Bovada vs. Carbon vs. Black Chip

Enzo1089

Enzo1089

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I feel that those three are the three big ones for "real money" for United States players. I've seen some forums claiming that Bovada uses bots, which I'm not really sure I believe. Then, I've seen things about Carbon taking FOREVER to get the check from, and that their identification system is bad. I play on both Bovada and Carbon.

I haven't really seen anything negative from Black Chip, but then again, I haven't really been looking as I don't play on there. Also, I've seen some things on here regarding Lock...which I have no idea even what that is.

The point of this thread though is to ask the members here which poker client do you prefer/recommend for United States players? Which ones should I consider, and which ones should I avoid like the plague? Reasons why would be greatly appreciated as well.
 
Michael Paler

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I feel that those three are the three big ones for "real money" for United States players. I've seen some forums claiming that Bovada uses bots, which I'm not really sure I believe. Then, I've seen things about Carbon taking FOREVER to get the check from, and that their identification system is bad. I play on both Bovada and Carbon.

I haven't really seen anything negative from Black Chip, but then again, I haven't really been looking as I don't play on there. Also, I've seen some things on here regarding Lock...which I have no idea even what that is.

The point of this thread though is to ask the members here which poker client do you prefer/recommend for United States players? Which ones should I consider, and which ones should I avoid like the plague? Reasons why would be greatly appreciated as well.

If Bovada is using bots, they should ask for a refund. They don't suck out, they just suck. I really like Bovada. After I get donk smacked in an MTT, I can always make it back from the cash tables. Plus, you cannot track people using software, which I really like. This seems to cripple some folks play, boo-hoo.

Look, weak players make for many a suck out. I'm not sure what stakes (cash) or buy-in (MTT) you have to be in on ANY site that doesn't have horrible calling stations sucking out left and right. I mean, insta call the UTG 3x preflop raise with Qrag or Jrag suited sitting UTG +1 or 2? Sure, why not? sometimes they suc out, sometimes they get what they deserve.

I would avoid putting any money on Lock. The entire Revolution gaming network is having so many problems; search the threads here for more info. CardsChat no longer advertises their sites.

I like Carbon, but I think the RNG is horrible. Plus, something is odd. I have sat in at the poker host skins daily 2.25 freeroll, and seen quads in every one (they have several a day on the hour), sometimes several within a few hands. Many complain about the bad beats, but if you bet your straight into a flush, your flush into a paired board...what do you expect? So, have not seen too many quads lately. Who knows? Again, if anyone knows a buy in that makes the players actually play decent poker...let me know.

So, just look around, search the sites in the threads, and check it all out.
 
R3DRANG3R

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bovada has bots? im more inclined to think that carbon has a bigger possibility of having bots, i just see too much dumb plays on there. bovada is starting to grow on me. they need more traffic though.
 
Blobweird123

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Again, if anyone knows a buy in that makes the players actually play decent poker...let me know.

Sooo you want players who are good? I thought we wanted bad players. I'm confused. :confused:

And to the others, yes Bovada certainly has some bots. I tried it once for an hour back in September of last year just to see how good it was. It lost me 2 BI's at 5nl in that ONE hour hahaha. But it seemed that you can tweak the bot's every response to villains' actions. Therefore, if you are a very smart poker player with great skills toward applying things vs. villain tendencies, then conceivably you make a crushing machine! BUT, if ya got caught, you're screwed! So why bother? Anyway, most players that use them on the site probably have no idea how to configure such a bot that will always make the best decisions so I wouldn't worry about playing against most of them. In fact, if it's programmed badly, it will be 10x easier to beat than the actual player running it probably.
 
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bizro2

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I play both on Bovada and Carbon Poker. I like them both. I don't know much about the Bots. I have no problem with either of those two sites.
 
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buster999

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I like carbon poker the best. Best traffic and software for US players imo.
 
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Weissr

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I like merge software for some reason so don't mind carbon. Bovada/bodog is pretty decent if you can get past the anonymous aspect and crappy hand histories. Don't really care for Blackchips new software (Winning poker network) but they are a good reputable company. Haven't played a whole lot on WPN so maybe it just has to grow on me...
 
