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4/5
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Black Chip Poker is one of the OGs of online poker, operating since 2008. The site combines strong cash-game traffic with more than $9 million in weekly tournament guarantees, strong poker promotions, and software designed for serious poker players.
As part of the Winning Poker Network, Black Chip Poker shares player liquidity with other WPN rooms, including sister site America’s Cardroom. However, Black Chip Poker has separate promotions, branding, and rewards.
Tournament grinders and regular cash players will get the most from Black Chip Poker. Recreational players have plenty of micro- and low-stakes options, but the large player pool also attracts experienced regulars and some professional players.
My Experience at Black Chip Poker
I spent 3 days testing Black Chip Poker, playing cash games and tournaments. For the first day, I mostly focused on cash games, playing some low-stakes Hold’em and Stud 8 tables. Over the next two days, I played some Sit & Gos, Spinz, and a couple of $5 tournaments.
This site is about as close as you’ll get to the OG poker room. The software is great for experienced players but still accessible to newbies. When it was time to cash out, I used Bitcoin and got my money in about 45 minutes.
Overall, I enjoyed my time here. I loved the variety of tournaments and appreciated the site’s attempt to offer more than NL Hold’em and PLO games.
- Testing Detail: Result
- Money Spent: $100 (Bitcoin)
- Time Played: 3 Days
- Earnings: $43
- Browser/Device Used: Chrome (PC)
- Experience: Good – Great selection of cash games and tournaments
- android / apple / windows
What we liked
- More than $9.2 million in regular weekly tournament guarantees
- Large shared player pool through the Winning Poker Network
- 100% poker welcome bonus up to $2,000
- Multiple poker variants beyond Hold’em and Omaha
- Fast cryptocurrency withdrawals
- Extensive software features for regular players
What we didn’t like
- Mandatory poker rake requirement applies before withdrawals.
- Competition can be tough in games attracting regular grinders.
- The poker software may feel complicated at first for inexperienced players.
About Black Chip Poker
Black Chip Poker has accepted US players since 2001 and operates on the Winning Poker Network. This gives players access to a shared international player pool rather than limiting cash games and tournaments to Black Chip Poker customers.
The large player pool is a huge advantage for tournament players. Black Chip Poker offers more than $9.2 million in regular weekly tournament guarantees, with buy-ins for every bankroll.
Cash players can choose from Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, and several alternative formats. The site also offers fast-fold Blitz games, jackpot-style Spinz tournaments, Sit & Gos, freerolls, and recurring promotions based on rake and tournament volume.
Black Chip Poker Operator Facts
- Operator: Winning Poker Network
- Poker network: Winning Poker Network
- License: None
- Best payout method: Cryptocurrency
- Typical Bitcoin withdrawal time: Average under one hour
- KYC: May be required before withdrawal
- Responsible gambling tools: Product restrictions, temporary exclusions, game restrictions, and permanent account closure
- Established: 2001
Comparing Black Chip Poker to Top Competitors
Black Chip Poker has an advantage over smaller US-facing poker rooms because strong liquidity supports large tournament guarantees and cash games across low- to mid-stakes.
Game variety is another strength. Black Chip Poker goes beyond Texas Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha with Stud Hi-Lo, PLO8, five-card Omaha variants, Bomb Pots, All-In or Fold, Blitz Poker, and Spinz.
The tradeoff is competition. Large guarantees, rake races, staking tools, and rewards aimed at high-volume players naturally attract grinders. Recreational players can still find micro-stakes games and low buy-in tournaments, but anyone looking for anonymous tables or a softer player pool may prefer another poker room.
How We Reviewed Black Chip Poker
This review covers the most important factors players look for in a poker room, including tournament guarantees and buy-ins, cash-game traffic, game variety, available stakes, rake, poker bonuses, rewards, software functionality, banking, and the overall quality of the player pool.
Security and withdrawal policies are also important. Black Chip Poker operates offshore, so I also closely reviewed its security and terms, including its unusual withdrawal requirements.
I followed GamblingNerd’s ranking and review criteria while conducting this review, which you can read more about here.
Black Chip Poker Poker Bonuses
Black Chip Poker has a deep selection of promotions, but only its welcome bonus is tied to a deposit. New players can claim a $2,000 welcome bonus, while regular players have access to freerolls, cash-game rake races, Sit & Go promotions, tournament series, satellites, and loyalty rewards.
The promotional structure favors players who put in consistent volume. Casual players can take advantage of freerolls and some tournament promotions, but grinders have more opportunities to extract maximum value from recurring offers.
