Carbon Poker review

Poker room name: Carbon Poker Site address (url): www.carbonpoker.com Unique Bonus offer: 100% match up to $500 Bonus code: 100FIRST1K

Carbon Poker and the Merge Poker network are both relatively new players in the poker industry, although the player base and software have actually been around since 2005, originally on the Poker.com network.

Both the new site and network are off to a promising start, however, putting together some strong promotions already - including 15 days of freerolls for new depositors and some good live event satellites. The software is very good and playing at Carbon feels comfortable and "close-knit," if you will. The game selection is also quite good, with Razz and Badugi among the regular Hold'em, Stud and Omaha offerings.

Software - graphics and functionality
Everything software-wise at Carbon Poker is topnotch. It's got a nice look and feel and the colors are clear and crisp. The graphics are vector-based also, so they don't blur when re-sizing a table and are sharp and clear when multi-tabling.
The mini-view function is also great, allowing for eight tables at a time, and the statistics functions are pretty standard - the only downside really is not being able to export your hand histories.
The software also has some very cool original features, including a "rabbit hunt" function to see what the river would have been if you didn't fold, and "one card exposure," to show someone just one card if you feel like it.

Ring game and tournament traffic
Definitely not bad for a "new" site - the old Poker.com player base helps boost it considerably. Peak cash-game traffic hits about 450 players as of September 2007, with most players at the micro- and small-stakes No-Limit Hold'em tables. Peak tournament traffic is a little higher, coming in around 2,000 real-money players.

Game variety and competition
Game variety is definitely a strength at Carbon. A pretty full lineup of games is offered, with Texas Hold'em, Seven-Card Stud Hi and Hi-Lo and Omaha Hi and Hi-Lo leading the way. But for those who excel in the rarer poker variations - Razz, Five-Card Stud, Five-Card Draw, Triple Draw and Badugi - Carbon Poker is a real score.
Competition-wise, since it's a new site, you'll find a lot of players who are making their first online poker deposit and hitting the tables for the first time. Which is both good and bad - lots of inexperienced players, but unpredictable play can lead to some seriously bad beats. Regardless, games are generally pretty fast and loose.

Rake and tournament fees
The rake at Carbon Poker is fairly standard - 5% of the pot with a maximum of $3. They also have the standard "no flop, no drop" policy, so hands that don't make the flop stay rake-free.
Tournament fees stay pretty low too, with lots of low to medium buy-ins catering to the bulk of new players. They do have the odd higher buy-in tourney though.

Loyalty bonus and promotions
Players at Carbon Poker get points for real-money play, earning between three and 10 comp points per hand depending on the limits and blinds. Ten points are awarded for every dollar you spend on tournament fees.
So far, the promotions at Carbon stick to the basics, with a sign-up bonus, royal flush and refer-a-friend bonuses, freerolls for new players and regular satellites to live poker tournaments around the world.

Support and financial security
Solid all around. The parent company is an established Danish casino and financial security is strong. Support options are also good, with 24/7 e-mail and live chat to answer any questions. There's also a FAQ section on the Web site for the most common questions.

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