Carbon Poker Review

Carbon Poker Summary
Carbon Poker is still a newbie in the online poker industry, launched in 2007, but joining the Merge Gaming Network has created a sizeable player base that is steadily growing. Carbon Poker offers a stable software platform that is quick and offers a user-friendly interface. The online poker room provides an above average game variety and lots of tournaments to suit all players and bankroll sizes. Eye-candy graphics, a substantial welcome bonus of 100% up to $500 and continued US player acceptance are drawing more and more players to Carbon Poker every day.

Carbon Poker Software
Carbon Poker, as a part of the Merge Gaming Network, is also powered by Merge Gaming software, providing all of the features and functionality online poker players have come to expect from a reputable online poker room. The only drawback is the lack of compatibility with Mac/Linux computers, as the software does require and download. Carbon Poker excels in terms of both graphics and speed, though the only language offered is English.

The Carbon Poker Lobby supplies all vital statistics and user-friendly filtering to help players find the most suitable tables. Average pot size, viewed-flop percentage and hands played per hour are all visible. Note taking and personal stats are available during play. The hand history feature shows a lot of essential stats, but cannot be exported. Special features include the ability to expose only one card, see the next card in the deck after folding (rabbit hunt), player tags and the ability to attach won trophies to your 3D avatar. Carbon Poker features an excellent mini-view or cascading window options for multi-tabling; up to 8 max.

Carbon Poker Welcome Bonus
Signing up a new account with Carbon Poker grants a 100% matching bonus up to $500 on the first deposit. The player must earn 250 points for each $1 of the bonus, released in $10 increments. The bonus never expires unless the player requests a withdrawal before completing the deposit bonus release requirements.

In addition to the Carbon Poker first deposit bonus, new players are also granted free entry to the $50 New Player Freerolls for the first 30 days of membership just for signing up (no deposit required). These $50 New Player Freerolls run 3 times daily, giving new members of Carbon Poker a quick and easy way to stack their bankroll without risking a dime. When the player does make a first deposit, they are awarded entry to 14 days worth of daily $500 New Player Freerolls, and one entry to a $1,000 Freeroll.

Carbon Poker Game Variety
Players will find an enormous variety of online poker games at Carbon Poker, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi and Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud Hi and Hi/Lo, 5 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw, Razz, Ace-5 Lowball, 2-7 Lowball, Badugi and just about all of the mixed games you can think of – HORSE, HOSE, SHOE, RASH, HAR, HA and HO. Hold’em and Omaha games are played in all limits, with Stud, Draw, Badugi and Lowball games in Fixed Limit and Pot Limit. All mixed games are played as Fixed Limit only.

Carbon Poker also provides a list of casino style games, as well. Choose from Blackjack, Roulette, Caribbean Stud, Backgammon and 3 varieties of Video Poker games available in 1 to 25 hands.

Carbon Poker Tournaments
Carbon Poker hosts Sit’n’Go and Multi-Table tournaments all day, every day. Only Hold’em and Omaha Hi are played in the SNG venue, with 2, 6, 10 and 18-seater tournaments, while MTTs include Hold’em, Omaha and 7 Card Stud (Hi and Hi/Lo), Razz, Ace-5 Lowball, HORSE and HO.

Freerolls are a great way to build your bankroll without the risk, and Carbon Poker is packed with them. Daily Freerolls offer prizes of $50, $100, $500 and $1,000, while Saturdays present a shot at the $10,000 Freeroll. Most Freerolls cost poker points to enter, needing as many points as the prize pool (50 points for $50 Freeroll, up to 10,000 points for $10,000 Freeroll).

Carbon Poker hosts a full range of guaranteed tournaments as well, most with low buy-ins of a few dollars. The largest regular guaranteed prize pool is $20k, held each Sunday with a direct buy-in of $60. Enter various satellites and qualifiers to win a seat at a much lower cost. Other Satellite tournaments can award players with a seat in the Main Event of the most lucrative live poker tournaments in the world, including the WPT, APT, WSOP and Aussie Millions.

Carbon Poker Promotions
Carbon Poker puts a great deal of effort into building and maintaining its player base by way of consistently valuable promotions. Leaderboard competitions are a constant, awarding the top players with sizeable cash rewards. New players are given entry to a multitude of Freerolls worth $50, $500 and $1,000, while loyal players receive exclusive entry to special tournaments. The occasional reload bonuses are also offered, usually through email. Refer your friends for a quick $25 bonus and entry to a $2,500 Freeroll. Hit a Royal Flush including both hole cards to instantly win 100x the current big blind.

Carbon Poker Player Traffic
Carbon Poker boasts an impressive active player volume for such a new online poker room, and joining the Merge Gaming Network has a lot to do with it. Peak hour real money traffic as of June 2008 averages 2,500. About 2,000 of those players can be found in tournaments while the remaining 500 are spread across ring games, especially Limit and NL Hold’em. All Omaha, Stud and Draw tables see consistent table action, more so in Omaha Hi and Hi/Lo. Other games are only active on occasion.

The juiciest ring game competition is found in lower stakes, mostly at Omaha and Hold’em tables. Freeroll tournaments are very loose, as are the lower prize paid tournaments, but the biggest events can become fierce at the final tables.

Carbon Poker Customer Support
Members of Carbon Poker will find customer support available 24/7 via email and live chat options. The staff is friendly, professional and very quick to respond to all inquiries and technical issues.

Carbon Poker Payment Methods
The online poker room provides plenty of payment methods to accommodate players from around the globe, including US player deposits.

Deposits: Visa*, MasterCard*, Click2Pay*, NETeller, Moneybookers, EcoCard*, eWalletXpress*, PIN-Debit*, PIC-Club*, Fonelinx*

Withdrawals: Click2Pay*, NETeller, Moneybookers, EcoCard*, eWalletXpress*, PIN-Debit*, PIC-Club*, Check*

* US player preferred payment options

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