Blackchip Poker Review

Black Chip poker is one of the largest skins on the Winning Poker Network. The Winning Poker Network is the second largest United States eligible site, making players from the biggest market in the world able to play. The large player base makes BlackChip an exciting option for players from around the world, because it offers great values and action for all forms of poker. There are a large variety of games to choose from so you can get your fix regardless of what your favorite game is. Sit and goes go off regularly, as well as a big roster of guaranteed cash prize tournaments. The network also offers the biggest guarantee prize tournaments that players  from the United States can play online.

Cash games are always going on, with a large number of tables to choose from all the way from the micros to mid-stakes. Even high rollers will find action at the cash tables, with big money tables running regularly. Players are now able to deposit and with draw with bitcoin as well, a great convenience for players wishing to move their money easily. The biggest value of Black Chip poker is however, are the industry best promotions they offer. These are bankroll building programs that give Black Chip Poker the edge over even the biggest players in the industry.

Software

BlackChip runs the same software the rest of the Winning Poker Network does. There are some positives and some negatives to it, but all the little things you will find on the big sites are offered on Black Chip’s software.  Players can auto top up in cash games, as well as sit out on all tables at the next big blind. This is a handy feature that makes sure you do not play more orbits than you wish, and do not lose any blinds in the process of stopping play. Rebuys/add-on tournaments offer a single or double rebuy upon bust, with an auto add-on button preventing any mishaps in topping up at the end of the rebuy portion of the tournament. The bet slider allows for bets to be custom made as well as offering convenient 2x, 3x, and all in buttons. Action on these bets is smooth and easy, with the players being able to see animations on the cards or eliminate that to provide less distraction.

The negative aspect of BlackChip software is that the network itself is getting very popular. This has put a strain on the network servers, especially on Sundays when big guaranteed cash prize tournaments are being played by a large number of players. When the network gets overloaded the software is susceptible to lag and frustrating delays in your bets being placed. While this is not an issue of the software itself, which is actually quite good, it is a concern players should be aware of and prepared to deal with during high traffic times.

Players are allowed to use popular hand tracking programs like Hold ‘Em Manager and Poker Tracker.  Both are easily integrated with BlackChip Poker, and run smoothly with it. The in game poker hand re-player is a bit clunky and slow, but it still effective if you want to review a hand immediately.

Fairness of Games

Black Chip uses a random card generator that operations on an algorithm, making the play itself completely equal for all players. Aside from player strategy, there is no edge on Black Chip due to any kind of nefarious activity. Black Chip is owned by Betcris, the same company that owns Bookmaker. The reputation of the parent and sister companies of BlackChip are very solid, making it a place you can trust with your money. Black Chip poker joined the Winning Poker Network in 2013 and has been going strong since. Players can be as confident as possible that player funds are segregated and properly accounted for. The occasional bad luck player will lash out on forums claiming that the site is rigged, as happens with any site, but in reality Black Chip Poker is dedicated to the integrity of the game.

Banking is as Easy as it Has Ever Been

The Winning Poker Network has established one of the best payout systems available to United States Players. Checks are still the slowest form of payout, but can get to players in as little as a few days and usually never longer than a few weeks. This is a drastic improvement to the situation a few years ago, when players were lucky to get payouts within a few months, if ever because the poker site had gone under.

There are several options available to Black Chip players for withdraw, including a debit card that can be sent to players. Once it is received, which is usually no longer than a few weeks after it is requested, players can load their withdraws onto the card and either use it as a regular debit card or withdraw cash from an ATM. This option takes no longer than a few days to get your funds.

Western Union is another option to both deposit and withdraw, with transactions generally taking place within a 24 hour period after request. This allows you to go to the Western Union location and either pick up the cash from a withdraw, or fund your account with cash in a deposit.