How Black Chip Poker’s Bonuses Compare to Other Operators
The $2,000 welcome bonus is one of the better offers you’ll find at US poker sites, and its clearance rate is reasonable. Black Chip Poker also does a good job of keeping players engaged, offering promotions for every type of player.
Its biggest weakness is that it doesn’t offer reload bonuses or any deposit bonus beyond the welcome offer. Long-term value comes from playing poker rather than making repeated deposits.
Black Chip Poker VIP / Loyalty Rewards
Elite Benefits is Black Chip Poker’s six-level poker loyalty program. The levels are Player, Rounder, Grinder, Veteran, Legend, and Icon.
Players automatically enter the program when they begin playing real-money poker. Benefit Points determine your status, while Player Points can be exchanged for rewards.
Higher Elite levels increase the Player Point multiplier. Rounder, for example, earns 1.5 Player Points per Benefit Point, while Grinder increases the multiplier to 2x. Icon reaches a 5x multiplier.
Players can also unlock Achievement Rewards and gain access to larger cash-redemption options as they move through the program. As you can already guess, high-volume players are going to be the ones who benefit most from this program.
Black Chip Poker also offers a RakeBack program separate from Elite Benefits. RakeBack players get 27%, which is a much better deal than Elite Benefits. If you want to switch to Elite Benefits, you can make a one-time change.
Our Favorite Black Chip Poker Promotions
100% Up to $2,000 Poker Welcome Bonus
New players can take advantage of a 100% match on their first deposit, up to $2,000. The minimum qualifying deposit is $25, and you don’t need a bonus code.
This bonus is released through play. You’ll get $1 for every 27.5 Award Points generated through rake and tournament fees. Players have 60 days to clear the bonus.
Award Points are tied to cash-game rake and tournament fees. Cash games use a weighted-contribution system, while tournament fees are 10% of each buy-in. Note that the Beast or Sit & Crush do not generate Award Points toward the welcome bonus.
While this bonus is huge on paper, casual players should not expect to clear the entire bonus. The structure suits tournament grinders and high-volume cash players.
The Beast and Blitz Beast
The Beast is a weekly cash-game leaderboard promotion. You can earn points at eligible cash tables, based on your leaderboard position.
This promotion has a separate leg for fast-fold Blitz Beast games. Players can enter both races, doubling their chances to win prizes.
The prize pools in these events can be substantial, and sometimes reach six figures. These promotions favor regular cash players much more than recreational players.
Sit & Crush
Sit & Crush extends the rake-race concept to Sit & Gos, Jackpot Poker and eligible On Demand tournaments.
Players automatically earn leaderboard points by playing qualifying games, regardless of whether they win the tournament. Points are based on the tournament fee, with On Demand tournaments awarding double points.
The weekly competition awards cash and tournament entries. Standard cash games and multi-table tournaments do not qualify.
Black Chip Poker’s bonus terms are pretty standard, releasing $1 for every 27.5 Award Points earned, so a player clearing $100 of bonus money must generate 2,750 Award Points.
Black Chip Poker awards 5.5 points for every $1 in qualifying rake and tournament fees. In simple terms, for $5 in tournament fees or cash game rake, you get $1 of your bonus released.
Since 10% of tournament buy-ins are fees, you can figure that for every $50 in tournaments played, you’ll get $1 released. To clear your $100 bonus, you must play $5,000 in tournaments.
Cash games use weighted-contributed rake, meaning your points depend on how much rake your individual play generates rather than simply how large the pot becomes.
On average, cash games collect 5% of each pot in rake. With normal rake collection, you’d have to play $2,000 in cash games to generate the necessary rake. However, with the weight-contributed system, you may have to play considerably more to clear the bonus.
I’d call this bonus +EV for grinders and high-volume players and -EV for casual players due to the high amount of play required.
Banking Methods at Black Chip Poker
Black Chip Poker doesn’t have the strongest banking system and is clearly a crypto-first casino. Here’s a quick breakdown of the available options.
Deposits
Crypto is the most convenient deposit option, with deposits starting at $10 and going up to $25,000. Credit and debit cards are available, although acceptance varies by card type and bank. Visa deposits carry a 10% processing fee.
Alternatively, another player can send you funds on Black Chip Poker with no fees and instant processing.
Withdrawals
Crypto is Black Chip Poker’s strongest payout option. Withdrawals average under one hour after processing, with a $50 minimum. Players can request one crypto payout per day and up to five per week.
