PROS
- Top 3 for real-money traffic from the US
- Officially authorized and governed
- The largest tournament prize pools on the American market
- Increases the maximum 100% bonus to $2,000 for our players
- Trustworthy Bitcoin payments in 24-48 hours
- Fast-fold mobile games are now available
- Game modes not seen on any other poker site
CONS
- Does not interfere with Heads-Up Displays (HUDs).
- Concerns that they are not adequately defending against bots
- Mobile software is deficient in game modes
- The vast majority of tournaments permit re-buys and/or add-ons.
Americas Cardroom Comprehensive
Never underestimate the deep roots of online gaming and the capacity of the online poker site sector to surprise you.
Americas Cardroom is a prime example, having begun in 2001 as an obscure spinoff of the defunct sports organization Betcris.
The rate at which internet gaming in the United States evolves makes it seem like a million years ago.
How has Americas Cardroom expanded to this extent?
They’ve emerged as one of the busiest networks in US online poker, with no one able to compete with their enormous tournaments, thanks to a chance to save the ailing Doyle’s Room and entice long-established but underperforming sites like True Poker.
Since the Winning Poker Network bailed out the aforementioned Yatahay sites, this was my first encounter with the network.
I had a personal boycott against what I saw to be another another failing, tiny US-facing network.
ACR is among the major sites open to US players.
Surprisingly, I’ve learned that this is currently one of the largest open networks accessible to US players.
Americas Cardroom trails just Bovada and is on par with BetOnline in terms of total traffic.
While I’m not a fan of 6-seated tables, America’s Cardroom offers them in abundance, with dozens of active tables up to the $5/10 level and a few full 9-seated ones. Not only is the traffic at Americas Cardroom high for Hold ‘Em, but also for games like Pot Limit Omaha.
Tournaments are a major attraction.
Aside from organizing some of the major tournaments on the US market, Americas Cardroom is mainly successful without anything truly outstanding.
The main event includes a guaranteed $1 million prize pool, which has not been seen in the United States since Black Friday in 2011 devoured the big boys.
The cheapest tournaments also attract 500-plus players, which is among the highest numbers in the US or international market.
The significance of ACR withdrawals is notable.
The game volume and speedy, regular withdrawals are the other two most appealing reasons to play at Americas Cardroom. Although ACR is most popular in the United States, it has attracted significant traffic from other nations as well.
The promotions are acceptable, with a 100% bonus and an average clearance rate. The behind-the-scenes work of America’s Cardroom’s customer service and cashier is noteworthy.
Effective teller
Americas Cardroom has strong roots in the earliest days of the Internet and, as a result, always appears to be one step ahead in terms of processing.
They always bring their own cashier to each network they join, and it invariably offers more options than their skin competitors.
Since more than a decade, withdrawals have been extremely rapid, which is easy to overlook but should not be minimized.
Americas Cardroom resembles the halcyon days
After 10 years of failures and blatant frauds in the business (Lock, UB), I’ve gotten rather sceptical about endorsing many US-facing online poker clubs.
America’s Cardroom has been a breath of fresh air during the years that I’ve evaluated them. ACR is demonstrating that brilliant concepts and solid implementation may nevertheless result in packed tables.
It closely resembles the good old days:
- Abundant tables
- Major tournaments
- A cashier who just works
Americas Cardroom is an obvious recommendation for US players desperate for a regular, high-quality poker home, providing they maintain their present level of service.
Note that Americas Cardroom is accessible to players in 43 different states. Louisiana, Maryland, Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, and Washington are restricted states.
Frequent Requested Information
What is the code for a 200 percent referral bonus?
ACR currently offers a 100% bonus to new players who use the referral code ACRBTF and make a deposit using any method. This is up to $2,000 in value.
Americas Cardroom: Is It Rigged?
Although there have been rare reports that America’s Cardroom players have colluded or used bots, I find no proof that the poker site itself is defrauding players. To discourage collusion, I would want to see ACR adopt anonymous tables and automatic seating.
Can America’s Cardroom be played on mobile devices?
Yes, but not for all cash games and tournaments. America’s Cardroom has just launched iOS and Android-compatible mobile software, but exclusively for Jackpot Sit and Go, Blitz Poker (fast-fold), and Cyclone satellite tournaments.
Pays out winnings to players?
Yes. In fact, the payouts are one of America’s Cardroom’s greatest features. I have been a player at this site for almost a decade and have paid out countless times without incident. Bitcoin is currently my preferred withdrawal method, as ACR sends it within 24 to 36 hours.
America’s Cardroom has been on a roll over the past few years, rising to the number two spot in the United States, holding $1 million tournaments, and introducing (in my view) the finest immediate bonus. They may benefit from a mobile client and fewer number-pushing tournament gimmicks, but they are moving in the right path.
America’s Poker Room Scams
I enjoy Americas Cardroom and believe they’ve done a lot of things well in the previous few years.
They have rescued struggling competitors, provided one of the most underestimated bonuses online, welcomed cryptocurrencies, and make it simple to withdraw funds. I continue to play often at ACR.
Despite these advantages, America’s Cardroom is not flawless. I’ve been waiting for years for them to resolve a few lingering problems, as well as a more recent cheating incident.
The former is likely more important to me than to anybody else, whilst the latter will attract the attention of every ACR player.
What needs work at America’s Cardroom?
Previously there was no mobile software, however now there is
Note that ACR now offers a mobile poker site with fast-fold cash games and a small number of tournaments. Future mobile support for all cash games and tournaments at Americas Cardroom would be appreciated.
Americas Cardroom’s absence of a mobile option is comparable to a modern company missing a website. There is no longer a distinct “smartphone segment” to ignore. This group represents the poker-playing population as a whole.
I am aware that official apps published on platforms such as the App Store and Google Play are no longer permitted. A poker app with real-money access for US players? That would be stopped before you could say “double standard.”
As a prominent poker site attempting to make a profit in the twenty-first century, Americas Cardroom is borderline irresponsible for failing to find a mobile work.
Americas Cardroom should pay developers the revenue of a day’s rake and make the software work.
In 2014, Bovada Poker debuted no-app mobile cash games and enjoyed the rewards. BetOnline Poker stopped dithering about mobile in 2017 and possibly made multi-table and tournament features even better.
Perhaps ACR is developing something for mobile devices. According to rumors, they do. When Americas Cardroom finally gets mobile, it will be years too late.
