Here I Take An In-Depth Look At The Sit N Go Tournaments Offered By Poker Sites
Still Welcoming US Players
This article covers the best poker sites for Sit N Go fans in the US. There are still some decent choices out there – though high volume / value in these games is only really possible for those prepaired to mix and match with the structures / buy-in levels and table sizes. For lower to mid-stakes players who can live without 6+ tabling, the good news is that recent changes have been favorable!
Lock Poker left the Merge Network to form the all new 'Revolution Gaming' network - which means there is now some competition between the sites for US based players. This has resulted in bigger bonuses and promotions from both networks, as they try and out play each other to get your custom. Unfortunately there are still some state-level restrictions, though most states can access both Lock and Carbon Poker.
If you are looking for volume, my suggestion is to mix the Sit n Goes from both Carbon and Lock - while it is not ideal (especially with the blinds structures differing at the 150/75 level!) - this can give you a reasonable number of games while we wait for legal poker and bigger volumes... hopefully in 2013!
US Friendly Sit N Go Sites - Carbon Poker
Carbon are the biggest site on the Merge Network, and the biggest US friendly site overall. Even after Lock left the network their peaks are more than 7k players. Carbon have a great track record for handling payments and very cool software, Carbon also have a massive 200% matched welcome bonus (max $5k) + free poker calculator and access to 1 month of pro poker training.
Most of the action is at the $22 and below level, with evenings and weekends being your best bet for any bigger SNGs. There are plenty of choices available at the lower levels, including double or nothing, knockout bounty (the bounties are half of the buy-in) and super-turbo games - and of course the standard and turbo SNGs as the main offering. Games are heads-up, 6-handed and 9-handed (10 for Double-Ups). There are 2-table games and 20 table (180 player SNGs) also run. Finally satellite qualifiers can also be found in SNG format, with Steps SNGs now giving you the chance to win live tournament packages and seats to the $125k Sunday Major.
Great software and that all important liquidity are only part of the deal at Carbon - there are also the promos and rewards to consider. New players using coupon code CARBONPK get a huge 200% welcome bonus (max $5,000) + a free state-of-the-art poker calculator to start you off! After this the generous VIP rewards system (which includes daily cashback) will keep you topped up as with reload bonuses, leader-boards and a steady stream of 1-off promotions.
Carbon are my top choice for US SNG Players by a long way - Click now to check them out for yourself!
Coupon Code CARBONPK for your 200% match + free calc
US Friendly Sit And Go Sites – Lock Poker
Lock make a great alternate - I have chosen this site on the newer Revolution Network for their cool (black and white) software, big stable of poker pros and even bigger ambitions. With 7k peaks there is not quite as much SNG traffic as Merge, however this should not be a serious consideration for those players looking to play a high volume of games by mixing Carbon and Lock together. When I look at the Sit N Go for US players offerings in late 2012, there really is Carbon, Lock... then a big gap to the rest - with Bovada (formerly Bodog) having a small SNG offering and everyone else being negliable.
No Limit Holdem and PLO (including Hi-Lo) games at the $11 and under level are the bulk of the games at Lock. Buy-ins start at $1+20c for the standard games, with the very popular double-up and bounty variations having lower fees. Blind levels are 6-minutes (turbo) or 10 minutes (non-turbo) with tables of 6 or 9 players (10 for double or nothing games). Satellites are running to the biggest weekend tournaments the $25k and $15k guarantees, these games can run 5 handed.
Higher buy-in games ($22+) will run in the evenings and weekends, you will have to wait for a table though. My recommendation is that you join a game even if nobody else is registered yet, you will be sometimes be surprised how many ‘lurkers’ are looking for the same type of games and will join within a few minutes.
Games are softer than the equivalents at the old sites, reflecting the fact that the ‘pro grinders’ are not there. If you are a lower limit player who enjoys SNGs then this selection should be just fine for your needs! The good news is that the welcome bonus just shot up to 200% ($4k max) matched to your first deposit - and the promos are getting better and better too. Make sure you take advantage of the competition between the sites while it is hot!!
>> Click To Check Out The SNGs At Lock Poker For Yourself Now! <<
200% Bonus Code = SNGPLANET
US-Friendly Sit N Go Poker Sites – Distant 3rd Place – Bovada Poker
This site is the US arm of the Bodog brand - renamed as Bovada. I can not recommend them at the moment (later 2012) as I am not fully comfortable with the payments system for US Players. I am keeping an eye on the situation and will come back and update once I feel things are safe for readers.
With a small player pool there are not too many SNGs on offer - though the anonymous cash games did catch my eye as a great idea!
US Friendly Sit N Go Poker Sites – The Rest
It really is a small field to choose from as far as Sit N Goes are concerned. Americas Card Room and Bet Online network do have them, though only the occasional game above $5. Everleaf have now left, and there really are no good choices left until we see regulated rooms. I’ll link up to my reviews and let readers decide based on the whole picture – for me the SNGs alone are not enough of a reason to recommend these micro-sites.
Sit N Goes For US Players - Summing Up And My Top Pick!
Merge and Carbon Poker have the edge, their bigger player pool gives the sit n goes some welcome liquidity - and their cool software wins hands down for me! While I am optimistic that the increased competition will lead to more benefits for players, the SNGs at Lock Poker (Revolution Network) are not really big enough for true Sit N Go fans at the current time. If you want the extra volume of games then there is always the option of playing at both sites at the same time!
Claim your free calculator + 1 month pro training on top of your improved 200% matched welcome bonus at Carbon Poker with coupon code CARBONPK - I'll see you at the SNG tables!
Coupon Code CARBONPK for your 200% matched welcome bonus
Don't forget to bookmark this page now - I'll update on the US SNGs scene as soon as the situation changes!
