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In this Black Chip Poker review, we’re going to assess one of the best and most established poker sites in the US market. BCP Poker is the Winning Poker Network’s flagship skin, while it also offers a fixed rakeback of 27%.
But what else should you expect when playing at Blackchip poker, and does the site offer a generous welcome bonus to new players? Let’s get into it!
BlackChip Poker Review December 2024 – Key Highlights
| Established | 2001 |
|---|---|
| License | Costa Rica and Curacao |
| Owned by | Winning Poker Network |
| Device Compatibility | iOS, Android and Windows |
| Games | Cash Games (NLH and PLO) PLO5, Fast-fold Poker |
| Poker Network | Winning Poker Network |
| Min. Deposit | $10 |
| Payout Speed | 24 hours |
| ReadWrite Rank | 9.7/10 |
Black Chip Poker Pros and Cons
Pros
- Players get to access fixed rakeback of 27%
- Play in ‘The Venom’ MTT and compete for a $5 million guaranteed minimum
- Weekly ‘Million Dollar Sunday’ tournaments for high-stakes players
- Play a range of cash games from $2 to $5,000
- Participate in daily freerolls and tourneys with buy-ins as low as $0.10
Cons
- The biggest tournaments come with high buy-ins
- There’s no native software on Android or iOS
How Poker Rake Mechanics Work on the BCP Platform?
If you’re accessing Black Chip Poker in search of a favorable rakeback deal, you’re in luck! Here, you’ll have the choice of two rakeback deals when registering for an account as a new player:
- A 27% fixed rakeback deal that’s paid weekly
- Access up to 65% rakeback in the site’s six-tier loyalty program
While the second option is clearly more profitable, much will depend on your weekly betting volumes. For example, you’d have to generate around $18,182 rake per year to achieve ‘Legend’ status and a rakeback above 27%. If you make $181,819 or more per annum in rake, you can recoup between 57% and 65% in rakeback.
BCP Poker Bonus Options 10/10
When you register with the Black Chip Poker site, you’ll see a number of bonuses aimed at both new and existing players. We’d urge you to compare these before you commit your hard-earned cash, so here’s a summary of the available bonuses:
BCP Poker Rakeback
As we’ve touched on, you can either select a fixed rakeback of 27% or join the Elite VIP program when you join BCP Poker.
You can do this while registering your gaming account, using code WPD27 for the fixed rakeback offer or WPDVIP for entry into the Elite Benefits System. Remember, we’d recommend selecting the former as an inexperienced or casual player, but you can liaise with the site’s virtual support team if you have any queries.
Welcome Bonus
As a new Blue Chip Poker customer, you can qualify for a 100% first deposit match up to $2,000. There’s no promo code required to opt-in to the promotion, although you’ll have to deposit $25 or more to ensure your eligibility.
In terms of the bonus structure, this will be released in increments of $1 per every 27.5 ‘Award Points’ that you generate through real money play. You’ll have 60 days in total to play through your first deposit bonus in full. If you want to learn more about the bonus, we recommend that you check out the explanatory video:
Lewis HumphriesSports Betting Expert
Understanding the T&C for Black Chip Poker’s Welcome Offer
To provide some context to the bonus T&Cs referenced above, you should know that earning 5.5 award points unlocks $1 in rake. This equates to a 20% rakeback, while you’ll need to stake $5 on average to unlock $1 in bonus funds.
Also, you should note that the award points used to participate in ‘The Beast’ and ‘Sit & Crush’ leaderboard races won’t count towards the fulfillment of wagering requirements. However, the 60-day window in which you have to play through the bonus is significantly higher than the market average.
Reload Bonus
Currently, existing Black Chip Casino players can also qualify for a reload bonus. This is available every Wednesday, and it is available to every customer who deposits $25 or more into their accounts using the promo code ‘HUMPDAY.’
This unlocks a 50% deposit match up to the value of $100. No deposit methods are prohibited here, while $5 of the total bonus amount will be released for every 120 award points that you earn. Overall, you’ll have 30 days to fulfill the offer’s wagering requirements.
This is a relatively low value bonus, and not suitable to infrequent or low stakes players. So, consider your weekly betting volumes before committing.
VIP Program
If you do opt into BCP’s ‘Elite Benefits’ program, there are six membership levels that you can target. Each one unlocks cash rewards, while alternative prizes such as freeroll entries and increased rakeback percentages are also available. Here’s a brief summary of each VIP level:
- Player: This is the entry-level that offers player point multipliers (x1) and site freerolls
- Rounder: Offers a 1.5x player point multiple and a $50 cash reward for purchase
- Grinder: Unlocks 2x player point multiples and $300 cash reward for purchase
- Veteran: Provides 2.5 player point multiples and $600 cash reward for purchase
- Legend: 3.5 player point multiples, $1,500 + $4,000 cash rewards, and ‘Legendary’ bonus access
- Icon: Benefit from a 5-point player multiple, up to $4,000 in cash rewards, and up to $10,000 cash available for purchase
Remember to check the qualification criteria for each level. It’s important to determine whether you can participate at a particular level while also gambling responsibly.
