I think the P2P policy has more to do with revenue. They need fresh, new money getting deposited on the site, not moving money around that's already there.

When the p2p stopped, there was some talk that the licensing for the Jazette cashier, which they had just switched to, doesn't allow transfers. It might be that Carbon has no choice in the matter.

Even cutting latereg down to 3hours would make a dramatic difference. Pretty sick of having a 50bb stack at 200/400, only to have a table full of shortstacks for the last latereg hour which prevents a big stack from opening nearly as much. During the 4th hour of latereg all the other stacks catch up and my big stack goes from 50bb to 25bb. This pretty much destroys your MTT structure.

You all should really play cash games

2 hour late reg max.....I would play a whole lot more MTT's during the week if this were the case. If they want recreational players, they have to understand that almost all of the rec players have 9-5 jobs, which makes grinding until 3-5am not that enticing to play.
Just my two cents...

Agreed about 2 hour late reg max. I use to grind the MTT, but almost 4 hour late reg is ridiculous so now I just do SnG or certain turbo tourneys.

Please forward to Kahn for me since he blocked me for complaining about the exact thing he now wants help with.

First, bring back the rebuys during prime time. For instance the $11 $5K at 20:00 EST always met or crushed it's guarantee. Not going to list them all, but look at the old schedule and bring back the majority of rebuys that used to be there. They almost never overlayed and people enjoy them.

Cut late reg down to 1.5-2 hours for the normal MTTs. Obviously it makes sense for the main promoted MTTs to be a little longer, but there is no need for anything above 3 hours, 2 hours being optimal for say the $11 $7k since it gets so many runners and takes like 9 hours to play. People who work(which are the main people we all want playing) can't play the current schedule every night without going off of 3 hours of sleep a day. It makes no sense to shut out the players the site so desperately wants to attract.

Start having tournaments without reentry. Rec players want to grind MTTs for 4-6 hours, not 8+. It also puts the recs at a disadvantage. It's hard to compete firing 1 bullet when most regs fire as many as it takes. Some may say that is a good thing, but every final table being 6+ regs for the most part is NOT a good thing. Like someone else already said, the late reg/reentry combo creates a ridiculous scenario in the last hour of registration. No longer can you take advantage of being a big stack deep because every hand for the last hour is all in pre for 5K. It completely ruins the structure and isn't the least bit enjoyable.

Here's a good example of why this is so bad; Last week I registered both a $109 and $33 that were 2 minutes from reg. ending because they were both under 5 people from the money. I doubled up once in both and then cashed both minutes later. At this point I had 15 minutes invested and had already doubled my buy in so I'm freerolling the people who have dropped multiple buy ins and have played for 4 hours. I go on to win them both in less than an hour and a half. You shouldn't be able to do that and it is really unfair to the people who played for hours to make it that far. It's not bad in the low buy ins, but anything $33+ you can basically hop in at the last second and min cash. It's absurd.

If you're going to keep reentries for the main MTTs, Sundays, nightly's, etc, limit it to 2 or 3 entries. You have people like 1Troy1 who drops 5+ entries in every single tournament he plays(and some times like 10 entries) and has the money and the skill to make it very profitable. It's pretty awesome having to eliminate 1 of the best players on the site and unlimited amount of times. When the really good players can take every edge knowing they don't have to fear elimination it makes it really hard for recs/weak regs to have a chance. Unless you have like 3 times the starting stack it's pretty dumb to not take every possible opportunity to hit a decent draw and stack someone as long as you can afford to get back in. Sure, you lower your ROI a bit, but you make up for it with winning more tournaments, more often. Having 10K doesn't mean much if you can reenter w/ 5K. Fearlessly trying to bink a 30K pot knowing if you wiff you only really lost 5k in chips is a pretty big deal. Never fearing for your tournament life is a BIG DEAL.

Merge has essentially turned MTTs into cash games with moving blinds. In cash the better players almost always win because they can auto top up to a max stack any time they lose. Eventually skill outweighs luck and they get it all back. That is what Merge MTTs have become. MTTs are popular because anyone has a chance to win if they are running good. Darvin Moon made it HU in the WSOP ME by running good, not being good.

The way things are currently set up if you aren't a top 25 or so MTT player on Merge you're losing a ton of money in the long run. Not only will the better players skill take over in the long run, but the worst of the worst players will disappear because they never win. This leaves you with really good regs and mediocre regs with the occasional bad reg/ fish mixed in. It's already starting to happen and is getting worse.

Check your egos at the door, 95% or more of the people reading this aren't benefitting from these structures. They scream recreational model but they are catering to the best players on the site without realizing it. You can shear a sheep many times but you can only skin it once. I think that's the saying any way....