No private tables
This is more of a personal pet peeve (aren’t you a fan of alliteration as well? ), but I’ve been on Team Anonymous since before Bovada Poker created anonymous tables.
Simply explained, anonymous tables remove the usage of Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), which I feel nearly brought online poker to its knees in the late 2000s.
HUDs are predatory against recreational players, the very sort of player that the online poker business should not be attempting to bury.
Again, Americas Cardroom’s software development appears frustratingly delayed, but HUD-blocking is on the top of my want list for ACR.
There are currently no limits on the usage of HUD at ACR. My ideal would be for Americas Cardroom to have anonymous tables similar to Bovada Poker, but a partial ban similar to PokerStars will suffice.
Is Americas Cardroom sufficiently strict with cheaters and bots?
In early 2018, a mini-scandal erupted when famous online poker broadcaster Joey Ingram railed against the possibility of cheating at Americas Cardroom and the broader Winning Poker Network.
Although he presented a number of well-researched results, the most credible assertions included widespread use of cheating bots and collaboration by a ring of Eastern European players.
Americas Cardroom: Is It Rigged?
I do not believe that Americas Cardroom games are rigged by the poker site itself at this point.
Every website that has ever dealt a hand of online poker has been subjected to similar conspiracy allegations. It would be unnecessary suicide for a corporation that is currently making millions by merely hosting games and staying out of the way to defraud its players.
I’ve already elaborated on these points in response to many bogus accusations made against Ignition Poker.
However, it is still feasible for other online poker players to be cheats. Anyone may attempt to cheat in any situation, just as anyone can attempt to commit a crime. At that point, it is the poker site’s responsibility to halt them and safeguard its honest customers. This is their duty.
Response of the ACR to Bot Allegations
After Ingram’s allegations, ACR discreetly contacted and reimbursed impacted players, indicating an admission that some level of cheating occurred. This raises the question of whether they would have done so if they had not been publicly exposed.
It is commendable that Americas Cardroom has taken action, but it would have been much better if they had issued a public statement regarding the allegations that have tarnished their name.
Obviously, Americas Cardroom will point the certification of their random number generator (RNG) by iTech Labs as evidence that the real games are fair. Their certification is displayed openly on their website. However, this does not solve cheaters.
Instead of keeping things quiet and hope they would go away, why not sift out the cheats and dedicate all of your energy to ensuring it doesn’t happen again? Possibly, but as more time passes since the occurrence, it becomes less plausible.
I continue to have faith in Americas Cardroom, mostly because I’ve played here for many years and they’ve taken many excellent things. US players are especially deserving of success and respectability. Here’s hope they succeed.
Bonus at Americas Cardroom
Regrettably, Americas Cardroom has, at least temporarily, eliminated the free $50 component of their promotion. They have replaced it with a 100% bonus and an enhanced maximum of $2,000
The only one of its sort currently available online
Surprisingly, I feel this to be one of the most valuable and underestimated promotions currently available. Americas Cardroom just launched a $25 Jackpot Poker bonus for all new players making a $25 deposit.
For a poker site whose promotions have failed to get my interest for years, I am extremely pleased.
What is Progressive Poker?
Jackpot Poker is how Americas Cardroom refers to its Spin and Go tournaments, which have gained popularity among a part of the online poker community.
These are 3-player Sit and Go tournaments where the winner receives double the buy-in 70 percent of the time, and there is a potential for larger prize pools and even gigantic jackpots.
The blinds are tiny and the stacks are short. They’re not a favorite of mine.
Due to the short chip stacks, you receive 1/3 less of the prize pool 70% of the time for the opportunity of reducing your skill edge.
Wow, it sounds fantastic!
Play up to twenty of these Spin & Gos for free.
However, being free to play a number of them without cost? Who would not test it out?
Here is how it operates:
- Register and submit a minimum deposit of $25
- Americas Cardroom provides twenty Jackpot Poker playing cards
- Each day, you can open one of them from your account’s rewards area.
- You’ll receive $2 to $5 tournament cash each card
- You must open every day’s card or lose it
- You may utilize the daily free tournament dollars to enter a smaller Jackpot Poker buy-in or save them for a larger Jackpot Poker buy-in.
It’s an instant bonus with no days, which is nearly extinct today.
$25 grants the complete immediate bonus
ACR also offers the same 20 free tournament cards with a $25 or $250 deposit.
In fact, if you deposit $25 and collect all 20 cards, you will receive more free entries than you initially deposited.
Again, you must collect them daily, which is a brilliant tactic by the poker room to entice you to log in daily.
Save the ACR tournament funds for a $40 buy-in.
Jackpot Poker Sit and Go’s are available for $2, $10, $25, and $40 buy-ins, thus you are always assured a free entry for every card you open, since the buy-ins range from $2 to $5 every card.
You may also store them, which guarantees you a free shot at the $40 level if you collect all 20 of them.
ACR bonus is superior to play-through bonus in my opinion.
I may be a sucker for any quick bonus, but I’m more amazed by this than any pseudo-bonus that the competition offers.
The prize pool for the majority of these free Jackpot Poker luckbox Sit and Go tournaments is equal to two times the buy-in, so you have a chance to double your free money if you play enough of them.
You have a little chance at best to spin a massive prize pool.
Americas Cardroom allows you to try these things for free, you can win real money, and you do not need to play 891 raked hands on the fourth Sunday following the summer solstice in order to pay out. It’s a win-win situation.
How to Play Jackpot Poker for Free at America’s Card Room?
Follow these instructions precisely to earn 20 free Jackpot Poker entries and at least $50 in free tournament money at Americas Cardroom. This is in addition to the standard bonus of 100 percent that you will earn.
Download the software installation file from Americas Cardroom, which is available for both Windows and Mac.
Install and run the poker software. You will see this display. Click the “CREATE NEW ACCOUNT” button.
Complete the signup form, verify your email address, and log in. Utilize the reference code ACRBTF to obtain the whole bonus package.
Visit the Cashier and make a deposit of any amount. I choose to make a $50 Bitcoin deposit for this example, however the minimum deposit is only $25. It is also valid if you deposit by credit card, wire transfer, or any other method.
After your deposit has been completed, click “Rewards”, then “SPECIAL OFFERS”, then “$50 Free Tourney Bucks.”
Click the card for that day to win a random sum of Tourney Bucks between $1 and $6. Note that you must redeem a card daily or it may expire, as was the case with me. If you persist daily, you will accumulate 20 cards’ worth of free Tourney Bucks.
