Americas Cardroom vs. BlackChip Poker Comparison
The Winning Poker Network has become one of the premier destinations for real money online poker among United States players. This raises the question as to which site on the network is best: Americas Cardroom or BlackChip Poker? We here at ProfessionalRakeback work closely with both operators, and so we're in a great position to weigh in on the Americas Cardroom vs. BlackChip Poker debate.
Overview of the Two Companies
Americas Cardroom was actually one of the early brands in the U.S. market, opening a site on the now-defunct Dobrosoft network in 2001. After the passage of the UIGEA in 2006, it retired from the online poker scene, and it paid out player balances honestly before closing. However, sensing opportunity in 2011, ACR reemerged from retirement and became the flagship operator on the Winning Poker Network, a position it retains to the present day.
BlackChip Poker launched as part of the Merge network in 2008. Offering superb rakeback and great customer support, it soon captured significant market share. A dispute within the Merge Network caused BlackChip to leave in late 2012, and it found a new home on the Winning Poker Network. It's a good thing, too, because Merge has since gone downhill while the WPN remains one of the top U.S.A. poker networks in existence.
Similarities Between BCP and ACR
As partners on the same network, there are a lot of similarities between Americas Cardroom and BlackChip Poker. They both have identical cash tables and tournaments running on the same software, and they each feature a 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus that releases at a 20% rakeback-equivalent rate.
Each firm rewards players through the Elite Benefits system, and they also both offer a flat rakeback deal of 27% paid back directly to customers' accounts for those who opt out of Elite Benefits.
Whenever the Winning Network has a massive tournament series, you can count on ACR and BCP to both be included in it. The cashier methods, seasonal specials, and reload bonuses tend to be identical between both organizations.
Differences Between ACR and BCP
At times, it seems as though BlackChip Poker and Americas Cardroom are virtual clones of each other. This makes it tough to identify a clear winner in the BlackChip Poker vs Americas Cardroom debate. Nevertheless, there are a few small differences between the two sites that we have been able to identify.
All of these small distinctions between ACR and BCP are to the advantage of Americas Cardroom. This is no surprise because, as the flagship of the WPN, we would expect Americas Cardroom to be the skin with the superior gaming platform.
$10 No Deposit Bonus
We've negotiated a special $10 no deposit deal for ProfRB visitors that's only available on Americas Cardroom. Through the use of the Americas Cardroom promo code PRB10FREE, our readers get the chance to play with $10 of the house's money. This deal is only available to residents of the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Mexico, and New Zealand. No similar bonus is offered at BlackChip Poker.
No Rathole Tables
Americas Cardroom has special 7 Day No Rathole tables where you have to make an initial buyin for 10 big blinds, no more and no less. However, if you leave a table with more than this amount, then any attempt to return to that table within seven days requires that you bring back the same amount that you left with.
When these games debuted a couple of years ago, they were network-wide. However, this led to a problem: Some users were accessing the games from multiple sites in order to bypass the seven-day rathole timer, which defeated the entire spirit of the game. Thus, the network decided to restrict these tables to Americas Cardroom alone, a policy which continues to the present.
7-Day No Rathole cash games are spread in NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, and PLO/8. Stakes run from the micros up to $200/$400.
Private Home Games
Americas Cardroom allows you to request that the site set up a private, password-protected home game tournament for you and your friends. There are only a few configuration options you can alter, and all buyins are set at exactly $1.65, so this is quite a limited feature. Still, it's a way for you to play online poker with friends, and it's not available at BCP.
Points Store
With the Combat Points you accrue while playing poker, you can purchase selected merchandise from the Americas Cardroom points store. The items on offer include face masks, sunglasses, fitted caps, and personalized jerseys. There's no such facility for exchanging points for physical goodies at BlackChip.
Team Pros
There's a group of sponsored pros who play at the tables and represent ACR at various events. Chris Moneymaker, Jeff Boski, and Vanessa Cade are a few of these pros. The tangible benefits granted to ordinary users by the presence of these professionals is difficult to quantify, but there are occasional promotions centered around one or more of these individuals. BlackChip Poker doesn't have any such team.
Americas Cardroom Team Pro Chris MoneymakerACR Stormers
Americas Cardroom has a Twitch.tv streaming team called the ACR Stormers. Based upon the number of viewers and streams broadcast, members of the ACR Stormers receive tournament bucks as a reward every month. By contrast, there's no streaming team at BlackChip Poker.
Conclusion
The majority of players will be almost equally happy at either of the two rooms, Americas Cardroom and BlackChip Poker. The differences between them are nothing to write home about. Nevertheless, for a small contingent of players, the small extra perks handed out by ACR may tip the scales in its favor when considering the question of Americas Cardroom vs. Black Chip Poker.
$10 absolutely free may seem like chump change, but this free cash can jump-start the career of someone totally new to poker. The 7 Day No Rathole tables give you an additional type of game to sample, and the ability to create private tourneys may appeal to some. Thus, Americas Cardroom, with its few minor advantages, is the superior platform. If you currently lack an account at the Winning Poker Network, we recommend that you sign up for ACR.
Sophisticated online poker enthusiasts may find it beneficial to set up accounts at both sites. This allows them to grab two deposit bonuses, benefit doubly from any time-sensitive offers that appear, and use their two screennames judiciously to get more action than they perhaps could from a single account.
Additionally, you may wish to receive rakeback on an account at one site while taking advantage of the Elite Benefits program at the other. There are compelling reasons for selecting one rewards program over the other depending on your playing volume and preferences. You can learn more about this in our rundown of rakeback versus Elite Benefits.
Register Your New Accounts Today
You can find out more about BlackChip Poker, including signup instructions, in our detailed review of BCP Poker. To learn about Americas Cardroom, including the exclusive ProfRB $10 no deposit bonus, click over to our exhaustive ACR Poker review.