Kahn, I played all day recently when I was snowed in, and the long registrations take some adjustments, but I can't sacrifice that much time to complete tournaments on a regular work day.

But i can go play the crappy anonymous tables and find 30 or 60 minute lates, 6 or 12 minute structures, freezeouts and rebuys, and better sitngo lobby to fill up my screen. Plus there isn't the bingo playing nonsense that defies logic and more aggravation that I'm trying to get away from in the first place.

Thanks for asking for feedback, and I will hope that we can see some direction changes in the future.

Shorter late reg I also work a normal job and used to play a few mtts a week now I only play sngs it's too bad

Truth be known, the most important thing that needs to be done is that Carbon needs to put a real Representative in these forums just like almost all of the other major US sites already have. If they want feedback on how to go about improving the tournaments, they need to ask us directly and not receive our opinions through a proxy. Your's is a very well thought out post, yet you are blocked from providing any kind of input, as am I, simply because Kahn only wants to listen to those who agree with him.

are players from NY still allowed to play on merge?

Depends on the zip code. If you're in the southern district most likely not.

Passed

Maybe ending late reg/reentry when starting stack would = 10bb would be a decent compromise to start with?

I also would like some cubes/rebuys back.

I would like the $5r and $11r plo8's to go back to nonturbo. I'm sure that will increase turn out for those.

Maybe more variety in satellites like some nonturbo rebuys or something. I'm not interested in $2 turbos to get a $33 or $60 entry, but something like $5-$11 sats for $33 or $60 entry might get more players.

IMO the blind structures are great, especially late. Don't mess those up.

is this network safe to deposit in?

i have been playing on Merge since black friday, April 15th, 2011. I have been paid every time I have requested it and I know no body that has not. There is a "Merge Withdrawal/Deposit" forum not far away, it is in the "Internet Poker" forum, look for it and you can see how things have been going as of late.

the payouts are usually a bit slower than other networks (WPN, Bovada) but again, they always pay. sometimes u can receive a check in 10 days but usually it is going to be closer to one month

cool.thanks man. will give them a shot.
I am hearing mixed things about cash-outs, but will give them a shot anyway.

My last check took like 18 days total time. I wouldn't worry about depositing. Choose Aced or Carbon if you do though. They are the flagship sites for Merge.

Completely agree about the blind structures. They changed them in October and they are awesome now.

It seems pretty simple to me, leave the early birds, nightly, 22:00 EST MTTS(but make them at 21:00 server time they currently end at like 4:30 AM EST) and night owls (move these up 1 hour to be 0:00 EST) and then add in the most popular tournaments from the previous schedule. That schedule was better overall, but lacked the daily flag ships. Go back to that, add the new stuff, and trim the fat and you have an amazing schedule.

Boom, bang, and powzers.

Khan,
The early schedule still needs a lot of help. I use to be excited to wake up on my days off from my "real job" to play from 6am to noon. Nowadays, there are only 3 or 4 games within that time frame worth playing. Most are tiny $1 and $2 games that are hardly worth anyones time. No reason there can't be a $500 gtd $11 buy in popping off at LEAST every hour, or even half hour. There would never be overlay and once people got word of it the old morning regs that USE to play every morning would come right back. Myself included.
Other than that, every other idea people have been stating sound good to me. Unlimited entries and 3-4 late reg need to stop or be cut down at least. Instead of unlimited entries, make 'em "second chance" where you can by in only twice.
I will skype you one of these days when I have time.
Thanks

I am done with Carbon. Got all my money off and moved on to Bovada.

Look for me I am usually player 28.

Nevermind, the new update deleted these all together.

Anyone have advice on how to log into the android app? When I follow the link and enter my username and PW it brings up a white screen that says "not found."

Player 28- why are you done with Carbon

I personally would come running back to carbon if they put up a schedule like they used to have before all of the changes. I always enjoyed playing there but when it got to were any good mtt to play lasted til 3-4 am my time it got were I could not play. I have a full time job and carbons current schedule is just unplayable. I also hate the 4 hours of late registration which should be capped at 2 hours. I have no problems with the reentries just would like less time for registration. Carbon has by far and away the best software of any option out there and I have never not been paid by merge.

+1

I actually like playing on Merge software better than Stars software which is considered the best. It's the little things you can do on Stars that makes it better.

I really hope Merge is serious about fixing the mess they created. I'd love to bring all (or close to all) of my MTT action back here because I HATE WPN and Bovada for tournaments.

I still think the absurd cash game rake has a bigger impact on MTTs than Merge wants to believe. Cash players are some of the biggest MTT donks and they fled the site long ago.