Tournament Rules

BlackChip Poker provides a fair and unbiased environment in which all of our players can play. Please familiarize yourself with our tournament rules and policies clearly outlined below before beginning to play.

1. BlackChip Poker will review all unusual circumstances that may arise during tournament play. Should these circumstances arise, BlackChip Poker will objectively take into account all factors before coming to a decision which best resolves any issues and to find the most just resolution for all parties involved.
2. Tournaments will begin at scheduled times displayed in the “Tournament Lobby”. BlackChip Poker reserves the right to cancel or delay a scheduled tournament without notice.
3. The details of every online Poker tournament including duration of levels and blind structures will be displayed prominently in the Tournament lobby. BlackChip Poker reserves the right to change these details at any time without notice.
4. In no-limit tournaments do not have a restriction on the number of raises allowed. Our fixed limit tournaments, have limited raises – capped at 3.
5. Each player is randomly assigned his or her seat. BlackChip Poker does not allow players to change seats during a tournament. All tournaments will begin with the button being placed at seat one.
6. The prize payouts will be determined once all the rebuys, add-ons or re-entries have been completed and registration is closed. Prize pools may vary depending on the number of entrants and rebuys.
7. In order to register for any tournament or pay rebuys, add-ons or re-entries, the player must have the funds accessible in the account. Funds currently in play do not count as available.
8. Players can re-enter as many times as they like into a tournament (if the tournament has the Re-entry option available), as long as the tournament is still in Late Registration. Players will be able to re-enter for the same cost as the initial buy-in (with the exception of re-entry freerolls). The Re-Entry feature is available in all Freeze-out Tournaments.
9. The use of multiple accounts for one person is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
10. Registration – Players may unregister for an online Poker tournament and will receive a full refund prior to the start of the tournament. Once the tournament has begun players will not receive a refund on their buy-in. Tournament entries won in satellites may not be redeemed for cash and hold no cash value.
11. If a player unregisters for an event, they will be credited with whatever currency they registered with.
12. If a player wins a satellite for an event in which they’re already registered, they are awarded tournament bucks instead of real money for the value of the win.
13. Tournaments conclude once one player has accumulated all the chips in the tournament. In the event that 2 or more players are eliminated in one hand the player with the most chips prior to the hand being dealt will be awarded the higher finishing spot. In the result of a tie as both players have the same number of chips, the players tie for that rank and the prize pool is distributed equally.
14. A tournament guarantee is only honored if the tournament reaches late registration.
15. When there is a significant increase in the prize pool BlackChip Poker will go “hand for hand”. This allows every table to complete hands at the same time. This fairly determines the finishing order. Two players at different tables that are eliminated simultaneously will be considered “knocked out” at the same time. The finishing order will then be determined relative to their chip count prior to the hand. *(see rule 11)
16. No player receives the button twice in a row. In circumstances in which players are eliminated in the blinds the button will continue to move in a clockwise direction. As all players have the opportunity to be spared a blind when this occurs, it’s an equal opportunity proposition for all players.
17. When playing heads up at the final table, the small blind will be in the position of the dealer.
18. As players are eliminated throughout the tournament tables will break and players will be reseated. This reseating is completely random. On occasion players may be reseated in a blind they had just paid, but our online Poker software tries to relocate players in seat positions similar to those they were previously seated in.
19. Players will receive breaks throughout all of the tournaments. Please see the Tournament Lobby prior to playing to see when each scheduled break will happen. Breaks begin once all play has been concluded at every table of the tournament; some breaks may last slightly longer than others due to an extended period of time in which players may need to make a decision.
20. Once a tournament has been entered players must assume the risk of internet issues and disconnection. BlackChip Poker accepts no responsibility for lost monies due to internet issues the player may have. Should a player become disconnected they will still receive cards, and pay blinds and antes. Players may voluntarily sit out during a tournament, but they will also continue to receive cards and pay the necessary blinds and antes.
21. No discussion of a hand or hand possibility is allowed while the hand is in play. Any of discussion of play will result in a penalty or automatic expulsion from the tournament and possibly BlackChip Poker permanently.
22. Players caught in collusion (chip dumping, soft play, or unethical chat) will be banned from the tournament and their account (s) will be banned from playing at BlackChip Poker. BlackChip Poker reserves the right to withhold any funds in a cheats account to reimburse the players who have been cheated.
23. Players may not hand off the tournament to another player unless it is due to internet failure and is done while making arrangements to get back online.
24. The cash prize awarded in online Poker Bounty tournaments will be credited straight away to the account of the player who eliminated the bounty. Players may not work together to eliminate a bounty player as this is considered collusion (see rule 18.) If a bounty is unable to show up to play the tournament, no bounty cash prize will be awarded for his or her elimination.