Click “Redeem Now!”
” button to add Tourney Bucks to your poker account balance.
Click the “JACKPOT” software tab and click Tourney Bucks as the financing source before clicking “REGISTER.”
Your Jackpot Poker match will open in this manner practically instantly. It is a three-player Sit and Go with a random prize pool. Typically, it will be double the buy-in, or $4 in this time. For 2x jackpots, many players would act irrationally and go all-in on every hand.
Your winnings, which are yours to keep and might be up to 2,500 times the buy-in, are hopefully in your possession. The winnings are credited as unrestricted cash that can be used for any reason. Remember to log in daily for 20 days and follow Step 5’s instructions.
You may actually play in 20 tournaments for free, or you can save your Tourney Bucks and join a $10, $25, or $40 Jackpot after you’ve accumulated enough.
Mobile Americas Cardroom
Americas Cardroom now offers the possibility to play cash games and tournaments on any mobile phone or tablet, although some years late.
ACR originally experimented with enabling just Jackpot Tournaments on mobile, but they have now increased the number of playable poker games. The visuals are appealing, and you may play many games simultaneously.
You may now play Americas Cardroom Blitz Poker cash games, Jackpot tournaments, and Cyclone satellites from any mobile device. No app download is required.
Simply log in to your ACR account from your mobile browser, navigate to the poker section, and the lobby for available poker games will appear. The mobile version of Americas Cardroom ran flawlessly on my outdated iPhone 6S Plus and should work on any smartphone or tablet issued within the last 5 to 7 years.
Both iOS and Android should work well.
The mobile poker games supported by Americas Cardroom make the most sense, as players can effortlessly switch between them.
Blitz Poker is fast-fold, allowing you to view hundreds of hands every hour and remain in ongoing play. Typically, jackpot tournaments conclude within 5 to 10 minutes. Cyclones are rapid-fold satellite tournaments that typically conclude in less than 15 minutes.
I adore any type of fast-fold poker and spend the most of my mobile time at Americas Cardroom playing Blitz.
Americas Cardroom will support all mobile games.
Nevertheless, I believe that Americas Cardroom is making a mistake by not offering every cash game and tournament variety on mobile. There are no conventional cash games, normal tournaments, or standard Sit and Go competitions.
I can see ACR’s desire to simplify the games available to mobile players, but why not simply give players the option to choose what to play? Companies who limit mobile versions of their product, thinking they know what I won’t do on mobile, have never had my support.
Give me all the poker site has to offer, and I’ll decide if I want to spend three hours in bed playing an iPad multi-table event.
Bovada and Ignition Poker initially restricted the opportunity to play in multi-table tournaments on their mobile poker sites, but ultimately added them in response to player demand.
Mobile poker offers a seamless experience.
Despite this, I’m a huge admirer of Americas Cardroom’s mobile poker app. The lobby features large buttons and game statistics. The table visuals are the same as the desktop version, i.e., they are darkly simple and contemporary.
There are quite a few buttons on each table, which I suppose might lead to some accidental touches on smaller screens. Tablets provide enough tablet space.
As with other mobile poker software, the most cumbersome aspect is entering a precise wager. You may prevent this by sticking to the pot-based betting buttons that are pre-set.
The manner in which ACR handles numerous tables on mobile is also notable. You can play up to four tables simultaneously, but I wouldn’t advocate more than two.
Every mobile poker game option is either 3-player or fast-fold, therefore if you attempt to play at four tables simultaneously, you will rapidly get overwhelmed and be eliminated.
On the left-hand side of the screen, Americas Cardroom displays a miniature image of your hands at each table. The table will glow red when your chance to act arrives.
ACR will automatically transfer you to the table you need to act on if you are not actively involved in another hand at the table you are observing. This saves a great deal of time and should not lead to accidental actions, as it is blocked if you have a hand on the table you are observing.
How to play ACR from mobile devices?
In my America’s Cardroom review, I’ve been demanding for literally years that this site provide mobile poker software. They missed the ferry so long ago that I assumed they had given up hope.
When I just departed the Windows edition of ACR, I was pleasantly surprised to see a banner promoting their new mobile poker software. I spent many hours reviewing it on my iPhone 6S Plus (headphone jack and home button for the win).
Similar to other online poker sites that welcome US players, Americas Cardroom does not need you to download an app.
Start by opening Americas Cardroom in your mobile browser.
After that, simply hit the play button and sign in to your account. No app download is required to play. It works automatically in your browser.
Additionally, the complete Americas Cardroom cashier is integrated into the mobile website, which is a plus. Either deposits or withdrawals are possible.
How iOS and Android mobile tables work?
Putting that aside, how does the Americas Cardroom mobile app play? Extremely good, which makes it more more agonizing that you can’t play all of the games.
You may register for up to four poker tournaments simultaneously, and the software will open your table as soon as the game begins.
The only available settings are to activate table animations and audio, which I enjoy. The mobile app of Americas Cardroom will emit an unique beep when it is your turn to perform.
There is also a chat box button, however I’m not sure why you would use it on a mobile device given that it occupies the full screen.
With the exception of a bet slider located in an unusually high vertical position, the game plays smoothly and operates quite well.
I never had any lag or bugs, with the exception of a strange server disconnect error message whenever I exited the lobby. This required me to log in again.
How multiple table play works?
How a mobile poker site handles multi-table play is always my first concern. It is the most difficult item to do on mobile since poker tables cannot be tiled as they can on a desktop. The software engineers must be imaginative.
Americas Cardroom mobile supports several tables identical to BetOnline’s outstanding setup. A mini-view that displays your hands at up to four tables may be expanded.
When it is your turn to act, Americas Cardroom has incorporated a very convenient function that instantly switches your table. If you are in the middle of another action, it waits until you have completed it before switching you.
ACR offers one of the greatest mobile poker table management tables I’ve seen.
Conclusions regarding the ACR mobile client
I’m thrilled that Americas Cardroom has finally caught up with the times and begun offering real-money mobile games. It is elegant, requires no download, and handles many tables quite well.
If ACR follows through on its ambitions to deliver all cash games and tournaments to mobile, the site will be nearly ideal.
Americas Cardroom Blitz Poker
In terms of game features, Americas Cardroom tends to be either extremely creative or extremely behind as a poker site. ACR’s addition of Blitz Poker is many years overdue, but I’m delighted they finally incorporated my preferred method of playing online poker.