The most exciting option available to Black Chip poker players is bitcoin, which is now accepted by the site for both withdraws and deposits. Bitcoin is an mostly anonymous and unregulated crypto currency, with ultra fast transfers and very low fees per transaction.  In most cases deposits and withdraws done by bitcoin will happen in less than 2 hours once they are approved. The whole process is very simple, only requiring the site and the player to exchange a bitcoin address and then transfer the bitcoins.  This is the quickest, most reliable way to get funds on and off a poker site in the world. The anonymity and speed are unmatched by any traditional method. Veterans of the online poker world will know how valuable easy deposits and cash outs are, having dealt with slow and sometimes impossible banking on their poker site for years.

Just a “Heads Up”, but the Heads Up tables at cash games are filled with sharks. New players and those not experienced with one on one play dynamics will struggle to win at the Heads Up tables. Tread carefully when it comes to those games.

Cash Games

Cash games are a thriving community on Black Chip Poker. They run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a multitude of tables available at all levels. Players will find themselves playing with a curious mix of players. Some are regulars who are on a ton of tables at the same time, vying for VIP system rewards and a payout from The Beast promotion, which we will discuss later. These players are usually quite solid but are not going to have long to make each decision because of the amount of tables they play. Regulars on Black Chip Poker range from weak to very solid, so be sure to take notes and try to notice players who seem to be on all of your tables. The tables also include your normal mix of recreational players but can be regular heavy.

Black Chip Poker does not offer every game type, but still supports a large variety of cash games. No Limit Hold ‘Em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Low, 7 Card Stud, and 7 Card Stud Hi/Low are all available.

Traffic is high at the micros and low stakes, with peak hours running from 6pm to 9pm Eastern United States time. Players will be able to find several tables of 6 max action, and usually a few 9 max tables at these levels. Mid and High stakes play is not a ghosttown by any means, with several games running during peak hours and usually a game or two to be found at any time.

Sit ‘n Go Tournaments

All levels of Sit ‘n Go tournaments have a good stream of players, but it can be difficult to find a heavy volume of games at your chosen buy in level. This does not mean the action is lacking, but that it is not as heavy as you would find on the biggest online poker sites in the world.

Black Chip Poker does offer on demand Sit n’ Goes that start when a certain number of players join, and then allow late entry for an hour. This builds the pot so that it usually goes over the guarantee, and offers players a chance to jump into the game when the blinds are causing a bit more betting action. Heads up, 6 max, and 9 max No Limit Hold ‘Em and Pot Limit Omaha are all offered from the micros to high stakes.

The newest offering from Black Chip Poker is Jackpot Sit n Go tournaments. These are 3 max, short stacked tournaments that start as low as $2 and up to $40. The play is fast and loose due to the short stacks and only 3 players being at the table, but that is not the most exciting element to them. When you join one the table will flash bigger jackpots up. Usually it will settle on double the entry fee to the winner, in a winner take all format, but there is a chance you will get lucky and land on one of the bigger jackpots. A $2 entry has a chance to win $5000 with a lucky spin, and max $40 entry players have a chance to win $100,000. It is definitely a high action, high thrill way to play poker. Players should be aware of what a gamble these games actually are. While they can offer a huge payout for the buy in, they are winner take all which means even if you get a big jackpot table you must beat two other players to claim the prize.  Rake is higher at these games than typical Sit n’ Go tournaments as well, so over time it will be hard to maintain a good win rate. They are a fun way to play poker for regulars and recreational players alike, and are proving to be very popular. These games are also a good way to put in large volume towards the Sit n’ Crush promotion because when you join one it will launch almost immediately at all times of the day.

Tournaments

Black Chip Poker is an excellent place for multi table tournament players, but does have some drawbacks.  It offers a steady flow of decent guarantees at all buy in levels. It also offers huge guarantee tournaments that draw in hundreds or even thousands of players. 7 times now the network has held a million dollar guaranteed prize pool tournament, often with large overlay. There is another planned this month, with first place guaranteed to take home over $200,000. With a buy in of $550, this is a high value tournament with a ton of equity.