Black Chip Poker Tournaments 9.6/10
You’ll find a large variety of tournaments at BCP, including a number of turbo and deep-stake competitions. These are largely based on Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud poker iterations, while there are also plenty of guaranteed minimum prizes in play.
You can access hundreds of tournaments each day at Black Chip Poker, which are typically scheduled over a 24-hour period. Incredibly, the total guaranteed prize pool here exceeds $12 million each week. Here’s a summary of the lowest and highest buy-in tournaments each day!
| Day of Week | Lowest Buy-In Tournament | Buy-in Amount | Highest Buy-In Tournament | Buy-In Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | PKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | PKO Hyper Super Stack – $5,000 GTD | $630 |
| Tuesday | PKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | $75,000 GTD | $1,050 |
| Wednesday | PKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | PKO Hyper Super Stack – $5,000 GTD | $630 |
| Thursday | PKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | Rumble in the Jungle PKO – $100,000 GTD | $1,050 |
| Friday | PKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | PKO Hyper Super Stack – $5,000 GTD | $630 |
| Saturday | PKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | PKO Hyper Super Stack – $5,000 GTD | $630 |
| Sunday | CPKO Turbo – $20 GTD | $0.01 | $200,000 GTD | $1,050 |
The $5 Million GTD Venom PKO Main Event
‘Venom’ is the flagship tournament series at BCP, while it boasts a number of multimillion-dollar events. These include an $8 million bounty and $2 million PLO, alongside numerous $1 million ‘Warmup’ tournaments.
Then there’s the ‘$5 Million GTD Venom PKO Main Event’. While this has a $2,650 entry fee, you can also gain access to the tournament through a selection of ‘Venom Fever’ satellites. In this tournament, you can boost your returns every time you knock out an opponent, often claiming up to 50% of their total bounty.
These satellites will have incredibly low buy-ins and are held on a regular basis, making it easier than you may think to access the world’s biggest progressive knockout poker tournament.
The Online Super Series
The ‘Online Super Series’ is also highly coveted at Black Chip Poker. This is a renowned three-part tournament series, which typically lasts for up to four weeks and is hosted at least once every year.
This unique, high-stakes tripleheader boasts a cumulative guaranteed prize pool of up to $25 million, with hundreds of events held as part of the series. These include a number of $1 Million GTD tournaments, alongside a single $2.5 million event.
Each series iteration has its own main event. Buy-in levels will also vary from one main event to another, with the typical range stretching from $200 to $600.
The Beast Weekly Satellite
The ‘Beast and Sit & Crush’ weekly satellite is held every Sunday on the Black Chip Poker site at 18:00 ET. By participating, you can compete for up to 50 guaranteed seats at the site’s $200,000 GTD Sunday event.
This high-stakes tournament has a cash buy-in of $1,050, but you can enter the recurring Beast satellite for just $90+$5. You can also compete for a free ticket by playing selected tournaments and earning a place on the Beast or Sit & Crush leaderboard.
To buy your place in this satellite, simply visit the Black Chip tournament page before either clicking through the ‘Guaranteed’ tab or searching Sunday’s events. Once you’ve found the next available tournament, just hit the red ‘Register’ button and follow the instructions.
The Mini Online Super Series
As the name suggests, this event offers a lower-stakes alternative to the aforementioned Online Super Series. Typically, it’s targeted at relatively new or casual players, as it features low or medium buy-in values and more modest (but still sizable) guaranteed minimums.
The Mini Online Super Series (MOSS) is a single series that lasts for between one and two weeks. In some instances, it may also serve as the first portion of the three-part OSS, although it’s also a standalone event that offers value to more risk-averse players.
Over the course of up to 145 events, buy-ins start at a paltry $0.27, while guaranteed minimum prize pools can top $6.4 million. So, if you’re relatively new to high stakes or competitive poker, this tournament is ideal for you.
Poker Freeroll Tournaments
Freerolls are poker tournaments that can be accessed without a cash buy-in. During the course of our Blackchip Poker review, we uncovered numerous $50 freerolls that were hosted on a daily basis, the majority of which were based on No Limit Hold ‘em and Pot Limit Omah formats.
You can easily access freerolls through the tournament tab before browsing the daily options to see which one suits your schedule. Often, Blue Chip poker freerolls are hosted throughout the day, so you should find an event that you can easily attend.
