As the name of the site suggests, Americas Cardroom provides real money online poker in the USA (except those in Louisiana, New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada, Kentucky, Maryland, or Washington State), and also receives a noticeable volume of traffic from the rest of the world. Importantly (and there will be about this later), it is one of the few remaining online card rooms which distribute VIP points based on a dealt rake system. Want to know why this is such a big thing? Read on.

Americas Cardroom´s Choice of Games

The majority of the action at Americas Cardroom takes place on the No Limit Texas Hold´em tables, but fans of Omaha will also find plenty to keep them happy. Stakes range from $0.01/$0.02 all the way up to $25.00/$50.00 and, for players who want action at nosebleed stakes, Americas Cardroom frequently hosts “Cage” cash games that have a buy-in of $1,050 and last for five hours.

Sit n Go games and scheduled tournaments are also hosted in both No Limit Texas Hold´em and Pot Limit Omaha and many of them offer guaranteed prize pools. Americas Cardroom pays out more than $1 million each month through the guaranteed events in it tournaments schedule; although players on the look-out for value in these tournaments are advised to first check the often extended late registration periods!

The Level of Traffic on Americas Cardroom

The level of traffic on Americas Cardroom is not spectacular, but it is increasing much faster than most other online poker sites. Americas Cardroom has grown into the second most popular “offshore” poker site providing a product for online players in the US and attracts a significant amount of traffic from the rest of the world – particularly from ring-fenced countries in Europe where rake percentages have been increased and player benefits reduced due to regulation costs.

At peak times over the weekend it is possible to see as many as a thousand cash game players seated around the tables – especially on the $0.25/$0.50 to $2.00/$4.00 NL Hold´em Jackpot tables – and there are many hundreds more playing in Sit n Go (SnG) and Multi Table Tournaments (MTTs). Even during off-peak times it is never difficult to get a game, and it is often advantageous for poker tournament players to get online during the quietest hours when tournament overlays are more likely to exist.

The Standard of Play on Americas Cardroom

Like most websites that provide poker for real money, the standard of play at Americas Cardroom is varied irrespective of whatever stake you might play at. A useful tip that new players can use to identify the most successful players on the site is to look at the “Beast” leaderboard and make a note of the players at the top. These players are the ones who put in the most hours at the tables and they are usually the most profitable ones!

It is worth using the notes facility (right click on the player´s name) to record betting actions you have seen previously (As ever – players, then position then cards!), considering that players competing in the “Beast” rake race are likely to be the tightest, most aggressive players you will come across on the site. If you find yourself losing your bankroll to the better players at Americas Cardroom, it is advisable to reduce the stake level you play at until your bankroll recovers.

The Americas Cardroom Bonus

The Americas Cardroom bonus for new players is a 100% match on first deposits up to $1,000. It may not be the most generous among Internet poker rooms that accept players from the US, but it is one of the easiest to clear. While players are clearing the Americas Cardroom bonus, they simultaneously accumulate points towards the site´s “Elite Benefits” VIP Program and towards cashing a prize in the weekly “Beast” rake race or “Sit and Crush” promotion.

The bonus is cleared by contributing to the rake deducted from pots in cash games of poker or by paying a fee to enter a SnG or MTT tournament, with $1.00 of the pending bonus being released for each $5.00 paid in rake or fees. Players have sixty days in which to clear as much of the bonus as possible (if not all of it), and Americas Cardroom regularly offers reload bonuses if your account needs a top up from time to time or if you just like free money!

Important Note about Points Distribution

The terminology used to describe the distribution of points for bonuses and Elite Benefits on the Americas Cardroom website can be a little confusing for new players, as the site refers to “Award Points”, “Rank Points” and “Combat Points”; and point systems also exist for the “Beast” rake race, the weekly “Sit n Crush” competition and the “On Demand” freeroll leaderboard.