The Americas Cardroom refers to Blitz Poker as fast-fold poker. If you’re familiar with online poker, you’ve seen this under various names elsewhere. Bovada and Ignition refer to fast-fold poker as Zone Poker, PokerStars as Zoom Poker, and everyone else by their own brand name.
Functioning of Blitz Poker tables
In Blitz Poker, each blind level’s players are merged together. Select the blind level, buy-in, and number of times you wish to open. Americas Cardroom will instantly open a 6-player table and deal you in.
After folding a hand, you are instantly moved to a new table and dealt a fresh hand with other players who have also folded.
As our collective attention span shrinks, Blitz Poker is the optimal technique to keep you interested at Americas Cardroom. There is no waiting for other players to complete their hands, thus continual thought is required. I am confident that fast-fold poker can protect against Alzheimer’s.
A rapid fold that reveals an abundance of hands.
If you’re just on ACR for a short time or have a hectic lifestyle, Blitz Poker is the best option. It’s aggravating to settle in at a poker table only to have to leave after folding 20 worthless cards. With Blitz Poker, you may view more than 200 hands every hour and fold until you are dealt a hand you choose to play.
Blitz Poker receives close to 100 players at 6 seats for $0.25/$0.50 and $0.05/$0.10, which is sufficient to keep the games continually active.
I’d like to see larger limits achieve sustainable figures, but with the large number of hands you can view, your average hourly win rate is higher than at a normal poker table.
ACR’s Jackpot Poker
Similar to fast-fold (which Americas Cardroom sadly lacks), 3-handed Jackpot Poker may be extremely fascinating because to the frequent decision-making. Here are some other significant features:
The Optimiser
This is a clever concept that can be seen in the Americas Cardroom page adjacent to the standard registration screen. You can specify the number of Jackpot tournaments you wish to continue playing in and their respective buy-ins.
The software will then constantly maintain that number of open slots, automatically enrolling you for a new one when one expires.
If you have enough caffeine in your system, you can have 10 tabs open.
As soon as you move the slider to the “ON” position, a flurry of tournaments will open, so don’t click it unless you’re truly prepared to play.
You can easily instruct the software to grid the tables, however it does not work particularly well because the action buttons for the top row of tables overlap.
Different felt colors for various rewards
I appreciate how the different prize pools have distinct felt colors, so it’s evident when you’re playing for more than the standard 2x multiplier. Here is the emerald I spun for a 4x yarn. You will encounter several 4x and 6x Jackpots if you play these sufficiently.
This specific Jackpot was playing because I came back from something like 50 chips and just kept winning shoves until I was back in contention, at which point I began to play more tactically.
All-in coin flips are a way of life when playing Jackpot Poker due to the small chip stacks and rapid blind rises.
Satellite Cyclone Blitz Tournaments
I give Americas Cardroom a great thing of credit for their continual experimentation with new (and sometimes bizarre) game modes. The Cyclone satellite tournament is one of the most innovative poker game variants currently available.
The notion of Cyclones seems peculiar. Cyclones are essentially a combination of step-based satellite tournaments, Jackpot Sit and Go’s, and Blitz fast-fold tournaments. At a 3-player table, you’re given 1,500 chips. Each time a player folds, the blinds increase rapidly and they are moved to a new table.
When you achieve 5,000 chips, you receive a tournament ticket for the following level. In a $10 Cyclone, for instance, you may win a $30 tournament ticket. You can then continue playing with the remaining chips to gain another ticket. Additionally, you can pay the difference between your chips and the next criterion to obtain a ticket immediately.
Surprisingly, I find Cyclones to be a great method to play a satellite game in minutes as opposed to hours. Cyclones is also playable on mobile devices.
The major problem I have with Cyclones is that with the three-player tables and turbo blinds, chance plays a far greater role than in a typical poker tournament where the blinds do not drive the action.
This is what you will see after you amass sufficient chips in a Blitz tournament. You may continue playing in an effort to obtain another ticket.
Americas Cardroom Bonus Deposit
It’s 100 percent and up to $2,000 valid.
As the years have passed, I’ve become entirely indifferent to the attempt to entice new players with large-font first-deposit bonus figures.
Americas Cardroom is capable. Everyone does it. I’ve simply gotten immune to it.
The primary offer at Americas Cardroom is a 100% bonus with a very high $2,000 maximum for our players.
Why I am less concerned in % play-through bonuses?
There are various reasons why I no longer care much about bonuses, including the fact that players might possibly lose a substantial amount of actual money pursuing bonuses.
In addition, the terms and circumstances for such bonuses are intended to be more complex than quantum theory.
What do bonuses really do?
Except in rare situations bonuses don’t double your money. A little percentage of your contributed rake is returned to you over time.
What’s crucial today is the release rate and the length of time required to earn it.
The typical ACR release rate is just that.
What about the pace of release and the time allowed to earn it?
I found both to be around average, with casual players unlikely to earn the entire thing pool.
Normal players at the $.50/1 NL level (average stakes) will likely earn between $1 and $1.50 per hour each table. This is roughly average compared to other bonuses.
In addition, players get 60 days (longer than many competitors) to release as much extra money in $5 increments as feasible.
Grant Points
All of this depends on Award Points, which are awarded to every player that contributes rake to a hand.
The software does an excellent job of displaying your progress, animating the numbers provided to each player after each hand.
ACR Poker Elite Program
The second major promotion is the Elite program, which has become common in poker rooms over the past few years.
Americas Cardroom likewise follows the industry trend of asking players to reach minimum monthly criteria to keep their Elite status, which I really dislike.
How you gain greater Rewards benefits?
As players earn more points every month, they progress through the loyalty program’s tiers and receive higher benefits.
These advantages include:
- accruing points at a faster rate
- fixed cash bonuses
- a location to exchange points
- occasional private freerolls
Medals of distinction
I find the military-themed cash bonuses to be the most intriguing aspect of the reward system.
Achievement medals are really posted to a virtual display on the account page.
Each time you achieve a new reward point level, you will receive a new medal, which you may then claim on the medal display page.
Most players win something, but just a few hit the jackpots.
The majority of players can win a few of $10 medals, but the medals go up to ludicrous amounts of $10,000+, which no player will ever achieve.
These top tiers are referred to as “levels of distinction” and provide substantial cash compensation.