You can also access daily $20 PKO Turbo tournaments at Black Chip Poker for as little as $0.10. There’s also a daily ‘Turbo PLO 6-Max Freezeout’ available online, with this boasting a nominal buy-in of just $0.28.
Poker Room Traffic 9.2/10
Black Chip Poker launched way back in 2012, as the flagship skin for the popular Winning Poker Network. As a result, it has built a solid following with impressive levels of traffic, regularly ranking among the top 10 platforms both globally and among offshore poker rooms.
As you’d expect from a high-traffic poker room, however, you’ll find a higher number of skilled players and grinders at Black Chip Poker. This is especially true at NL50 and above, with grinders likely to be attracted by the site’s Elite Benefits program and rakeback of up to 65%.
Despite being an offshore site, the bulk of BCP’s traffic comprises American players. This means that traffic levels tend to soar during peak US hours (16:00 and 00:00 ET), making it hard to access high-stakes tournaments and cash games during this period.
However, the traffic levels drop by between 30% and 40% after midnight ET, with European time zones likely to see more availability across cash games and tournaments.
Licensing & Security 10/10
As we’ve touched on, Black Chip Poker is an established offshore site with noticeably high traffic levels. This popularity is based in part on the site’s licensing credentials, as it has earned accreditation from the trusted Curacao Government.
It also operates according to Costa Rican laws. This ensures that the site operates within a clear regulatory framework that allows customer complaints to be escalated.
If you click through the ‘Security and Integrity’ tab on the BCP homepage, you’ll also see that the site’s RNG has been tested and verified by iTech Labs. The site also boasts 128-bit SSL encryption, which helps to safeguard your financial information and each individual transaction.
Poker Formats Available at Black Chip Poker 9.6/10
From Satellites to Multi-Table Tournament options, the events at BCP offer a diverse range of poker formats. The same principle applies to real money games, but what are precise game types and structures available?
Available Games at Black Chip Poker 9.2/10
In addition to NLHE, PLO and NLO formats, there are also limited 7-Card Stud iterations available at Black Chip Poker. These include numerous PL and Hi/Lo versions, most of which allow a maximum of eight players to participate.
The broad selection of BCP tournaments is dominated by MTTs, Sit and Go’s, and various Satellites (including the aforementioned ‘Beast and Sit & Crush Weekly Satellite’). There are multiple freerolls, too, which can be easily accessed when you complete the Black Chip Poker download.
Poker Software 9/10
As part of the Winning Poker Network, the Black Chip Poker site operates using iGSoft. This software, which is frequently updated, boasts a familiar structure with a prominent top menu, which uncovers all poker verticals, tournament types, and your unique account information.
The poker software at BCP is also completely HUD-friendly. This is beneficial for so-called “fish” or inexperienced players, who can access a ‘Heads-up Display app to compare performance stats pertaining to their rivals.
Typically, a HUD will overlay your poker table with detailed information about each participant, including their historical performance metrics and how they typically play individual hands.
If you’re interested in playing Black Chip Poker on mobile, you should note that there’s no native app for iOS or Android. However, the site has been responsively designed to adapt to different screen sizes, so you can seamlessly access games and tournaments through a mobile browser.
Deposit & Withdrawals 9.1/10
Whether you play Blackchip Poker on your mobile or desktop device, you can access a diverse range of deposit and withdrawal options. Here’s a summary of the available banking methods, their deposit and withdrawal limits, and average payout times!
| Payment Method | Deposit Limit | Withdrawal Limit | Fee | Payout Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | $10 – $25,000 | $50 – $10,000 | None | 0-24 hours |
| VISA and Mastercard | $10 – $25,000 | N/A | None | 24-72 hours |
| Ethereum | $10 – $25,000 | $50 – $10,000 | None | 0-24 hours |
| Litecoin | $10 – $25,000 | $50 – $10,000 | None | 0-24 hours |
| Tether | $10 – $25,000 | $50 – $10,000 | None | 0-24 hours |
| Paper Check | N/A | $100 – $3,000 | $55 (Fixed) | 10-15 days |
| E-Wallet | $10 – $25,000 | $50 – $10,000 | None | 24-48 hours |
Poker Lobby User Experience 9/10
During the course of our Black Chip Poker review, we found the site’s software to be easily accessible and navigable. Once it has been downloaded and installed, the software opens quickly, and once you’ve signed in, you’ll be transported to the BCP lobby.
Here, the key poker verticals are listed in a horizontal menu above the fold, so you can seamlessly switch between available games, tournaments, and jackpots. The relevant poker schedule for each one then loads quickly and is clearly displayed, while you can set customized search filters on the right-hand side of the display.