25. In the case of a WPN technical issue, all running tournaments will be paused until the issue has been fixed in order to resume play.
26. If the technical issue lasts longer than 30 minutes, the tournament is canceled and refunded according to the following rules:
27. In late registration – If a regular, turbo/hyper or rebuy and add on Multi-table tournament is in late registration and is cancelled, all players will receive the following compensation (including players who have busted): A Tournament buy-ins, rebuys, re-entries and fees back. It will be as if the tournament had never been played.<
28. Running (after late registration has closed) – If a regular, turbo/hyper or rebuy and add on Multi-table tournament is in a running state and not yet in the money is cancelled, players that have been eliminated from the tournament will not receive any compensation for the tournament. Players that remain in the tournament will receive the following compensation. A. 1 buy in back (No re-entries, no rebuys or add ons).  B.  The remaining prize pool (all guarantees are honored) will be distributed on a percentage basis according to each players chip stack, for example, there are 100,000 chips in play, the prize pool is $100,000. Each chip is worth $1, you have 25,000 chips when the tournament is cancelled. You will receive $25,000 of the remaining prize pool. *The maximum payout cannot exceed 1st places prize.
29. In the money – If a regular, turbo/hyper or rebuy and add on Multi-table Tournament is in the money and is cancelled; players that have been eliminated from the tournament will not receive any compensation for the tournament. Players that remain in the tournament will receive the following compensation: A. All remaining players will receive the next minimum payout when the tournament is cancelled B. The remaining prizepool will be distributed on a percentage basis according to each players chip stack, for example;
    • 
    • There are 307,500 chips left in play and only 4 players left. After each player is awarded the next minimum payout of $95, there will be $260 left in the prizepool to distribute to the remaining field as per chip count. This is worked out as:-
    • $260 remaining monies ÷ Chips left in play = 0.000845 therefore each chip is worth this amount. We then take this amount and multiply it by a player’s chip stack.
    • Player 1 – 152,205 x 0.000845 = $128.61 + $95, Player 1 will receive $223.61
      Player 2 – 82,873 x 0.000845 = $70.03 + $95, Player 2 will receive $165.03
      Player 3 – 45,500 x 0.000845 = $38.45 + $95, Player 3 will receive $133.45
      Player 4 – 26,922 x 0.000845 = $22.75 + $95, Player 4 will receive $117.75
      *The maximum payout cannot exceed 1st places prize.
30. Knockout tournaments in late registration – If a knockout Multi-table tournament is in late registration and is cancelled, all players will receive the following compensation, A. All players that have been eliminated will receive their buy in and fee but will not receive their bounty back, for example, you are in a $10 KO tourney, $8 towards the prize pool and $2 towards your bounty with a $1 fee. Any player that has busted will receive the $8+$1 and will have lost their $2 bounty. B. Players that still remain in the tournament will receive the full amount that they have paid for the tournament, buy in, bounty and fee. Any player that has been awarded the $2 for knocking out another player will keep this money.
31. Knockout tournaments in running state (after late registration has closed) – If a knockout Multi-table tournament is in running state and not yet in the money is cancelled, players that have been eliminated from the tournament will not receive any compensation for the tournament. Players that remain in the tournament will receive the following compensation. A. 1 buy in back (No re-entries, no rebuys or add ons) and their own bounty. B. The remaining prize pool (all guarantees are honored) will be distributed on a percentage basis according to each players chip stack.
32. Knockout tournaments in the money – If a knockout Multi-table tournament is in the money and is cancelled, players that have been eliminated from the tournament will not receive any compensation for the tournament. Players that remain in the tournament will receive the following compensation: A. All remaining players will receive the next minimum payout when the tournament is cancelled and their own bounty. B. The remaining prize pool will be distributed on a percentage basis according to each players chip stack
33. Satellites in late registration – If a satellite is in late registration and is cancelled, all players will receive the following compensation (including players who have busted): Tournament buy-ins, rebuys, re-entries and fees back. It will be as if the satellite had never been played.
34. Satellites in the money or running state – If a satellite is in a running state or in the money stage and is cancelled, players that have been eliminated from the tournament will not receive any compensation for the tournament. All remaining players will receive the following compensation. The value of the seat will be turned into real money and will be divided evenly to all remaining players.
35. SNG’s will be refunded in two ways if they are cancelled: A. If all the original players in the SNG remain, (no players have busted out), all players will be equally refunded with their buy-in and fee. B. If one or more players have busted from the SNG, players will have the prize pool divided amongst players, by chip count after receiving there buy in and fees
    *The maximum payout cannot exceed 1st places prize.
36. In the event of Play Money table maintenance, a real money drop may occur as compensation to all play money customers playing at that moment. The real money given will be removed from players accounts if not used within 72 hours

Should any dispute or situation arise, all decisions made by BlackChip Poker management are final.

Last Modified: October 29th, 2013