They will also be unavailable to the great majority of players.
Instant tournament ticket bonus remains the highlight of ACR
Overall, this is a rather effective promotional bundle without a defining characteristic. The initial bonus of 20 free entry to Jackpot Poker is the component that any player may obtain.
The play-through bonus is ordinary, and the player reward structure is standard.
With the high traffic and tournaments attracting players, I don’t believe they have much room for improvement.
I cannot say enough about the hidden treasure that is America’s Cardroom’s immediate bonus. If you claim them daily, you will receive 20 free real-money Jackpot Poker Sit and Go entries.
Cryptocurrency at Americas Cardroom
Do not be frightened
A large number of potential Bitcoin users at Americas Cardroom are deterred by its too complicated description. Throw away that.
Yes, all of the code you hear about is important for the thing to function, but as a poker player, you do not need to understand how it works.
Check out my massive new Bitcoin tutorial for an absurd amount of information on how to utilize Bitcoin.
You are familiar with PayPal, and this is much the same.
You understand how PayPal works. Connecting your bank account enables you to send/receive money to/from your bank account and subsequently to/from virtually anybody or any online retailer.
In making this comparison, I am being a little too basic, but this is essentially how Bitcoin works.
All you must do to make Bitcoin function
- Register with an exchange (I use Kraken and Gemini)
- Acquire as much Bitcoin as you like
- Transfer it to your Bitcoin wallet to increase security (I use Bitpay or Electrum)
- Send it to America’s Cardroom or any compatible poker site
- You utilize lengthy sequences of characters as email addresses.
- When you’re ready to cash out, reverse the entire process.
- You’ll benefit from anonymity and inexpensive minimums.
It’s also superior than PayPal because the transactions are almost anonymous and your bank will only notice that you’re depositing to or withdrawing from a Bitcoin exchange. That’s irreplaceable.
Bitcoin deposits are absurdly low at $25, which is by far the lowest Americas Cardroom accepts.
Extremely rapid payments
It will likely arrive within 24 hours, with a maximum of 48 hours. No other technique can match this time.
There are no transaction fees in either way, and you can withdraw as little as $25.
Although it appears too good to be true, it is not.
Americas Cardroom does some things that nobody else does.
Incredibly, Americas Cardroom has generated more creative ideas in the past year than most of its competitors have in their entire existence.
I’m not a fan of all of these advances, but I’m blown away by their audacity.
There is a severe dearth of unique structures, promotions, games, and platforms in online poker, particularly in the US market.
The Cell
In terms of originality, I believe that The Cage is the most creative of the group.
This hybrid tournament/cash game has a buy-in of $1,000 and awards 1,000 chips. Satellites are usually available for $55 each.
How it works?
As in the legend of Wrestlemania’s cage battles, players are “trapped” within the game for five hours. You cannot repurchase or withdraw at any time.
Your chips have a real money worth, and at the conclusion of the five-hour session, you are paid out in cash based on what you have in front of you.
Significant errors with The Cage
It is a brilliant concept from Americas Cardroom that generates a great deal of attention. However, there are two major issues with the implementation:
- There are no possibilities for lesser buy-ins. They are missing a significant opportunity to acquire smaller players with a brilliant idea.
- As usual, Americas Cardroom raises the blind levels and antes to absurd amounts.
- At the conclusion, the blinds are $25/50 with $5 antes, so if anyone is left with a low stack, the game devolves into all-in wagers.
Instantaneous Americas Cardroom tournament payouts
According to my knowledge, this is another another online poker first. Tournaments at Americas Cardroom now provide “Progressive Payouts,” as described by the site.
It provides players with immediate tournament payments as they reach the money, with the rate of prize release rising as a higher prize position is attained.
Who is intended?
However, this seems like a problem-free option to me. Why is this valuable?
Every poker site distributes tournament rewards as soon as a player is eliminated. Why would you want it while you’re still playing?
The only purpose I can envision is for players who need to utilize that money to enter a new tournament or cash game while still playing a cash game or tournament.
I think that would be useful for players with limited bankrolls who don’t want to single-table a tournament in which they’re making money.
The Monster
Americas Cardroom has been extensively pushing The Beast, which is simply a rakeback chase with a fancy name. Every cash table, regardless of stakes, “contributes” a portion of its rake to The Beast. You “feed” the pot by playing in the game and donating rake.
After each week, the top players on the Beast leaderboard, who can often multi-table for 12 hours or more each day, get cash prizes. These chases have been a staple of online poker for years, but Americas Cardroom finally came up with a brilliant marketing strategy for them.
Spin to get in
I cannot emphasize enough how much I dislike this concept, although Americas Cardroom deserves credit for inventing it.
If a tournament is still accepting late registration and you are eliminated, you may purchase a lottery-style spin for a chance to rejoin.
Seriously? We already have the abhorrent Spin and Go format, and now you can roll the dice to rejoin tournaments?
I frequently feel like I went to this poker club to play the lottery, but a poker game broke out instead.
America’s Cardroom deposits
Here, the payments are grossly undervalued.
Every decent poker site appears to have one feature that is undervalued.
Americas Cardroom is well-known for their large tournaments and bizarre promotions such as The Cage, but they also have some of the fastest payment periods on the US market.
Beyond the one free snail mail check every month, I’m not a fan of the cost structure, but I can’t refute their reliable payout speed.
My Bitcoin payments proceeded without a hitch.
I recently made my first two Bitcoin withdrawals, and they went off without a hitch.
In case you missed it the first twelve times I told it, Bitcoin is currently the only banking option US players should consider.
ACR does not impose any fees for Bitcoin transactions, and I received one within 24 hours and another within 36. That is remarkable. One Americas Cardroom balance may be utilized for poker, casino games, and sports betting.
You must always begin with Bitcoin
Bitcoin should be your first pick if you’re an American player. In addition to being quicker, more private, and fee-free, America’s Cardroom offers better terms.
The minimum Bitcoin deposit is a negligible $10, and you will never be declined. Bitcoin is superior to any other e-wallet option on the poker market, in my view.
Even non-US players who can use transfer providers such as Neteller and Skrill should now favor Bitcoin.
Credit card deposits is decent
I believe that the vast majority of poker rooms accept credit cards for deposits. Obviously, few few really process them at a sufficient rate to be beneficial for American players.
Fortunately, Americas Cardroom appears to be one of them, with its strong roots in online gambling and the associated experience.