During gameplay, we found that games ran smoothly and with minimal buffering. You can quickly gauge real-time traffic volumes, too, with the active number of players listed and frequently updated in the bottom right-hand corner of the lobby.
Black Chip Poker Mobile App 8.5/10
As with most offshore poker rooms, Blue Chip Poker doesn’t operate native apps on iOS or Android, but it offers downloadable software for PC and Mac. However, you can access the site’s games and tournaments through your Safari or Chrome mobile browser, depending on whether you have an Apple or Android device.
The really good news is that the mobile BC Poker experience is almost identical to the desktop alternative. In fact, you can access all the same games, cash stakes and tournaments on the move, while your account information also remains readily available.
Due to the use of responsive design techniques, most information is accessible via neat drop-down menus. These feature easily identifiable tabs too, so you can navigate the site quickly and easily access your preferred cash game or tournament.
Customer Support 9/10
When you access the ‘Support’ tab through the drop-down menu on the BCP homepage, you’ll be prompted to send an email via an interactive contact form.
This is a quick and reliable way of raising queries, as our question about choosing between the available rakeback offers was answered within two hours.
You can also raise an immediate query by clicking the ‘Virtual Assistance’ tab (see above). This will open a chat window in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, through which you can access menu shortcuts, ask questions, or provide feedback. However, the chatbot is limited in its scope, so this isn’t ideal for raising specific complaints.
How To Join Black Chip Poker and Claim a Welcome Bonus
The absence of a Black Chip Poker promo code makes it easier to register for an account and access the welcome offer. But how exactly do you go about signing up for an account?
Step #1 - Register for an Account
Start by visiting the https://blackchippoker.eu/ in your desktop or mobile browser. Then, hit the ‘Sign Up’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen and provide your username, a verifiable email, and secure password.Step #2 - Download the Black Chip Poker Software
BCP will then send a unique code to the email address provided. Once you enter this, your account should be verified and created. You should then select your operating system to download the software, depending on your chosen device.- Whether you select Mac, PC, iOS, or Android as your operating system, the next step is to run the software and finalize the download. Once the process is complete, open the software and log in with your credentials via the tab in the right-hand corner of the display.
Step #4 - Add Further Account Information
You’ll then be taken to a secure screen and promoted to finalize your account details. These include your name, date of birth, zip code, and mobile number, and the data may be used to verify your identity.Step #5 - Start Playing Poker!
Once your identity has been verified, you can start to browse the available cash games and tournament schedule. You can also head to the ‘Account’ tab in the top right-hand corner of the lobby and complete your first deposit!
Playing at Black Chip Poker
When playing at Black Chip Poker, you’ll find a dazzling array of games and tournament structures. To help you navigate this selection and make the most of your bankroll, here are some expert tips!
- Tip 1 – There are many poker formats available at BCP, including numerous variations of NLHE and PLO. So, we’d recommend that you find a format you enjoy and perfect your strategy for playing this over time.
- Tip 2 – Set a bankroll that doesn’t exceed an amount you can afford to lose. This way, you can wager responsibly and within your means at all times.
- Tip 3 – Also, set a unit bet value that’s based on your bankroll. This will create a nominal stake amount per betting line, which can be tailored or scaled depending on the odds and their implied probability.
- Tip 4 – You should set deposit and time limits too. The former can be personalized according to the size of your bankroll and betting frequency, while the latter controls how long you spend playing games and tournaments.
- Tip 5 – You can access the BCP welcome bonus with a minimum deposit of $25. It’s important to opt in to the bonus at an affordable level, due to the scale and complexity of the wagering requirements.
Similar Poker Sites
We recommend BCP as a great poker room. However, there may be reasons that you look for an alternative, such as the lack of a Black Chip Poker no deposit bonus. In this case, here are some similar poker sites for you to visit:
Our Final Verdict on Black Chip Poker
BCP is one of the longest running offshore poker rooms, having launched way back in 2012. It’s also one of the most secure and highly regarded, with its diverse range of tournaments appealing to both high rollers and low stakes players alike.
You can also choose your rakeback offer based on your level of experience and betting volumes, with the 27% flat rate highly recommended for casual players. So, why not test out Black Chip Poker by downloading its software and running it on your mobile or desktop device?
FAQs
Is Black Chip Poker safe and legal to play for US residents?
Which cryptocurrency can I use to deposit at Black Chip Poker?
How many tournaments are available each day at Black Chip Poker?
Is the traffic at Black Chip Poker soft traffic?
Responsible Gambling
In our expert tips, we discussed the importance of gambling responsibly and within your means. This means setting a conservative bankroll and managing this in a disciplined manner, but what happens if you start to exhibit the telltale signs of problem gambling?
In this case, we’d urge you to seek out practical help and guidance immediately. You can do this using any of the independent organizations in the US:
