Okay guys. It's not a mob family, it's not an energy drink, it really is just a poorly named USA-only poker site. It's in beta, but you don't have to download anything, because they have their awkward, clunky client running for you on your browser (oh, the humanity; wait until you see this).

Right now they are only paying out, no cash games, no pay tourneys. People have actually cashed out and gotten their money, or I would never bother with this post.

If you look at their schedule of payouts and prizes, you will see that they are very ambitious. I can't imagine them ever getting as far as they are advertising. I mean, it's way over a million dollar payout on the HU sng's. No way they will generate that kind of revenue with their rotation of three advertisers, lol. It takes forever for the FR sng's to start once you get above step three or so. It also takes a while to fill the HU sng's past step four.

Another obvious flaw in their thinking is that no matter how high you get in their HU sng's, as soon as you lose or win any cash you have to start all over again at step one. So it took forever for me to get up to step seven, only to lose KQ vs. K2, and I got absolutely nada for it, and had to go back to step one. Guess I should have "played for cash." At least then I'd have gotten a nickel, lol

We don't even need to discuss the placement of the blinds in HU play (we have hashed this out a billion times in the NVG thread).

Anyway, feel free to sign up. It's clunky and it's beta, but it's free, and people have actually said in NVG that they have GOTTEN THEIR MONEY. So you really have nothing to lose. Cheers!

i play on it some and theres a thread with it already
yes its tuff to get up on it gut that also meens they wont have to pay out big bucks soon
i got stacks of 2 n 3s n 4s and 1 step 2 stt tried to do it but step 2 never filled
check the other thread
it is kinds fun and interestin till u wait at higher levels to fill

Link the other thread, please. I didn't see it on the first page before I posted, so it must be buried somewhere.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...-game-1244973/

Yeah, but this is the NVG one that I mentioned. Nothing in the Zoo that I can see. If you don't want it, Mike, no biggie, but I can't find anything on Cafrino in the Zoo.

Yes. That was the link to the one you and hott sweaty mentioned, for others' ease of reading.

Turning this into the Cafrino check-in thread. Drop your info if you are interested in moving through the steps and unlocking this big payout they are advertising.

List your screen name on Cafrino & what step tickets you CURRENTLY have. Specify single table or heads up.

So my check in is:

killaskip
Single Table steps 2, 3 and 6.

We will build from here. I just want to get an idea of how many people are willing to grind out these steps and where eveyone is as far as progress. The organization will come next.

My check in is:

Feliciana
Single Table steps: 1, 3 and 4.

Heads up steps: 1 and 3.

I've played a little on this site. And thanks Felicia for getting this thread started in "internet poker" - maybe it will draw some more players. (And thanks for your good posts and moving the thread along in NVG.

Ok - now on to Cafrino:

(Scale of 1-10)

Site name = 1
Software = -10 (yes NEGATIVE 10 - it's so bad but what can you do)
Speed = -5 (there is a 20 second or more delay between hands)
Advertising = 2 (its bad but tolerable as this is how they pay us - have to watch the discover card ads over and over)
Player base = 1 (it's so bad - PLEASE if you want a FREE place to play and possibility of making decent money COME PLAY HERE!! It's bad software and slow - but it's LEGAL in USA and it's FREE!!!)
Cost = 10 (it's free to play)
Withdrawals = 8 (people have got paid out pretty fast - it's directly to paypal for now but it's quick and easy)
Lobby = -10 (this is really bad - you can NOT log in to any lobby to actually see where anyone is sitting and wating for a game - this is one of the worst things about the site)
Multi-tabling = NON EXISTANT (unfortunately you can not multi-table - you can't even go on to the lobby or anything else if you are seated at a table)

My cafrino name is: Donkalish

Heads up tickets
Step 1 = unlimited (these are free)
Step 2 = 36
Step 3 = 26
Step 4 = 19
Step 5 = 13 (hard to get players to sit at step 4 and higher - you can wait a LONG time to get opponants - this is something WE CAN CHANGE!! COME PLAY!)
Step 6 = 7
Step 7 = 4
(Again - if there were more players it would be much easier to move up the ladder - the only real reason I don't have more step 5, 6,7 is there is nobody to play against!)
Step 8 = 0 (I've never got anyone to play against me at step 7 so this is where it stalls out)

Single Table Sngs
Step 1 = unlimited
Step 2 = 11
Step 3 = 4 (again it just takes too long to wait for a table to fill - I basically don't play much on the single tables and play mostly heads up - the table fills much faster - obviously)
Step 4 = 1 (this is where it stalls out for me - I don't have the hours to wait to have step 4 and higher tables to fill up... PLEASE COME PLAY!)

Multi-table tounies
I'm actually about to play in my first MTT Freeroll in 1 hour - come join me>!?
They have mtt freerolls everyday but I've never had opportunity to play in one.

So players - the softwared sucks (hopefully this will change)
The player base is so very low (We can change this)

Come join in and move up the steps!! It's free money - just watch a few commercials along the way!

-C

Enough with the referral names, everyone.

No problem, Chance. Thanks for the great post. You have a ton of steps! I have multiples, too, but nothing like that. Everything you said is pretty spot on, imo. I don't usually see the ads, because I had pop-up blocker on long before I ever got onto Cafrino. Every once in a while one will sneak in, but usually only if I have my browser not maximized.