• Award Points are distributed according to a player´s “weighted contribution” to the rake deducted from a pot at cash game tables and/or when entering a poker tournament. These points register towards clearing the Americas Cardroom $1,000 first deposit bonus and any subsequent reload bonuses.
• Rank Points are awarded using the “dealt rake” method – where every player dealt into a hand receives an equal share of the points allocated in that hand, whether they pay to see the flop or not – and determine what Rank you achieve in the Elite Benefits program and what “Medal of Achievement” cash reward you are entitled to.
• Combat Points are what Rank Points are converted to spend in Americas Cardroom´s online store or to enter the site´s multi table tournaments. Multipliers are applied to Rank Points once players reach a certain “Combat Level” to increase the value of Rank Points which are awarded. Combat Points can be exchanged for cash bonuses or tournament entries.
• Beast Points are awarded to players at all cash game tables (in addition to Award Points and/or Rank Points) for the individual contribution they make to a raked pot when four or more players are dealt into the hand. These points contribute to a player´s overall position on the Beast leaderboard.
• The points system in place for the Sit n Crush promotion is based on the stake level of game that you enter (with additional points being awarded for playing in “On Demand” tournaments), while “On Demand” freeroll leaderboard positions are determined by the points awarded for finishing in the Top Ten places in each game.

Confused? Don´t be. The different points´ allocation systems soon become clear once you start using them, and can result in the promotions becoming quite lucrative once you participate in them.

How to Download the Americas Cardroom Software

The Americas Cardroom software is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems – although the Mac version of the software has only recently been released and is known to be a bit glitchy. A mobile version of the software is rumored to be in production and should be released later this year – if the rumors are true!

To download the Americas Cardroom software, simply click on the link at the bottom of the page and then the red “Download Now” button when you land on the Americas Cardroom website. The Americas Cardroom download is one of the quickest we have seen, and one of the simplest to install. When the file has finished downloading, click on it to bring up the Welcome Message. Click “Next” to select the folder destination (one is created by default) and then “Install”. The installation takes seconds and, when it is completed, the Americas Cardroom client will launch on your desktop.

Setting Up an Americas Cardroom Account

When the Americas Cardroom client appears on your screen, a smaller window appears in front of the client asking you to login. Click on the link which reads “Create New Account” to be taken to a secure page in your web browser, where you will be asked to enter a user name (this is not the same as your screen name – you will be asked for that when you first login), a password, your country of residence and how you heard about Americas Cardroom. Review your details, select “Other” from the “How Did You Hear About Us” drop-down box, and enter the Americas Cardroom bonus code “PRMBONUS”.

A second account set-up page appears on which you are asked to enter your address, telephone number, date of birth and gender. Hit the “Create Button” and an email will be sent to you, welcoming you to Americas Cardroom and providing information about how to fund your Americas Cardroom account. Simultaneously, another secure page opens in your web browser enabling you to make your first Americas Cardroom deposit.

Funding Your Americas Cardroom Account

The options for funding an Americas Cardroom account vary according to your country of residence, but normally include debit and credit card deposits via Neteller, Person to Person transfers via Western Union or MoneyGram, and several eWallet options including Skrill and Click2Pay. Bitcoin deposits are probably the simplest way to fund an account at Americas Cardroom because withdrawals are free and lightning fast.

Withdrawing funds to other deposit methods is slightly more complicated and only available after you have verified your account. If you have deposited via Neteller, the cash-outs will automatically be returned to that account. One free check withdrawal up to $2,995 is allowed each month (couriered checks attract a fee of $65.00) and MoneyGram withdrawals can be requested via phone, live chat or email (maximum $995.00). Withdrawals to Western Union are no longer available.

Americas Cardroom Loyalty Program

The Americas Cardroom loyalty program rewards players for playing online poker by enabling you to convert the Rank Points you earn at the tables into Combat Points which can be exchanged for cash bonuses, tournament entries and some pretty amazing stuff in the Americas Cardroom online store.

The loyalty program is based on military ranks and, as you collect more Rank Points, you rise through the ranks (Lieutenant, Captain, Major etc.) where your Rank Points are converted into Combat Points at a rate consummate with your status (i.e. a Colonel receives 2.5 Combat Points for each Rank Point he or she earns).

