winning Poker Network. The poker tables are usually full within minutes especially for Sit & Gos.
So we know the traffic is good but what about those real money cash games & tourneys?
You have No-Limit Texas Hold’em at the top of the tree as the standout most popular poker games. These are popular from micro stakes all the way up to $5/$10. Real money games of Pot Limit Omaha and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo are also popular enough but Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo cash game tables can be like ghost towns.
Players can also play Black Chip Poker’s version of fast-fold poker called Blitz Poker. It’s fast (as it should be) and pretty much the standard fast-fold format of No-Limit Hold’em you’ll find at many online poker sites.
Then there’s Jackpot Poker that uses a randomized multiplier that can see the prize pools multiplied anywhere from two times right up to 2,500 times the buy-in. Black Chip Poker tournaments have decent guaranteed prize pools as well.
There’s also a feature called the Maximizer that allows you to play as many as 10 Jackpot tables at a time. Naturally, there are also satellites to live poker events on the platform to cater to those who like playing poker at live casinos.
Can you use tracking software such as HUD?
Yes, you can. This is one of the main attractions of Black Chip Poker for grinders who are accustomed to poker tools like trackers. The ability to use HUDs like Holdem Manager 3 can make this a haven for sharks but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re looking to improve your game. That said, you won’t find too many soft poker games if you’re just looking for some relaxing online poker.
Rake and rakeback
The rake for most game formats at Black Chip Poker is set at 5%.
Now, for the interesting part — Black Chip Poker offers a flat rakeback rate of 27%. THis is available to everyone on the site and is paid out weekly. You can see how much rakeback you have earned in your account.
BUT, you have to decide between the Black Chip Poker rakeback deal or to join the Elite Benefits program.
The Elite Benefits Loyalty levels are a little different to those at ACR where they have a military flavor. Here, they’re pretty simple and very poker-oriented.
The levels are as follows:
Player — 0 BP
Rounder — 750 BP
Grinder — 3,000 BP
Veteran — 7,500 BP
Legend — 100,000 BP
Icon — 1,000,000 BP
The top four levels are based on monthly benefits points (BP) totals while Legend and Icon levels are based on yearly totals.
If you want to change from the rakeback deal to the loyalty program or vice versa, you do so only once.
Restrictions
Players on Black Chip Poker must be 18 or older or above the legal age for gambling in their home nation. That means that most US residents will need to be 21 or older.
Does Black Chip Poker accept players from every country then? There are some limitations in place, as players from the following locations cannot play on Black Chip Poker:
Sweden, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Mayotte, Réunion, Martinique, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Australia, or states in the USA that have regulated online poker industries such as Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
It’s important to note that the restrictions above can and do change from time to time so you’ll need to double check the restrictions on the BlackChip poker website.
Promotions and campaigns
Black Chip Poker offers a ton of promotions that make it really worth your while.
For a start, there’s that 100% first deposit bonus up to $2,000 and new player $250 freerolls. There are also $50 freerolls that take place throughout the day.
The poker tournament schedule & offering is up to par with the best operators in the online poker industry. There’s a weekly leaderboard called The Beast that takes a small percentage of every rake and puts it toward a weekly prize pool. The top 800 players of the week are lucky enough to win some cash prizes and tickets to tournaments. For people who like rake races, there are separate races for both cash tables and SNGs.
The biggest poker tournaments though are The Venom. These tournaments have massive guarantees. The most recent had a guarantee of $8 million and the winning prize of $1 million. Not bad at all.
There’s also the usual Sit & Go tournaments and a few Cyclone Blitz tournaments. There’s even a Sit and Crush Leaderboard that rewards players for entering Sit & Gos.
Deposits and withdrawals
Now, this is where Black Chip Poker stands out from the crowd. The deposit and withdrawal options are pretty standard, including credit cards and e-wallets, but for one notable addition.
Deposit options include:
- Mastercard
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Visa
- Bitcoin
Yes, that’s Bitcoin!
