Carbon Poker Review: USA Players | Deposit Bonus
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|---|
| * Free Poker Training |
| * VIP Rewards |
| * Point Purchases |
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| * Traffic |
| * Withdrawal Times |
| * Overall Review |
| * Screenshots |
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| Free Membership | Deposit Amount | Monthly Net Rake* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Week Free | N/A | $50 |
| 2 Weeks Free | N/A | $100 |
| 1 Month Free | $100 (or more!) | $200 |
Carbon Poker is on the Merge Poker network and is currently available to players worldwide.** Carbon Poker and the Merge Gaming Network currently boasts the most poker traffic available to US Residents ahead of the Cake Poker Network. Instead of offering Rakeback to each player, Carbon Poker currently has a VIP Cash Back system in place. The big difference between the two is that as you play more hands and pay more in rake, the more VIP Rewards you get.
Carbon Poker is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (Canada), and the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta.
Carbon Poker VIP Rewards
| VIP Level | Rake Needed | Cashback | Point Redemption | Deposit Bonus | Max VIP Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | $25/month | 6% Daily | 6% | 13.3% | 25.3% |
| Wind | $75/month | 7.5% Daily | 7% | 13.3% | 27.8% |
| Fire | $300/month | 10% Daily | 8% | 13.3% | 31.3% |
| Water | $1000/month | 15% Daily | 8.8% | 13.3% | 37.1% |
| Ether | $2500/month | 35% Daily | 10% | 13.3% | 58.3% |
To receive free Grinderschool Poker Training, follow these 6 easy steps:
- Un-install the Carbon Poker software if you have it installed already -- DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!
- Clear your cookies in your internet browser -- DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!
- Download Carbon Poker and create your Carbon Poker username
- Make a deposit. No bonus code required.
- Create your free Grinderschool Username
- Input your information below and we will contact you regarding your account at Carbon Poker
Carbon Poker VIP Point Purchases
Back To TopAt Carbon Poker, you earn 10 VIP Points for each $1 in rake paid. Carbon Poker will exchange $10 for every 1000 points you accumulate which provides you with an additional 10% VIP Rewards. You also have the option to trade your points for items at the Carbon Poker store. In most cases, you are better off trading in your points for the cash instead as you will pay a premium of as much as 35% or more on items compared to their prices on Amazon. Plus, several Carbon Players have complained that the items take a long time to reach your household, although that is relatively true from any poker room online store.
Carbon Poker Deposit Bonus
Back To TopAll players will receive a Carbon Poker deposit bonus of 150% up to $750. It takes 75 VIP Points to release $1 of deposit bonus and will be paid out in $5 increments. Players will earn 10 VIP Points for each $1 in rake. This results in an additional 13.33% reward and will expire in 90 days.
Carbon Poker Traffic
Back To TopThe following table shows how the Merge Gaming Network compares to other online poker networks during peak hours:
| Rank | Poker Network | Peak Players in Lobby | Cash Game Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poker Stars | 200,000+ | 35,000+ |
| 2 | Party Poker | 22,000+ | 7000+ |
| 3 | iPoker | 18000+ | 6000+ |
| 8 |  Merge | 10,000+ | 2500+ |
| 21 | Cake | 3000+ | 1000+ |
| 33 | Winning Poker | 1000+ | 300+ |
The majority of traffic will be at the No Limit Hold'em 6-max and Full Ring tables. The Merge Gaming Network also has the most Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha and other side games compared to the other poker networks that accept USA players.
| Game | Type | Number of Tables | Total Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Hold’em | No Limit | 260 | 1600 |
| Texas Hold’em | Limit | 40 | 240 |
| Omaha | Pot Limit | 77 | 400 |
| 7 Card Stud | Limit | 8 | 55 |
| 5 Card Draw | Limit | 3 | 13 |
| Other Games | Limit | 6 | 17 |
The Merge Gaming Network has a moderate amount of SNG traffic at the $20 buy in and below level at a variety of games available including: 10-man, 6-man, Heads-up, Turbo, Super Turbo, Double Up, and Bounty. Additionally, players will be able to play in 1,000 to $10,000 Guaranteed tournaments a day at the Merge Gaming Network but expect the field sizes to be relatively small.
Deposit and Withdrawal Times at Carbon Poker
Back To TopGrinderschool recommends USA players deposit at Carbon Poker via Western Union, either online or in person at a Western Union location. USA players are limited to Check Cashouts only and are currently taking 6-8 weeks for withdrawls to be approved. After approval, the checks should arrive relatively quickly in about 2-3 days. Non-USA players have a variety of options for depositing and cashing out and have had no problems with significant withdrawal times.
We feel your funds are safe at Carbon Poker but USA players will have to be extremely patient with cashouts.
Carbon Poker Rake Calculation
Carbon Poker uses a “weighted contributed” rake calculation, which means that the amount of rake credited depends on the amount of money a player puts into a pot. “Weighted contributed” is often called “paid rake,” and means you don’t collect any points if you don’t see a flop, and rake is credited depending on how much you put in.Some consider it to be the most fair method for calculating points, because the “weighted” means that the players who put the most money into the pot receives the most credit toward points. For instance, if player A puts $10 into a pot, and players B and C $20, $2.50 would be raked out of the $50 pot, and player A would only be credited 20% of that rake ($.50) and players B and C 40% each ($1).
Unfortunately for some, this means your playing style affects your rewards. Tight players, who don’t enter a lot of pots and therefore do not pay as much rake, have a more difficult time amassing points.
Overall Carbon Poker Review
Back To TopCarbon Poker currently has the most traffic available to USA players, including cash games and tournaments and is the go-to site for Full Ring NLHE and SNG players. Additionally, Carbon Poker is currently the most popular poker room for USA players. The slow withdrawals for USA players are frustrating but this is a common occurance in today's online poker scene. The 45% Max VIP Rewards is excellent and the highest available to USA players if you rake at least $2500 each month (with the deposit bonus) to beat rakeback.
Carbon Poker Screenshots
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*Net Rake: Carbon Poker defines Net Rake as the total rake paid by a player minus deposit bonuses and VIP rewards
**Residents of Australia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Washington State, and Washington DC are restricted from playing at Carbon Poker.