The multi-table problem can be somewhat alleviated by opening another tab in your browser. You can watch the players left, the payout, etc. You can even watch another table. Sometimes you can play something like one HU and one SNG. Or one time I was able to play one multi and one SNG. Ymmv because sometimes we can and sometimes we can't (that includes Glenn, obviously). Glenn even found a plain HTML page to keep refreshing the players left and their tables. Here it is: Tournament Tables

There is something to be said about the MTT's. I haven't won one yet, but a couple of final tables. The thing is, they are so easy to cash in. People sign up, but only about 120 sit down. That means 50% are going to be in the money. Like one poster said earlier, it is literally possible to fold your way into the money. I don't necessarily recommend it since the only real pay-out is at the final table, but I have seriously cashed in every MTT except two, I believe. I don't fold my way into the money or anything, it's just that the software is so slow that maybe I can just steal a pot or two, and end up pretty short by the time the money starts. By which time I cannot maneuver much. Yeah, I pretty much always go for the win, but find myself cashing in 20-50 most often. Still, playing in 40 tournaments and cashing in all but two is pretty incredible (no, it's not due to my good playing, lol). I'm waiting for my Happy Meals before I cash out!

Oh - ok... didn't know that was wrong to mention - sorry Bobo!! No problem!

I forgot about this yesterday. Sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking since it is a free site.

Anyway, I hope the link to the plain HTML page is okay. I incorportated it into the text.

Aha! You know I am actually kind of (ok a little) computer savvy and this never occured to me!?!? LOL - thanks for the tip!

And as far as my step tix - I really didn't think it was a lot - it's just so easy to beat the hu games (as most 2p2rs that play there already know)... now of course when more and more serious players start playing - the pay off will be
-yes there will be available higher steps to play
-but they will be a much tougher field than now

We need it anyway - good players - bad players - ANY players!! It's almost impossible now to get any higher step table action... it's the worst thing about the site!

But - until then - if you have some poker playing spare time - just sit in the early steps and stock-pile them to the day there will be players and we can finally reach that (step 30 heads up) - or step 20(ish) single table big prize payout!

And congrats on your mtt wins Felicia - I'll be in the one in 30 minutes - maybe I can make a dollar!!

lol

Good luck everyone!

can't even fill at the first level :/

"Wins" aren't exactly what I'd call them, but thanks. I have a feeling saying what I did before might make things a little tougher, lol. But it's the truth.

Glenn is three-handed right now. Last night he got 4th, I believe. He sometimes busts out on the bubble (61st), but when he doesn't he gets to the final table more often than me. He wont million (okay, million peso).

Good luck tonight and see you at the table!

And I can't speak for anyone else in trying to get players to come to the site -- I have NO interest in the site itself... It's just impossible to get to higher steps and payouts without having more players!

I definitely did not want to sound like an advertismant for the site... (look at my ratings above!!)

But it's free money to make it through some step freerolls - just need the people to play!

Yep - standard! I think a lot of people (well the people who play on the site)_ were in the mtt freeroll - maybe the sng's will start filling again - but then again another mtt freeroll is about to start - so probably not!

Head up is mostly what I play - you can always find a step one game there! Heck I'll come sit one if you can't find anyone.

How do you play for cash? The option is grayed out for me (not that I even want to on step 3 anyway lol).

Turn on your PM's. I tried to write you and I can't. First you have to work your way up to the play for cash options, then you have to either hit that button or the button for advancement. If you play for cash you have to start all over again at the bottom. Same for the HU sng's. Doesn't matter if you win or lose, if you play for cash and win, you got back to step one.

Oh, and BTW, I had no trouble filling SNG's this weekend until I got up to step four. Friday and Saturday were pretty good. YMMV, you have to pick your spots.

I have a step 5 in SNG

I have a bunch of step 2 and step 4s in head up.

subbed

Glenn placed 3rd in the first Sunday double last night. He was never a huge stack, but just grinded along for a couple of hours and suddenly it was 3-handed.

Then the 8pm event started. He quickly became the chip lead, deciding to play loose and fast due to just finishing the earlier event and being tired. Instead he just kept sucking out (donk).

After a horrible suck-out, someone asked his how he could possibly 3-bet 43o. Actually, he came in raising and was mini-raised by KK.

Back when the average chip stack was about 2k, he had 12k! He was quickly up to 25k, but never got much beyond that. On this one he busted out at 4th.

He didn't make a deal, even given the enormous pressure of the other players, simply stating, "i wont million." When told that wasn't possible he corrected his statement to the above stated "million peso."

He is wondering what to do with his huge balance ($13). Upon deep reflection he has decided not to cash out until he can buy everyone (and the Getty's) a caffeinated drink at the Cafrino Bar in Brooklyn, NY.

Cheers!

Lets go all!

Step #2 SNG's! I have to make at least 12k by tonight.

Thanks,

Dpechal

I'm ready to play, have step tickets for steps 3-6 in the 9 man

I have a step 6 for the 9 player SNGs.

Starting a week ago today (Monday), I've been sitting at a step 6 table from about 11:00 am CDT until about 10:00 pm CDT and it has never had more than 2 other players sitting.

So 7 days in a row and step 6 has not started. If I choose the "cash" option, this step offers a grand prize of 13 cents.

On day 8, I am currently the only player at the step 6 table.

As I mentioned in the other thread, before a step 13 (with $14,878 top prize) can ever start, there needs to be a minimum of 207,000 step 6s run. If we can just get one of those running each day, then about 500 years from now a step 13 might start.

The hype in these 2 threads is beyond belief.

^^ this is why only hu is worth it. But then again I cant even find someone to fill step6