Black Chip Poker

Black Chip Poker is one of the fastest growing poker rooms that accepts players from every part of the world, including the USA. They are a member of the Winning Poker Network, which is one the leaders in the poker industry, especially when it comes to security and player safety. However, this is by no means a badge of honour, as many poker websites are a part of some amazing poker network but have terrible reviews.

That is why in this Black Chip Poker review, I will try to go over every important feature of this online poker platform, giving you my honest opinion. So, let’s not waste any more time, and get straight to the main course.

How good is the competition

Black Chip is not the oldest or the biggest poker platform on the market, but they have grown a lot since they joined Winning Poker Network in 2012. Today, Black Chip has a lot of active players at any given time. They organise real money games and tournaments for both casual and veteran players. So, regardless of what skill level you are, you will have a great time playing at Black Chip Poker tables.

Game Formats

When it comes to game formats, Black Chip offers pretty much every variation of poker. That means you will be able to play Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, and 32 Card Draw. However, keep in mind that some of these formats are more or less popular, so you might have trouble finding games at certain hours. Fortunately, I haven’t experienced this type of problem that often.

Poker tournaments

If you are looking for some tournament action, you will be pleased to hear that Black Chip offers something for everyone. Yes, both newbies and professionals will be able to find tournaments suitable to their skill level. Black Chip organises a wide variety of tournaments, so let’s highlight some of the most popular formats.

Sit & Go tournaments

This type of tournament doesn’t have a specific starting time. Black Chip organises them throughout the whole day, so when the required number of players joins a Sit & Go tournament, the action can begin. There can be a minimum of two players and a maximum of twelve in a single Sit & Go tournament.

Knock out tournaments

This is an interesting tournament format. Before the tournament starts, Black Chip will assign a bounty for players to knock out. The first player that manages to do so will get the pre-set cash reward. This creates an interesting gameplay dynamic where players are encouraged to take risks instead of playing it safe.

Final table tournaments

If you want to experience a tournament final, then this is the format for you. A maximum of nine players can join a single Final table tournament, and all of them will receive a stack of 1,000,000 chips. Learning how to manage huge stacks is a skill that all serious poker players should learn, and you can do that by paying as little as $1 per buy-in for Final table tournaments.

Re-buy tournaments

Once you lose all of your chips that means you are out of the tournament. Well, in most cases you are, but not in Re-buy tournaments. This tournament format will allow you to buy additional chips if you run out of them, or you just want to increase your stack size. Of course, there is a limited time for re-buys, so pay close attention. Additionally, because players are allowed to re-buy chips, the tournament prize remains unknown until all re-buys are over.

Multi-tabling

Today, most players are used to playing at more than one table simultaneously. That is why many popular poker rooms offer the so-called multi-tabling. Fortunately, Black Chip offers this feature as well. If you enjoy playing on multiple tables simultaneously, then prepare to be amazed because Black Chip will let you play at 24 tables at a time. If this is not enough action for you, then I don’t know what is.

Bonus details

Now that you know what cash games and tournaments are available in Black Chip Poker rooms, let’s see what bonuses and promotions they offer. Frankly, this is usually the most interesting part of the review for new players. Starting a brand new online poker account without sinking in a lot of money is hard. Sure, online poker companies won’t gift you free money, but promotions and bonuses will at least give you a nice bump while playing.

First Deposit Bonus

Black Chip has a standard Welcome bonus or, as they call it, a ‘First Deposit’ bonus. You will receive a 100% bonus up to $1,000 on your first deposit, and you will have 60 days to clear it. Yes, you won’t get the whole bonus upfront. Instead, you will have to play real money games and earn Black Chip’s loyalty points to release the bonus.

If you are new to online poker gaming, and this sounds like a shady deal, don’t worry. This is standard practice for Welcome bonuses, and active players will be able to clear it. Finally, if you want to receive the first deposit bonus, you won’t have to type in a Black Chip Poker promo code or anything like that. Just make your first deposit $25 or more, and you are good to go.

The Beast

Black Chip is currently running an awesome promotion named ‘The Beast’. Every player that plays real money cash games is “feeding” the Beast and earning leader board points. The best part is that point distribution is not tied to winning or losing. Instead, stake levels determine how many points someone receives. Each Monday cash prizes and tournament tickets are given away to the players based on their leader board positions. The Beast event lasts all week from Saturday to Friday. This promotion is an awesome way to reward dedicated players.

Gaming technology

So far, Black Chip seems like a premium online poker platform. They offer a huge variety of games and tournaments, they have a healthy player base, and they shower their players with interesting promotions and bonuses. Unfortunately, this is where the fun stops.

One would think that after the Black Chip Poker network change, they would get a software update. Sadly, they didn’t. In fact, today is October 2017, and Black Chip still doesn’t have a client for Mac users. Yes, you’ve heard it right. Black Chip is only available on Windows devices.

Sure, the software looks nice, and it works impeccably. Is Black Chip Poker down often? No, it’s not. Their servers run 24/7 without any slowdowns or hiccups. However, the lack of compatibility is unacceptable in this day and age.

Instant play and mobile support

Another huge letdown is the lack of Black Chip Poker mobile and instant play options. Even when poker platforms don’t have a dedicated mobile app, they usually have an instant play version. This means players can play straight from the browser on their smartphones and tablets.

However, Black Chip doesn’t offer this option either. Maybe this only bothers me, but I cannot understand why a company with as good a reputation as Black Chip would neglect mobile play completely. We can only hope that they will add this essential feature soon.

Deposit methods

Having many deposit options opens your services to a wide range of players. Because Black Chip is a global poker platform, they went out of their way to offer as many payment methods as possible. Naturally, some options will be locked based on your location, but in general, you can use all types of credit and debit cards (debit only for UK players), popular e-wallets, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Withdrawal methods

As for the Black Chip Poker withdrawal methods, they are spectacular as well. E-wallet, check, direct money transfer, debit card, and Bitcoin are your available withdrawal methods, and they are all secure and reliable. Just keep in mind that the amount that you can withdraw at once and the time that it takes to receive the payment depends solely on what method you chose.

Security of the poker site

Security is the biggest reasons for the Black Chip Poker network change. Winning Poker Network is almost exclusively known for their secure and reliable services. All poker websites under their wing use the latest security measures. When playing at Black Chip Poker tables, all of your data and online transactions are going to remain under an SSL encryption at all times.

Customer support

Black Chip Poker customer service is nothing less than excellent. They will be at your service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So, in case of an emergency, don’t hesitate to contact them. Some very friendly and nice people work there. You can use Live Chat, telephone (1-877-314-4195), and email ([email protected]) to contact them. Don’t worry, all three ways are effective, and you will get a response as soon as possible.

Pros

• US players accepted
• Large variety of game and tournament formats
• Part of the Winning Poker Network
• Healthy player base
• Tons of deposit and withdrawal options

Cons

• Outdated software
• Lack of compatibility
• No instant play version

Conclusion

So, is Black Chip Poker legit and should you give it a shot? Well, it depends on what you are looking for. If you don’t plan to play on your mobile device and Mac computer, then sure, go for it. However, if you are like me and want to play your poker on the go, then you are better off signing up to some other poker platform. Other than this not so little flaw, Black Chip offers an amazing product overall.

Poker sites in the UK love to pit Black Chip Poker vs American Cardroom, but I won’t do that. This is a Black Chip Poker review only, and I will talk about American Cardroom on a separate occasion. Until then, let me know what you think about Black Chip Poker. Do you agree with what I had to say? Do you maybe have something to add? Feel free to leave a comment down below.