Checks take considerably longer. You must withdraw at least $100, and Black Chip Poker may take up to eight weeks to deliver your check. You can choose a courier check for $55, and Black Chip Poker will deliver it within 7 to 15 business days.
You must also complete KYC verification before you cash out. Black Chip Poker typically asks for identity verification, proof of address, and proof of ownership of your payment account.
One key banking term all players need to know is that Black Chip Poker requires players to generate poker rake or tournament fees equal to at least 10% of their cumulative deposits before authorizing a withdrawal.
For example, someone depositing $500 must generate at least $50 in qualifying poker rake or tournament fees before withdrawing. This can be restrictive for recreational and low-stakes players, as generating the required rake can take considerably longer than simply wagering through your deposit once, as is the case at many online casinos.
| Deposit Option | Accept Deposits | Accept Withdraw | Payout Time |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$10 min. / $25,000 max | $50 min. / $10,000 max | Average under 1 hour |
|
$10 min. / $25,000 max | $50 min. / $10,000 max | Average under 1 hour |
|
$10 min. / $25,000 max | $50 min. / $10,000 max | Average under 1 hour |
|
$10 min. / $25,000 max | $50 min. / $10,000 max | Average under 1 hour |
|
$10 min. / $25,000 max | $50 min. / $10,000 max | Average under 1 hour |
|
$50 min. / $500 max | $100 min. / $350 max | Average under 1 hour |
|
N/A | $100 min. / $3,000 max | 2 to 7 Days |
|
$25 min. / $1,500 max | N/A | N/A |
|
$25 min. / $1,500 max | N/A | N/A |
Black Chip Poker Poker Room
Black Chip Poker benefits from Winning Poker Network liquidity, giving players access to a much larger shared pool than most US poker sites.
The downloadable software has significantly more functionality than basic browser-based poker rooms. Features include Run It Twice, staking, tournament tickets, deal making, time banks, along with table-management options and tools designed to limit predatory table selection.
The depth can initially intimidate inexperienced players, but regular grinders gain considerably more control over their sessions.
Black Chip Poker Cash Games
No-Limit Texas Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha account for much of the regular cash-game traffic. Other variants include Stud Hi-Lo, PLO8, and five-card Omaha games, though traffic in less popular variants varies by time of day.
Black Chip Poker also offers multiple table structures and alternative formats, including Bomb Pots and All-In or Fold.
Rake varies by stakes and table size. Black Chip Poker uses a no-flop, no-drop policy and a weighted-contributed system for bonus and rewards calculations. Players who contribute more rake receive more credit than players who fold without contributing to the pot.
Black Chip Poker Blitz Poker
Blitz is Black Chip Poker’s fast-fold cash format. Instead of remaining at the same table after folding, players immediately move to a new six-handed table.
Blitz is currently limited to six-max No-Limit Hold’em but is available across several stakes. The format works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Fast-fold poker dramatically increases the number of hands a player can see per hour. That makes Blitz useful for players trying to generate rake and loyalty points efficiently, although the faster pace can also magnify mistakes for inexperienced players.
Black Chip Poker Tournaments
Tournaments are one of Black Chip Poker’s strongest features. You’ll find over $9.2 million in weekly guarantees here.
Buy-ins begin at just $0.11 and scale up to some of the largest high-roller buy-ins in North American online poker. Sunday tournaments include six-figure guarantees, and Black Chip Poker regularly runs large tournament series alongside the standard schedule.
For example, the recent OSS XL offered $50 million in guarantees across 336 events. The series includes three Main Events, four major multi-flight tournaments, and ten nosebleed-stakes events.
The Venom remains one of Black Chip Poker’s marquee tournament brands, with multimillion-dollar guarantees and satellite paths for players who don’t want to pay full direct entry.
You can also play PKOs, Mystery Bounties, turbos, hypers, satellites, Omaha tournaments, and occasional Stud Hi-Lo events.
Black Chip Poker Sit & Gos and Spinz
Traditional Sit & Gos events run 24/7 and start for as low as .27. You can play standard single-table events, satellites, or on-demand short-run tournaments. Additionally, you can play Spinz, Black Chip Poker’s three-player jackpot format.
Spinz currently has buy-ins of $0.25, $1, $5, $10, $25, $50, and $100. Before play begins, a random multiplier determines the prize pool, with the maximum reaching 12,000x the entry.