Most players putting some time at the tables should be able to reach the rank of Colonel (7,500 Rank Points per month) which would provide you with the Combat Points to pick up an extra couple hundred of dollars each month in cash exchanges or a free entry into the $115,000 guaranteed weekly feature tournament.

Extra Features available on Americas Cardroom

The feature we have not elaborated on is the “Beast”. The Beast is a progressive jackpot rake race which is hosted every week on Americas Cardroom. Players earn points towards their Beast leaderboard position by contributing to the rake deducted from Americas Cardroom´s “regular” cash game tables -not from hands played in the Cage though.

At the end of each week, the Beast prize pool is shared out between the highest Beast Points earners – usually a few hundred winners a week – in a mixture of cash bonuses and entry tickets to tournaments in which players can win packages to Americas Cardroom sponsored live poker tournaments in Latin Americas and the Caribbean, or in which players can win seats to the site´s most prestigious online tournaments.

The structure of the promotion is set up so that lower stake players also have a change of collecting something from the Jackpot pool and the Americas Cardroom poker client updates every second to show how much is in the Beast jackpot and who the front runners are for the major prizes.

A second leaderboard promotion is designed to tempt Sit n Go players. Called “Sit n Crush”, the promotion also revolves around a weekly leaderboard competition which awards cash prizes and tournament entries; with winners in the Sit n Crush promotion having their own satellite tournament with packages to sponsored events up for grabs.

Americas Cardroom is Most Suitable for:-

• Players in the US or in US time zones
• New or experienced players
• Tight aggressive players
• Players who want to qualify for Latin-American live poker events

Avoid Americas Cardroom if:-

• You limp into pots – tight players will have you for dinner!
• You want to play other games than NL Hold´em and Omaha
• You do not understand the benefits of dealt rake
• You live in any of the US states that have regulated online poker

Americas Cardroom Q&A:

Is it legal to play online poker for real money at US-friendly poker rooms?

It was never illegal to play real money poker in the USA. Laws were introduced which affected how payments were processed and Americas Cardroom adheres to these laws.

Is there a big weekly tournament on this site?

Americas Cardroom hosts the most valuable weekly tournament open to players in the USA – a $115,000 guaranteed event with a $215.00 buy-in. Satellites to the weekly feature start as low as $6.00.

Is the tournament lobby a graveyard after midnight like some other sites?

Not at all. Scheduled tournaments carry on throughout the off-peak periods and regularly offer exceptional value to those who can stay awake long enough.

Is it possible to multitable on Americas Cardroom to earn bonuses quicker?

You can multitable up to 50 tables at a time since the new software upgrade. Most computer screens will not be able to tile more than six tables at a time, but you can use the “cascade” option in the “View” tab to play more.

With the dealt rake method of allocating points, could you open up loads of tables, sit out and pick up stacks of Rank Points?

No, you have to be actively dealt into a hand to be awarded a share of the Rank Points awarded in each hand.

What are the system requirements for the Americas Cardroom software?

Americas Cardroom	for Windows		for MacIntosh
System Requirements	Minimum	Recommended	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	Windows XP	Windows 7	Mac OS X 10.4	Mac OS X 10.6+
Processor	1GHz Pentium	2GHz Pentium	Power PC G4	Power PC 5 or Intel
Memory	512MB RAM	1024MB RAM	512MB RAM	1024MB RAM
Disc Space	30MB	60MB	100MB	100MB
Screen Resolution	800×600	1024×768	800×600	1024×768

Do I have to fund my account straight away?

There are play money tables you can use to get yourself familiar with the software, but do not be fooled by the very loose standard of play on these tables.

Who pays the charges for a Western Union or MoneyGram deposit?

You do, unless your deposit into an Americas Cardroom account is more than $300.00 by either of these methods – in which case the site will cover the charges.

Does the loyalty program reward recreational players?

Not to such a great degree, but there are a series of $10.00 “Medals of Achievement” which you can be awarded over the course of a year once you reach certain Rank Point milestones.