Aleksei

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I played at ACR with a pretty tiny bankroll (and lost it :\), and it actually kinda grew on me. It's really soft, it's great for tourneys because the GTDs always have an overlay (or come close to one), and it has pretty decent action at least at the micros. At NL100 and above it seems to mostly just have HU action, but I can't vouch for the skill level of NL100 HU players at that site.

Also it has this cute fold animation with cards flying that I really like. :D Like, when I make someone fold the effect is like "**** this shit, here, have my cards *snap*."
 
Enzo1089

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From what I've seen so far in response to my starting of this thread, it seems like I am playing online poker in the right spots as a US player. That again is, I play on Carbon and Bovada only, and I think it may just remain that way tbh.
 
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From what I've seen so far in response to my starting of this thread, it seems like I am playing online poker in the right spots as a US player. That again is, I play on Carbon and Bovada only, and I think it may just remain that way tbh.

Yep, can't go wrong with those two. Not sure how you could do much better as a US player.
 
Michael Paler

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Sooo you want players who are good? I thought we wanted bad players. I'm confused. :confused:

Donkey lotto plays that are kept to a minimum would be nice. A bad player might call with a weak hand; a total loon often sucks out until his luck runs out, taking you out in the process. Seeing one guy all in with AA, one with AK, and a loon with 94os UTG that limped in and called the two all ins, that then sucks out to win, gets old really quick. If a $10.00 MTT is played like a free roll, well, yes, I want slightly better players in this case. With a healthy smattering of weak players.

Is that (lol) too much to ask?
 
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djbh

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I think that bovada doesnt have bots because mostly everyone that plays on that website usaully deposits and chat room talking happens more on there than any other website it seems to me. But I think BlackChipPoker has best responses for usa cxashouts by far.
 
Aleksei

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Donkey lotto plays that are kept to a minimum would be nice. A bad player might call with a weak hand; a total loon often sucks out until his luck runs out, taking you out in the process. Seeing one guy all in with AA, one with AK, and a loon with 94os UTG that limped in and called the two all ins, that then sucks out to win, gets old really quick. If a $10.00 MTT is played like a free roll, well, yes, I want slightly better players in this case. With a healthy smattering of weak players.

Is that (lol) too much to ask?
It's not, you'll get better players at higher levels; but it's a stupid thing to ask. Most people draw out on you like 1/3 of the time with crappy dominated hands, but that still means you'll draw out on them 2/3 of the time and profit. If you're up vs good players they'll have better than you more often so that playing becomes a lot more difficult and ultimately you lose money, unless you're even BETTER than them.

The important thing to remember is that no hand is bulletproof. No spot is bulletproof. And being up vs better people isn't going to make that better, it'll make it worse.

Good villains aren't actually going to respect your bluffs, they're going to realize you have to be bluffing often and rebluff you or call down light. Or that you're not bluffing enough and exploitatively refuse to pay off your good hands. Or when they get all-in with you they'll have a hand as good as yours or better. And on and on.

The REAL problem with freerolls is that 1) they pay out to roughly 1% of the field (which spectacularly reduces your ITM rate), and 2) they're superturbos (which reduces your ITM even more). Playing stuff like turbo and superturbo 45-mans is profitable despite the lotto-like marginal structures and variance, because you can capitalize on the shorter game times to get higher volume (a 45-man turbo is done in an hour for instance, so given that you'll on average last something like half of that you can 4-table them and play 8 an hour). Freerolls, unfortunately, never happen more than like six times a day so you can't get that kind of volume from them So, while the game is +EV if your play is solid, your $EV/hour is something ridiculous like a penny or something like that.

The only public free-money game that you can get decent volume from is the Carbon funsteps, which have the added benefit that they're regular-structure yet are play money, which makes them donkfests, so that you have killer ICMs to just play super-nit and wait for everyone to murder each other. Also they don't get that much action but you can still like two-table grind them or something. In any case your $EV is WAAAAY better than for freerolls.
 
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Jslab24

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I like what pays out fast. Bovada then Carbon (even tho it's slower than BCP), BCP last only bc mtt lobby is so weak. Then lock is last. Prob shouldn't even mention Locks punk ass
 
Enzo1089

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Being that there hasn't really been too much of a consensus on here, I've decided just to stick with the three big ones that were posted at the beginning of this thread. I will be playing on Bovada mostly, then Carbon, then BCP. All under the user name Enzo1089. Hope to see you on there!
 
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