Yes, they took it away. Shocker, I know.

^ clearly just trying to do everything in their power to keep money on the site as long as possible with the hope that people will go blow it in the casino/sports book.

Why does a site that seems to hate poker so much have a poker site?

Because it draws people into the sportsbook and casino. Why do they have a poker site that they've obviously spent a lot of money on to build great software and a mobile app is the real question.

You'd think if they didn't want people to play here they'd put up some ****ty software like WPN has.

Because they will never lose money to play poker and there probably isn't that much difference in overhead having a poker site if they already have a book and casino.

Also when you have some idiots buying into tournaments 7+ times and generate $15 every time they do so it probably is a good idea to keep letting them do that.

I say it half in jest and half seriously about having a poker site, but they need to implement uniform rules to accomplish their goals. If they don't want mid/high stakes games, eliminate them across the board - don't just go after the players who happen to be winning those games (and there will always be SOMEONE winning them no matter what game you offer assuming rake isn't too insane). If they don't want players playing 16, 18, 24 tables, then make a reasonable cap for everyone like 10 or 12 - don't just tell select players they can only play 4, 2, 1, or 0 tables.

They DID get rid of all the rewards for everyone, so that was at least one uniformly applied policy, albeit a bad one IMO.

Trying to selectively apply rules to mitigate a preferred outcome reeks with problems. Not only is it ethically dicey due to the unfairness towards some players, but it pisses off customers, gets a bad rep for your site, AND requires overhead deciding who gets affected and selectively implementing it. Who oversees their gaming license? We should probably start sending the appropriate authoritative body some hand written letters about our concern over fairness and rigging the games. I'm not saying this would fix the problem, but it can't be worse than sitting on our hands doing nothing.

The only way Merge could get a worse reputation at this point is if they stopped paying players. They are known for being 1 of the worst run operations already.

The idiot I saw do that 2 Sundays ago finished 6th for an $1100 profit. Just sayin...

Depending on the tournament there is nothing wrong with reentering multiple times. An $11 $20K for example is a good tournament to drop 10 buy ins if you have to.

It's the guys dropping $2K into the $530 when you have to get like 3rd to break even in the toughest field the site offers that are ******ed.

This was the $215 w/ 7 bullets fired. 6th pl paid $2600. Of course he has an ROI and net profit I can only dream about.

If he's making money by getting 6th and breaking even by like 7th or 8th that's not that big of a deal if he's one of the better players. That's how I look at it when I reenter. It starts getting dumb when you have to win the tournament just to make money. If I can final table and break even I'll fire accordingly.

Have PM'ed (comments & issues) Carbon 2x about upping the OPS #19 5k R+ addon from 2000 to 5000 like all the other R+ events left.

Just get on live chat and talk to the poker reps. This is at least the 3rd structure they've messed up. $5 RB Monday had $1 rebuys (LOL), $11 $20K only paid 6.8% of the field (joke), and then this one lol. How hard can it be?

Shuttin down to watch last nite's NCIS/NCIS LA. Will return for OPS #19 and hope addon was increased. Just sayin...

When you waste resources policing who is winning mid-stakes games today so you can cap their tables, it might get tricky.

Here is my chat log I just had with a supposed poker customer service manager for aced/carbon...

Hello, my name is Ethan Moss. I'll be assisting you today.
Brandon: Hello Ethan
Ethan Moss: Hello Brandon
Ethan Moss: What can I do for you?
Brandon: Are you the poker room manager?
Brandon: Ethan?
Ethan Moss: Sorry...
Ethan Moss: Yes, I am
Ethan Moss: What can I do for you?
Brandon: I am having a big problem with my account
Brandon: I am not allowed to sit at any ring game tables anymore and would like to know why this is?
Brandon: I signed up with you about a month ago
Ethan Moss: Let me check your account, I'll be right with you
Brandon: ok thanks
Ethan Moss: Well Brandon for the details I have on the account this was a cardroom management decision, unfortunately further details or correspondence will be given
Brandon: well you are cardroom management so I would like to know why this decision was made.
Brandon: I have done nothing wrong
Ethan Moss: I'm the poker customer service supervisor, unfortunately this decisions are on top of me.
Brandon: So I do not get to know why my account has been banned from playing ring games?
Ethan Moss: I'm afraid that will not be possible, like I said this was a cardroom management decision
Brandon: How do I speak with cardroom management? This is ridiculous I have been playing on the merge network since 2011.
Ethan Moss: The only way it will be if you send an email to support@carbonpoker.ag, that email will be properly addressed to them
Brandon: you are telling me no where in your system does it say why management has decided I can not play ring games?
Ethan Moss: http://www.carbonpoker.ag/about-us/terms.html
Ethan Moss: You can read point 16. Shared Table and Database Platform
Ethan Moss: It states "the Company has the right to restrict you, in part or full, from accessing the entire system so that you may not play through any website or brand."
Brandon: Fair enough but I should be given a reason why this has happened.
Ethan Moss: Sorry Brandon, like I said it was a cardroom management decision, no further explanation will be given
Brandon: Wonderful thank you for your time.