Spinz is more nuanced than a standard winner-take-all jackpot Sit & Go. Only the four lowest multipliers remain winner-take-all. Higher multipliers distribute prizes among multiple players and use longer blind levels, giving players more room to make decisions when more money is at stake.
Black Chip Poker Mobile Experience
Black Chip Poker offers downloadable poker software for Windows and macOS, while mobile poker is available on Android and iOS through your browser.
The mobile product supports real-money poker, deposits, and withdrawals. Players who regularly play multi-table cash games or enter several tournaments simultaneously will still get more control from the desktop software. Features such as extensive hotkeys and table-management tools are designed primarily for desktop grinders.
For casual sessions, freerolls, Spinz and Blitz, the mobile platform gives players a practical way to play without sitting at a computer.
Safety and Security
Black Chip Poker is an offshore online poker room and is not state-regulated. It currently operates without a license, but its sister site, ACR Poker, operates under an Anjouan license. I point this out because the same company operates both sites, so Black Chip will likely meet regulatory standards.
The poker network maintains detailed game-integrity rules covering collusion, multi-accounting, prohibited external assistance, remote-access tools, and other conduct that could create an unfair advantage.
Black Chip Poker also supports two-factor authentication. The site uses email-based 2FA for cashouts, while you can enable account-login 2FA through supported authentication methods.
Responsible gambling controls allow players to temporarily restrict access to poker, casino, or sportsbook products, turn off specific game types, or permanently close their account.
Key protections include:
- Email 2FA for withdrawals
- Optional account-login 2FA
- Restrictions on prohibited external assistance tools
- Anti-collusion and game-integrity policies
- Product-specific gambling restrictions
- Permanent account closure
- Segregated player-account balances
Customer Support Overview
Black Chip Poker provides support through its help center, email, and online assistant tool. The site has detailed documentation covering banking, bonuses, game integrity, poker software, and responsible gambling.
Unfortunately, the site does not offer human live chat support. An automated assistant is available, but if it can’t answer, it forwards your query by email to support. A response typically takes up to 24 hours.
For most questions, I’d start with the help center, as it is unusually detailed for an offshore poker room and answers many technical questions without requiring players to contact an agent. More complicated issues involving verification, withdrawals, or account security may still require direct assistance.
Adding true live chat support would greatly improve the quality of support here.
Nerd Note from our Nerd’s Notebook
Be prepared to step up your game here. Black Chip Poker designs its site for, and targets, experienced poker players. You can still find some soft action at lower stakes, but once you start playing $1/$2 or anything non-Hold’em, you should expect to compete against experienced players and even incognito pros.
Final Verdict
Black Chip Poker is one of the better offshore options for American players who want a poker-first platform rather than a gambling site with a small poker room attached.
Tournament players benefit most from the site. With more than $9.2 million in regular weekly guarantees, major tournament series, Venom events, satellites, Mystery Bounties, PKOs, and micro-stakes entries, players have options across almost every bankroll.
Cash players benefit from Winning Poker Network liquidity, Blitz Poker, The Beast, and a game selection extending beyond Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
The promotional structure also rewards consistent play. The $2,000 welcome bonus, Elite Benefits, and ongoing promotions like The Beast and daily freerolls give players multiple ways to extract additional value.
Playing here has a few drawbacks. Black Chip Poker operates offshore rather than under a US state regulator; competition can be tough, and traditional banking options are considerably less attractive than cryptocurrency. The mandatory 10% poker-rake requirement before withdrawals can make things challenging for casual players.
The site is ultimately built more for serious poker players rather than slots players who occasionally play poker.
Recommended for: Tournament grinders, regular cash-game players, crypto users, players interested in alternative poker variants, and anyone looking for a large US-facing poker community.
Not recommended if: You want a US state-regulated poker room, anonymous tables, especially soft competition, or are looking to play a hit-and-run style of poker.
Overall, Black Chip Poker suits players who want to take advantage of its liquidity, tournament schedule, poker software, and volume-based promotions.
Gambling Disclaimer
Gambling of all kinds can be addictive, if left unchecked. It is important to recognize the signs of gambling addiction before it becomes all-consuming. Please visit our responsible gambling page where you can find more information.
What Our Reviewers Are Saying
“I loved the variety of poker tournaments available and the deep liquidity for cash games. However, I don’t like the rake requirement on withdrawals.” – Taylor S.
“I like that this poker room supports crypto and the variety of poker games beyond NL crapshoot. I don’t like the lack of live chat support and the inability to deposit with e-wallets.” – Isaac P.