Update Dec 2013: A cool new list of promos just got released for December, and some of these require play over 10+ days to get the full benefits. Check out the ‘Bankroll Builder’, ‘Winter Wish-List’ and ’99 Tournaments’ before you miss the opportunity to get some big cash in time for xmas! www.carbonpoker.ag
Merge continue to hold their own as a big force in US online poker. With peaks at around 7k and some big poker events, they continue to attract a lot of new players. What is surprising about this network nowadays, is that they are down to just a few ‘Skins’. Carbon Poker, who are the flagship site, are HUGE, while a few smaller skins do exist including Poker Host, these pale by comparison and are not able to offer the same level of bonuses or promotions as Carbon do.
This is not at all bad news for players (particularly if you enjoy the soft Carbon games!). As a single site with 7k+ players, Carbon Poker have the money to invest in bigger and better promos and deals – which in turn bring in more players… creating a ‘virtuous circle’.
Merge And Other US Sites: Lock Poker left Merge in 2012 to form their own ‘Revolution’ network (they since left and are now looking shaky!), based on the old Cake Poker Network software. After a strong start, Lock have floundered a bit and have some issues with slow payouts to contend with. Bovada (Bodog Brand) are the bigger rival, with their anonymous games and ‘anti-grinder’ policies attracting a lot of new players. My view is that rivalry between Carbon and Bovada can only be good for US players – I look forward to seeing how this shapes up in 2014.
Big New Merge Bonus At Carbon!! Carbon Poker – the leading Merge site, are now giving an awesome poker calculator / HUD for all new players…similar systems retail at around $100 – making this a freebie worth having. This is on top of the 200% bonus + 1 free month of pro poker training you will receive with coupon code CARBONPK – check out the Carbon Poker website now for more details!!
Merge Poker Network – Pros And Cons
Strengths of this network include their excellent software, which has a unique feature allowing players to trigger fun animations at the tables when you type trigger-words (check them out, it sounds strange just writing about them, but they are very funny and add a new dimension to the games).
Deposits for US players are another key strength of this network. Visa and Cash-Transfer options work great, and their dedicated support team are friendly and fast – after all, their livelihood depends on payment processing!
Soft games are the final pro… and I mean extra soft. If you want recreational games which are easy to profit from, there really is no better choice for US players at this point in time.
Cons: Well, smaller numbers of players mean that the higher stakes action is limited. Tournaments above $33 and cash games at $400+ buy-ins are rare, and the old Sunday Million type prize pools are a thing of the past. The silver lining here is that Merge are growing, and with this growth the prize pools are increasing too.
Merge Network Sites 1 – Carbon Poker
Carbon are the single biggest Merge site, and in my opinion a clear leader on this network for payments processing and for the size of their promotions. You’ll find some generous rewards including daily cashback and bonuses totalling up to 45% of your rake – in addition the massive welcome bonus of 200% matched to your first deposit (up to $5k max) + a cool free poker calculator / HUD.
Merge traffic tends towards ‘recreational’ nowadays, and you will find the games far softer than the ones you remember from the old US-friendly sites. You can read more in my Detailed Carbon Poker Review – or even better click here to check out the awesome Carbon Poker for yourself now!
Merge Poker Network – Aced Poker
Note: Aced have now closed and combined their players with Carbon, the biggest alternative is PokerHost.
Aced make a great alternative on the Merge Network – you will get the same tables (including the profitable Bad-beat jackpot ones!) as the rest of the network with some unique and distinctive branding. Aced were recently brought under the same umbrella as Carbon Poker, meaning you’ll enjoy many of the same benefits such as great service and best-of-breed payment processing.
Merge Network – 5 Great Reasons To Check Out Merge Poker Today.
1) The Animations: Even if triggering animations and cartoons from the tables does not appeal to you – it helps keep the games fun and friendly, and so very profitable!
2) Big Welcome Bonus (+Extra): You can claim the max available 200% to $5,000 matched welcome bonus and then get a cool poker calculator + free poker training at ‘Drag The Bar’ on top at Carbon Poker – simply use Carbon Poker coupon code CARBONPK when you register to get this great deal!
3) Tournament Promos: With more players than any other US-friendly site, you can expect the biggest schedule of tournaments too. Leaderboards (for both SNGs and MTTs) a 125k guaranteed Sunday event each week and some really cool one-off promotions.
Note: Carbon have just launched ‘COPS’ the Carbon Poker Online Poker Series, which is a tournament event guaranteeing $1.5 million in prizes!
4) Choice Of Games: NL Holdem, Omaha, Stud and HORSE are your basic choices, though Merge go a lot further than this, with 3 speeds of games and rebuys / knockouts in their tournament selection. Sit n Goes are well served too, with steps, double or nothing and hyper-turbo games all competing with the standard structures.
5) No other network has better US payment processing. More cards accepted, more options and more help from customer services. Carbon Poker and the Merge Network did not grow this big without looking after their US players really well.
Merge Network – More Articles Here At The Poker Bonus Network
- Merge Network Poker Tournaments
Even better than reading about it – why not get involved in the biggest US poker sites now… you will be in for a pleasant surprise. Claim 200% + Calc + Training at Carbon Poker now with coupon code CARBONPK