On the negative side, Black Chip Poker allows re-entry into most of it’s tournaments. While this is favorable to high volume players, it does make the process of entering a tournament and going deep slow and tedious. Guaranteed tournaments routinely have several hours of late entry as well, making it difficult to find the time to play.

The Online Super Series is a schedule of tournaments with high guaranteed prize pools that Black Chip Poker offers on a semi regular basis. The sixth rendition of this poker series is up next, with over 2 million dollars up for grabs in guarantees.

Rake Back vs. the VIP system

One of the best features that Black Chip Poker offers is good rake back and a familiar and great VIP system. The rake back is paid out at a base rate of 27%, which is 27% higher than the rake back United States traffic leader Bovada offers. Players who have been with Black Chip since 2011 or before are eligible for 35% rake back. Rake back is calculated and paid out every 24 hours, meaning there is no week long wait to access your money. It is added to your bankroll as soon by going to the rewards tab and pushing the release button.

The VIP system is familiar because it is an exact replica of the old Pokerstars VIP system. Pokerstars VIP system was very popular because it offered great value to regulars and high volume players alike. On Black Chip, players are awarded points according to how much rake they produce. Black Chip uses the weighted method to calculate rake, meaning the more you put into the pot the more you pay out. Players can then spend their points on tournament entries or cash bonuses, just as they were able to at Pokerstars. Extremely high volume players can achieve a rake back percentage of over 60% if they reach the highest tier of the VIP program. This is exciting and drawing a lot of high volume players due to Pokerstars eliminated their VIP program and replaced it with a version worth much less to players. Black Chip Poker and the Winning Poker Network offer the best VIP reward system available to online players today.

Choosing between Rake Back and the VIP program is an easy choice. If you rake over $550 dollars per month on the site, then you should use the VIP program. Players raking under $550 dollars should take the standard rake back of 27% because it will be worth more than the VIP program.

The Beast and Sit & Crush

These free promotional programs are what make Black Chip one of the best poker sites to choose for high volume players. They are both promotional jackpots that pay out players at the end of a 7 day period, based on how many Beast and/or Sit & Crush points the player accumulates during that time. The nice thing about these promotions is that rake is not added to fund them, they are completely paid for by Black Chip Poker and can be a large weekly bankroll boost just by themselves.

The Beast

This promotion is based on cash game play, with the contributing method used to figure out how many Beast points a player earns each hand. If you do not participate in the hand and are not one of the blinds, you will not be awarded any Beast points. If you are one of the blinds or play the hand, points are awarded based on how much rake was taken from the pot. This means that playing at higher stakes will reward you with more Beast points. Players are ranked according to how many points they’ve accumulated,  with payout levels decreasing with rankings. First through fifth are paid out $2500 per week! Players who place in the Beast also receive a free entry into a high value tournament taking place sometime the next week.

Sit & Crush

This is for tournament and sit and go players, to reward them for high volume play. Each sit and go and Jackpot Poker game credit the player with Sit & Crush points which are used to rank them on a weekly basis. At the end of each week the players are paid out, with the top prize level being $1500. Players who place in the Sit & Crush will also receive a free entry into a high value tournament taking place the next week.

Promotions

On demand free rolls with a $10 guarantee are always registering at Black Chip Poker, meaning you can always find a free roll to play. In addition, these free rolls have a leader board for placing in the top 10, which is calculated every week. Players who place high on the leader board receive free entry into real money tournaments, with first place getting a free entry into the $215 Sunday Major tournament.

First time depositors are eligible to play in a $250 weekly free roll for the entirety of the month they deposit and 100% of first deposit.

Overall Thoughts

Black Chip Poker is one of the most reputable and long standing online poker sites available today. There are a few flaws, but the action and the gaming variety offered is first class. The rewards system and promotions are head and shoulders above the field.  Black Chip Poker should be one of the sites you consider first when choosing where to play online poker.