High approval rate with no down payment
The majority of U.S. credit and debit cards should be accepted without a block from the card issuer.
There are no extra expenses, making this a straightforward and efficient procedure. I anticipate that at least 60-70 percent of US credit cards should be processed without difficulty.
Make cash transfer your fallback
If credit cards are not an option, one of the two big cash transfer providers is probably your best option.
Today, you may either present cash at one of the apparently many grocery/convenience/check cashing outlets that provide it or send it online through their individual websites.
Even if your card is declined by the poker room’s cashier, it is quite unlikely that this will occur while using a third-party cash transfer service.
Pay the cash transfer fees for Americas Cardroom.
There will be costs of 10 percent or more, but Americas Cardroom is excellent at absorbing them when you make a cash transfer deposit of $100 or more.
Minimum ACR deposits
The minimum deposit is cheap, specifically $25 for credit cards and Bitcoin.
Optional choices
Other highly effective deposit options include sending a wire transfer or cashier’s check to the poker room, but with considerably more work.
The number of supported payment options is limited, but they are all highly efficient and effective.
Americas Cardroom Withdrawal Methods
- Bitcoin
- Credit card
- Transfer of cash
- Rating for Americas Cardroom Fish
Obtaining data for these tables proved difficult.
It was hard to determine the Fish Rating and real gaming data for Americas Cardroom in the same way I have for more than 50 poker rooms over the past decade.
Why?
Americas Cardroom offers the very worst online poker stats system I’ve ever encountered.
I could honestly believe that was intended to confuse the grinders, but if that was the case, they could have just left it out of the software.
What the issue is?
The average number of players per flip and the average number of pots are accessible for all normal cash games in every poker client version I have used since 2004. It is a standard component of playing online poker, as well as a bonus.
Americas Cardroom displays these figures, but it becomes immediately apparent that they are meaningless.
You cannot rely on these ludicrous lobbying stats.
You will see stats that defy logic and arithmetic, such as tables with an average of 100 percent of players seeing the flip (really? ), but the average pot is just $10 in a 6-seated $1/2 NL game! Say, isn’t 6x$2 $12?
There are also at least a dozen games with flop percentages of 50 percent or higher advertised around the clock, often at 9-player tables.
The ACR games are not as loose as indicated by the software.
Now, I’ve lived in the neighborhood since the early 2000s, when the aquarium was brimming with fish and pickings were bountiful.
Those games seldom reached 50 percent flop rates, and we won’t see those days again.
My hypothesis is that the software is built to have a stat history of a single hand, that they are intentionally misleading players, or that the coders are incompetent.
It is time for Americas Cardroom to remove this from their software or repair it.
ACR ranks significantly above average in terms of game looseness
In light of the foregoing, I awarded them an 8 Fish Rating, which is above average but not exceptionally soft.
According to my personal testing, the typical percentage of players going to the flip at nine-seat tables ranges from 25 to 35 percent, with the unusual 40 percent occurrence. That is rather good. On average, flops are worth 15-20 times the large blind.
Additionally, you should be mindful of how heavily Americas Cardroom favors shorthanded games. About 80-90 percent of all occupied cash tables are understaffed.
Quality of tournament play stands out
However, because tournaments are designed with a low skill-to-chance ratio, aggressive players and those who make judgments based on gambling stand out.
While I’m not a huge fan of them, it’s undeniable that the tactics Americas Cardroom employs to increase tournament prize pools also generate insanity.
Elements that relax tournaments
You have Jackpot Poker, which provides players with smaller chips and quicker blinds. Almost one hundred percent of multi-table tournaments permit re-buys and add-ons.
You have the ludicrous Spin to Get In system, which really lets busted players to play a lottery to re-enter tournaments.
Late registration continues for at least an hour.
ACR loves to degrade the skill edge
This is the precise formula that erodes the skill time, resulting in players who throw caution to the wind early in a tournament since they know they can always recover.
Players that favor slow, deliberate action, such as myself, might soon grow frustrated with this format, yet a large number of players enjoy it.
How should you best interact with the tournament player?
First, you should definitely factor in double the initial buy-in for an add-on. You are placing yourself in a difficult position if you are the sole player who does not receive them.
Also, isolation will be extremely tough due to the early wild play, so you should raise considerably more than normal (at least 5–6 times the big blind) to open with your premium cards pre-flop.
Unless you have a premium hand, you should generally stay the early action, since you will likely encounter blind all-in aggression from players wanting to double up or re-buy.
Use the age-old Doyle advice
I am a firm believer in the old Doyle Brunson saying, “play the opposite manner as the table.”
By nature, I may be the sort of Americas Cardroom player that waits for a premium hand before betting.
One of the simplest ways to lose at poker is to be stiff, predictable, and unable to shift gears when necessary.
Remember to open against tight tables.
It may not always be essential when you’re at a looser table, but when the table is full with inflexible nits, you must remember to loosen up and take control.
As fewer fresh players have entered the game over the past five years, many tables at ACR have become infected with nitty play.
Steal pots, be aggressive if you have position on the flip and detect opponent(s) weakness, and play more hands.
You’ll annoy the rest of your opponents, and you’ll have a hand to punish them sometimes if they decide to fight back.
The ACR Fish Rating in brief.
Overall, the cash games at Americas Cardroom have expanded dramatically since my 2013 evaluation, perhaps due to the influx of new US players attracted by the site’s increased visibility.
There is profit to be made in cash games that are weaker than usual, but do not trust the exaggerated figures you see in the lobby.
Tournaments in the Americas Cardroom
The Americas Cardroom tournament section is, in a word, outstanding.
Aside from the $1,000,000 guaranteed tournament, which is head and shoulders above the rest of the US competition, the daily guarantees and Sit and Go’s are just superior to everything else on the US market.
The busiest tournaments in the United States
I had assumed that multi-table tournaments with as many as 2,000 players and dozens of concurrent Sit and Gos were a thing of the pre-Black Friday era.
Not only do they exist here, but they are provided with gigantic overlays of up to $100,000 as a result of the large player counts falling short of the network’s specified minimum prize pool.
Americas Cardroom $1,000,000 assurance
Beginning with a $1,000,000 guarantee, it used to be held every Sunday with a $540 buy-in with satellites of all types operating around the clock for cheaper entrants.
The $100,000 occasion is no longer held regularly.
Unfortunately, this big event is currently being presented on a sporadic basis, most likely as a result of the great weekly overlays.
