BlackChip PokerAbout BlackChip Poker
Founded in 2008, BlackChip Poker is relatively new to the online poker scene, as a result it doesn’t attract nearly as much attention or players as it’s rivals. Nevertheless since it’s change from the Merge Network to the Winning Poker Network ( WPN) it has gained a lot of publicity and popularity. It has been known to attract 5,000 players at one time during peak hours for the site. The site is very attractive to players from the US and is a trustworthy company that is always improving.
Games and Tournaments Available
BlackChip offers players a good choice of cash games, like with most sites however the most popular on the site is the No Limit Hold’e, cash game. Stake for the Hold’em start as low as $0.01 and go as high as $50. Other games include PL Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. The fast fold poker variation that is sweeping the internet and features on most of BlackChip’s competitor sites does not have it’s own variation here. Sit and Go games are very popular on BlackChip.
If Sit and Go games are your thing then BlackChip Poker has a good selection of these for you. The On Demand games start when a particular number of players have registered and go into a multi table tournament. The Sunday Special tournament has a huge jackpot of $115,000. They also have what they call a “Million Dollar Sunday” which is played around five times a year with a guaranteed $1m up for grabs (hence the name).
Bonuses and Promotions on Offer
BlackHip Poker offer a hugely generous welcome to entice new customers to the site. Players are right to be enticed here, as the bonus on offer is almost unrivalled anywhere online. BlackChip will match your first deposit for 100% of its’s value. This is up to a maximum amount of $1000, some may find the minimum deposit amount of $50 off putting however. Like most other Poker rooms the deposit bonus will be released bit by bit, $1 for every 27.5 reward points earned. These are earned by playing cash games and tournaments, 5.5 points per $1 contributed to the rake. This offer will expire if a player has not met the minimum requirements after 60 days of the deposit. In addition to this welcome bonus, in the first month of a new players account they will be entered into up to four weekly free-rolls.
Software and Features
As mentioned at the start of the review, BlackChip switched up on their network to WPN. The change over in 2012 was geared at providing better customer service as well as a faster withdrawal system, they also intended to offer their customers a wider selection of games and better tournaments. The decision to change was a good one it seems. Players can customise tables and review their personal hand histories, they can also take notes on their opponents at the table. Some other features of the software, multi-tabling, preferred seat choices, a time bank where players can draw on to make decisions on more difficult hands, auto buying and late registration to tournaments.
The software is only available through download, this process is fast and smooth and the software runs very well. A big drawback to the site however is that Mac users are unable to use it, it is not available to play on via browser. This is one change that came from the switch over from Merge to WPN that has a negative effect on the site.
Help and Site Support
BlackChip’s customer support has improved greatly since they changed network and now offer all players a round the clock service available via telephone, e-mail and live chat.