Overview
Carbon Poker is the best poker room that still accepts USA players. They are the flagship site for the Merge Gaming network. Their player volume is increasing by leaps and bounds due to several factors which include being USA friendly, having great bonus and VIP programs, as well as great promotions like the bad beat jackpots and ‘money tree’.
Software
Major improvements over the past couple of years has led to speedier games, and very user friendly software. There are lots of features such as rabbit hunt (what card would have came next), deal it twice, and mini view that allows for playing up to 8 tables at once. There is also the ability to “expose one card”, and is a unique feature of this software. Drive your opponents crazy by letting them see only half of your hand in the right situation!
The software is great for beginners and experienced players alike. Beginners will be able to jump right in without worrying they are pushing the wrong buttons, and experienced players will find pretty much all of the usual tools that they used to get the most out of their grind.
Games
Game selection is excellent. Not only do they spread the usual holdem, omaha, stud, etc., but pretty much every game comes in no limit, pot limit and limit variations. This is one of the few sites in the world that one can play pot limit stud, for example.
Besides the usual holdem, omaha and stud, they also spread 5 card stud, 5 card draw, A-5 lowball, 2-7 lowball and Badugi.
Bonus
Act now and you can get a $200 free bankroll at Carbon Poker. If you decide to deposit, you will still be eligible for their first time deposit bonus, worth hundreds of dollars in bonus cash to be released as you play.
Support
As of now, only email support is available, but they reply speedily and are knowledgeable in their responses. It’s not the typical unhelpful ‘form’ responses in most cases!
Banking
Carbon Poker brags that they have poker deposit options that work. They deliver on this promise. Deposit via credit card have a high rate of acceptance, which is rare since most credit card deposits to gaming sites get declined. There are the usual ewallets such as Neteller, Moneybookers and UseMyWallet (USA friendly ewallet).
Cashout
You can withdraw to those same ewallets noted above or simply request a check. Check processing times are industry standard, so you may be waiting a week or two, but they do arrive and clear the bank easily enough.
Most serious gamers already have an ewallet, and it really is the best option for deposits and withdrawals. For non-USA residents, Neteller or Moneybookers is going to almost always be your best option. For USA players, request a membership at UseMyWallet (also called Quicktender), and your deposit/withdrawal problems will be solved.
Conclusion
After April 15, 2011 (Black Friday), when USA residents were shut out of Poker Stars, Full Tilt and Absolute / Ultimate Bet, the Merge network and Carbon Poker in particular, became THE best online card room for USA poker players. In less than a month, Carbon Poker cash game traffic has almost doubled, and the sky is the limit.
This network has a great number of rooms that share the software and feed into the player pool. A lot of those sites are sports betting oriented, so this network has no problem attracting the gamblers.
It is definitely worth a look, no matter if you are USA or a non-USA resident.