Re-buy re-buy re-buy
Even though re-buy/add-on tournaments seem to be the popular method for poker sites to increase prize pools these days, I continue to dislike them.
This concept is taken to the extreme by Americas Cardroom, where practically all multi-table tournaments are re-buys.
If you are playing “Million Dollar Sunday” or any other tournament here without the intention or budget for re-buys/add-ons, you will be at a chip disadvantage compared to the bulk of players that purchase numerous stacks.
An absurd amount of time is permitted for late registrants.
Combine opportunities
Even with re-buys, the most astonishing part of the Sunday Million is that the whole network averages around $900,000 in genuine player contributions.
Because the guarantee is $1,000,000, the poker room(s) must make up the $100,000, therefore the tournament begins with 200 paying players already eliminated.
I’m not sure whether that can be continued if the number of players does not rise, but while it lasts, it’s an amazing value for free for players.
Other smaller events frequently incur several hundred to a few thousand dollar overages.
Roundup of tournament schedules
The remainder of the tournament calendar is also pretty packed with hourly guarantees and prize pools ranging from $2,000 with a $2 buy-in to $125,000 with a $200 buy-in.
Every buy-in level is provided, as well as different formats, including 4-max tables and super-hyper-mega-$*% blind speeds.
Tournament activity
Every AmericasCardroom tournament appears to attract 200 participants, with the largest Sunday players attracting up to 2,000.
Those are exceptional tournament numbers that you will not find elsewhere that allows US players.
Sit and Go figures
Sit and Go tournaments with minimum wait times up to roughly $20 are quite popular.
There are scattered heads-up Sit and Gos up to the $200 level.
Incredibly, Double or Nothing tournaments are also popular for both Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha.
Demand-based freerolls
The on-demand $10 freerolls at America’s Cardroom are a great idea and the first one I’ve seen executed. Freeroll players (or those who wish to curb their impulse to bet on their actual table by doing it in a meaningless one) would welcome this.
These commence immediately when five players register, and late registrations are permitted indefinitely.
Excellent tournaments overall
In conclusion, the tournaments here are without a doubt the finest in the United States and maybe the best in the world.
Almost every player will be able to find something within their budget, and because to the enormous number of players, every tournament offers excellent value.
Even with annoying methods such as endless late registration and limitless rebuys on every event, tournaments are undeniably one of the poker room’s most attractive features.
The tournaments distinguish out for having the largest guarantees in the United States. Americas Cardroom is the only poker room in the United States to hold WSOP satellites.
Americas Cardroom software
Excellent original features hampered by flaws
I truly want to enjoy the Americas Cardroom software, and in many ways I do. They deserve a great deal of credit for thinking creatively and attempting some novel features.
More of this is required in the online poker market.
However, the Americas Card Room download is plagued by historical issues that have not been eliminated.
The exceptional Americas Cardroom software advantages
Beginning with some of the finer features, there are twenty-four visual themes. It is absolutely superfluous, yet changing the aesthetics may make things feel fresher and more enjoyable.
I enjoy the straddle option and other live-table options.
I think they are the only site that now offers the straddle option, making it a really intriguing addition. In this scenario, I’m a huge admirer of choices like as flashing one card, rabbit hunting, and straddling, as these are common at a physical table.
Why not provide these services online?
What is a straddle and how should it be used?
Straddling is entirely optional, but if you elect to do so, you must establish a third blind from the first position that is equal to twice the size of the typical large blind. As the action progresses around the table and you are the last to act before the flip, this becomes the new minimum call.
The straddle option is somewhat concealed behind the Sit Out buttons, but you may check it at any time to straddle the next time the blind is dealt. I enjoy using it to occasionally shake things up, even though few players employ it.
Want to experiment with something new?
Try playing at a lower level than normal and enabling the straddle. I promise that you will receive more activity since other tight players will either dislike you for raising the stakes or incorrectly feel that doing so inevitably makes you a loose player.
The time bank cannot be exploited to such an extent.
I also appreciate that Americas Cardroom players have to earn the time bank rather than receiving a large block of time, which is typically misused. You gain one additional second for every 10 hands played.
My gripe: the terrible lobby statistics.
Now for the irritations. As previously described, the experience begins in the lobby.
The software developers performed a poor job with game speed and player stats, since there are games that claim to be playing 100 percent of players on every flip despite playing 0 hands per hour. What an accomplishment!
This deprives players of crucial parameters that are often used while determining at which table to seat.
It is admirable to suppress information that may benefit sharks, but why not simply remove the fields instead of providing fuzzy math? I believe this is an unintended flaw rather than a deliberate design choice.
Broken waiting list
You can request to join any open table with, say, five or more players, but you won’t be added to any of them. You will be need to manually add yourself to each table, which is tiresome.
The absence of a “Bet Pot” button is vexing.
The absence of a pot-sized bet button while giving fractional pot-based buttons is an unparalleled blunder.
You can wager, for instance, half the pot or two-thirds the pot, but not the entire pot.
I can guess the intent was to increase activity, but the result is a slowed-down game that frustrates players.
If the bet amount is less, players are more likely to call and stay with a suspect hand.
Make careful to manually enter your bet instead than utilizing the inferior buttons.
To fully identify your greatest hands and get the most value from calling stations, you will frequently need to make pot-sized wagers.
At Americas Cardroom, you must manually put in pot-sized wagers or drag a small slider to the precise location using your mouse or touchscreen.
It is a tiny complaint, but it irritates me every time I play here.
The America’s Cardroom software provides several fantastic features, such as a straddle option and beautiful graphic themes, however the absence of a Bet Pot button and a malfunctioning lobby are frustrating.
Americas Cardroom Withdrawals
Utilize Bitcoin wherever possible.
If you’re set up with Bitcoin, and there’s basically no reason for US players not to be at this time, utilize it.
The minimum payment is $25, there are no fees, and you will receive your funds within 24-48 hours.
Americas Cardroom has never required me to wait more than a day or two for a Bitcoin withdrawal. That is remarkable.
Costs for alternative ways are passed on to the player.
Current ways of compensation include:
- Bitcoin
- Paper check by standard mail
- Paper check sent through courier
- ATM card
- Money transfer
I’m not a fan of the higher-than-average fees or the confusing structure, but I suppose it’s up to the player to decide if those are reasonable trade-offs for fast, reliable cashouts.