Withdrawal options are pretty much the same:
- Mastercard
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Visa
- Bitcoin
The addition of Bitcoin has made this one of the best poker sites for payment methods particularly for those players that like a bit of anonymity when moving their money around. It has also made payouts lightning fast for those that are using cryptocurrencies.
Pro's comments
“The poker software is smooth. You have nice action on those rathole tables with max buy-in of 10bb, meaning you can’t reset your stack without taking 7 days off from the table. Many players are sitting with 500bb stacks mixed with some tiny stacks, creating lots of action. Bitcoin is available as a deposit option which is always great!”
– Beasts of Poker Pro Team
Black Chip Poker FAQ
Black Chip Poker room is run by Winning Poker Network which runs the oldest US poker sites still in operation. The brand has a solid reputation for paying out on time and taking good care of its customers. They’re licensed in the jurisdiction of Costa Rica.
Black Chip Poker has an astounding rakeback deal of 27% across the board. This is one of the best deals you’ll find in the industry. But players must choose between the rakeback deal or the Elite Benefits program. It makes more sense for a recreational poker player to opt for the rakeback deal as it offers the best value.
Black Chip Poker offers a 100% first deposit bonus of up to $2,000. This is automatically added to a new player’s account after a first deposit of $25 or more and is valid for 60 days. $1 of the bonus is released for every 27.5 BP the player earns.
Yes, Black Chip Poker is legal in the USA. However players in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, State of Maryland, State of New Jersey, State of Delaware, State of Nevada, or Washington State are prohibited from downloading or using the software.
Black Chip Poker holds a gaming license recognized by the Canadian gaming authorities. So yes, Balck Chip Poker is legal in Canada.
Yes, Black Chip Poker is legal in the United Kingdom.
Black Chip Poker shares a player base with ACR and so traffic and player numbers are pretty good.
Daily highs for cash players hover around the 1,000 -1,500 mark while this figure can double during larger tournaments such as the million dollar events.
In other words, Black Chip Poker is one of the busiest online poker rooms in the USA.
Black Chip Poker belongs to the Winning Poker Network (also known as Yatahay) which was founded in 2001 under the name of My Poker Network. This is one of the oldest online poker networks in the world and has a good reputation for solid traffic numbers.
Yes, you can. Until very recently, Black Chip Poker was limited to a Windows desktop client. However, in recent years the brand has moved to a new software provider and now has both iOS and Android apps along with a Mac client for Apple users.
Only some of the biggest poker tournaments in the USA if not the world! Black Chip Poker along with ACR is one of the only online poker sites that can legitimately compete with PokerStars for consistent million-dollar events.
Yes, Black Chip Poker along with its sister poker site ACR allows the use of HUDs. This makes the poker room a hugely popular one with poker grinders and pros.
Black Chip Poker has stellar customer support with a live chat function that offers response times that are more or less instant. You can also email the customer service at [email protected] or use the sites contact form to request a callback. Callbacks are usually within 15-60 minutes while emails may take a little longer to get a response from.
The Black Chip Poker website has a nifty FAQ page that features some short videos that answer some of the most common questions you may have.
Author
Beasts Of Poker
Editorial team curates and publishes in-depth reviews and ratings of online poker sites by using their extensive industry experience. Content is created by both in-house team of experts and outside authority contributors.
Our rating
Pros
- Suitable for grinders
- Great tournament options
- Huge prize pools (million-dollar tournaments)
- Excellent payment options
Cons
- Allows HUDs (not great for casual players)
- A lot of tournaments support re-entry
Exclusive games
- Flip & Go
- All-in or Fold
- Rush & Cash
- Spin & Gold
Platforms
Payment methods
- Mastercard
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Visa
- Bitcoin
Restricted countries
Sweden, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Mayotte, Réunion, Martinique, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Australia, or states in the USA that have regulated online poker industries such as Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