I completely agree with you but they don't and they don't care what you or I think. As far as one player always winning that will be the case but there is a difference between a player that wins and a player that cashes out. Sure they may win playing cash games but if they go dump it in the book Carbon will surely let that player continue to play.

Ethically dicey to who? They are already operating in an "ethically dicey" business so I really don't think they are going to care what is ethically right or wrong. The only people it pisses off are the regs they are limiting and the only places it gets a bad reps are the forums where regs post. At the end of the day I don't think this will really have any negative outcome for them other than all the regs will be else where or cutback on tables so they are limited to how much they take off.

I also don't think the people that gave the gaming license will care because it says in the TOS that Merge is to be used for recreational play only and is not for professional use. So basically Merge is going to say that recreational players are fine with using 1-4 tables and if you want to use more you are using it for professional purposes which is prohibited in their TOS.

Wonder if they will ever confiscate funds because they were gained for professional purposes? That would be interesting.......

This is why we need legit poker in the states or we need to get the **** out. I'm leaning toward option number 2

Yea but when they do it in the nightly high rollers and they need 3rd to break even and they are rebuying with 7.5bbs I think it is slightly -EV

How late will you buy into a tournament? In the PLO8 last night you could late reg with 5bbs and I think that is pushing it. Also pretty ****ty they would even let people late reg that long but what the **** do they care.

I usually won't buy in with less than 10 bbs. Of course, if there is a tournament where it's 5 from the money with a few minutes late reg left I'll buy in with 5bbs because if I win 1 flip I'm most likely in the money and will be freerolling.

Normally I don't have to buy in short though because I typically build pretty large stacks early and wait to punt them off until it matters.

*As far as banning winning regs not effecting anyone but regs*

Once you ban a winning reg a lessor reg steps in to take his place and becomes just as winning. It's an endless cycle and eventually you ban everyone. All banning winners does is create new winners out of the break even players, then losing players can become break even, and so on and so forth.

1ionu, what do you play? HU, FR, 6 max? Are you bum hunting, playing in all games, or what? Just trying to get a gauge on who is being banned. I was restricted to 4 tables on Aced at first but then moved back to 16 after I bitched. Being on a $6K downswing probably didn't hurt either.

I play(ed) HU and 6 max 100NL/PLO+. Now I just play MTTs as I refuse to play cash here. Merge wins I guess...

nl200-nl600 6 max NLHE games. I pretty much just play the tables that are available. I am a long time merge customer and have won money on other skins so that too could have something to do with it as well.

I agree but like I said there is a difference between someone that wins and cashes out and someone that wins and dumps it in the book/casino or just rarely cashes out. If you get a list of all the common factors of people that have been limited I would bet they all multi table, win a decent amount, don't dump in the book/pits, and cash out on a regular basis.

From a business perspective it makes sense and they are just looking out for their best interests.

Do they? I know someone who just got banned there for "being too aggressive". They just banned him out of the blue.

He has paid over 6 figures in rake in 2.5 years and they just kicked him off.

Stars execs gotta be sitting back, rubbing cash on their ninnies, and laughing at these jokers for punishing players for winning at poker.

What a complete disaster. Merge management is clearly a bunch of incompetent fools. They will not be around much longer if they are punishing winning players. You gotta wonder how this goes down? Are there a bunch of suits sitting around in a board room discussing how to increase profit?

Does the CEO say, "okay Bob, we need to hear your idea on how to increase profits."

Does Bob then pitch the brilliant idea..."okay gentlemen, here's the plan: we get rid of people who win."

"But Bob, some have paid over 200K in rake over the last 2 and a half years?!?!?!"

Bob: "Who cares! Just get rid of them all! We can't have people actually winning money here! Then our non-segregated player funds will have to get tapped in order to pay them!"

CEO: "OMFG Bob...THAT might be the greatest idea I've ever heard! Lets implement it immediately!"

Auto table rebuy FUBR

The players you are referring to are the LAST players who are going to "win".

Sorry I don't follow?