The market for check processors is not inexpensive, and it is evident that Americas Cardroom is passing these costs on to players.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to dispute with the results, which are now among the quickest in the business.
Once each month, paper checks are provided at no cost.
Once every month, paper checks may be delivered by ordinary mail for free (annoying), or they may be sent via courier for a $65 cost.
You should expect to get your free monthly check within 15 to 25 calendar days, but I give them credit for offering a free option.
Check reissues incur an absurd $250 charge.
Cash transfer is really rapid
Cash transfer gives you rapid access to your withdrawal as cash for pickup at thousands of physical locations, such as convenience shops and supermarkets.
The cost structure has been improved, with fees as low as $10. Transfer costs are proportional to your payment amount.
In addition to Bitcoin, which is the uncontested king of poker banking methods, Americas Cardroom touts cash transfer as their quickest payment option.
Typically, you will receive cash transfers within two to three days of requesting them, which is wonderful.
Method of debit card is rare and precious.
The greatest option to Bitcoin may be the debit card technique, which few poker rooms have implemented despite being an excellent concept.
The debit card option functions similarly to cash transfer, except:
- Smaller fees
- Improved convenience
- Greater anonymity
Using a reloadable debit card provided by the poker site, you may withdraw cash from any ATM. To get one, you must authenticate your identity by sending photos of your photo identification and utility bill.
There is a $5 monthly charge that is withdrawn from the debit card balance, as well as a modest reloading cost, but for frequent cash withdrawals, the ability to obtain cash on demand is difficult to beat.
Americas Cardroom Payment Procedures
- Bitcoin
- Check by regular mail
- Check thru courier
- Transfer of cash
- ATM Debit card
Americas Cardroom Assistance
One of the few to provide every significant mode of communication
Since more than a decade ago, I have praised poker sites that offer the following trifecta:
- Live conversation
- Telephone
The social media might be graded a 3.50.
PokerStars, the dominantly largest online poker site, is satisfied to let you to contact them and wait as if it’s 1998.
America’s Cardroom provides the Trinity and does a good job with it.
Social media is an option, which is rare.
Additionally, they are one of the few businesses who “understand” social media, since they operate on all major social networks.
If any US-facing websites bother with social networking, they miss out on a significant promotional and customer service potential.
Twitter is where you’ll most often find them.
Even though they have 6,000 followers, they rarely receive personal tweets, so they address support issues directly on Twitter.
Typically, the response is “DM us for further information,” but it’s good to receive fast reaction from a poker room employee.
Live chat is my favourite ACR option
In order to avoid chatting on the phone or waiting for an email response, I typically choose Live Chat for in-depth help.
The live chat agents were able to satisfactorily answer various test questions I made regarding deposits, losing my password, and how promotions functioned. It was evident that they were familiar with the location.
Email support durations are enough
Email response speeds are often within two to three hours, but I’ve had to wait up to two days for security department payout verification inquiries.
ACR offers live telephone assistance
The phone number for Americas Cardroom is 1-877-314-4195.
It’s toll-free, and I believe it’s available 24/7.
Overall, America’s Cardroom is far more accessible than the majority of its competitors, US-facing or not.
Americas Cardroom Visitors
As I mentioned in my general impressions section, I had avoided the Winning Poker Network as a player and a critic.
I had become weary of US poker room skins playing musical chairs with whichever software vendor offered them the greatest prices.
I assumed that Winning was another another compilation of second-tier American music.
WPN is among the top US traffic providers.
While this may be true of some of the poker clubs on Winning independently, Americas Cardroom has created the largest open network for US players and is among the top in terms of overall US traffic.
Currently, this is one of the greatest alternatives for US cash games.
The raw player counts at Americas Cardroom and the Winning Poker Network are exceptionally high.
Their daily reported cash table peak is about 1,000 players, and the actual cash table figures support this.
Approximately 20 concurrent cash tables fill up to the $.50/1 NL level, and at least 5 cash tables full up to the $5/10 NL level.
Yes, we are referring about crowded US tables with high stakes.
Six-player tables are absurdly dominating.
This poker room’s excessive prevalence of 6-player tables is the one trend with which I have a problem.
It is extremely rare for more than two 9-player tables per limit to be occupied.
Tournament attendance is great.
The most popular nightly $10 event usually attracts more than a thousand participants.
Daily tiny guarantees attract around 200 players.
The big homage to the glory days of online poker, the occasional $1,000,000 guarantee, attracts up to 2,000 players.
I never thought I would see these figures again on the US stock market.
Winning Strategy for Americas Cardroom Games
Adapting to tighter players
Adapting to the more timid, tight, and cautious players that occupy many tables has been one of the most shocking shifts for dedicated players who have followed Americas Cardroom from network to network.
One simple strategy for exploiting such players mainly relies on location and can serve the twin objective of grabbing the odd tiny pot and intimidating haughty players into shipping you large pots.
Rely on play after the flop
As I’ve progressed as a poker player, I’ve learned to rely on position and post-flop play far more than beginning hand rules and by-the-book play.
Acting last on the flop is my favorite aspect of No-Limit Hold’em, and improving just one difference of your game is frequently sufficient to convert you into a successful player.
What to do in place?
In general, these players avoid playing large pots with speculative hands.
If one of them raises from an early position, it is often for a valid cause.
I routinely call these players from late position with beginning cards that aren’t rubbish, but that I would almost never play from an out-of-position raise.
Examples include:
- 6-7 suited
- K-10
- A-J
- Any pair of pants
I can win in two ways if the majority of players at the table are cautious.
Avert your gaze from the riser.
With the majority of the table unwilling to participate in a raise, I am able to isolate myself and the raiser until the flip.
If he checks with a ragged, low-card flop, I will almost always bet into him.
If he makes a weak bet on a comparable flip, I will likewise call regardless of the outcome of the flop.
Unless the raiser is preparing a trap for the turn (which is rare), if he checks to me and I make a big full-pot bet, I will take a modest pot on the turn.
Theft of pots from nits at the ACR
You will also pick up a significant number of uncontested pots when checked to on the flop, as your opponents are playing openly and checking because they have not improved their hand.
If you do this often enough, the other players will likely become irritated and suspect you of stealing each time.
Laying ambushes for disgruntled players
Inevitably, you will either hit your speculative hands or conceal your sets and make large pocket pairs.
They believe they are setting a trap for you to check-raise, but they are actually just hanging their own nooses.
