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Full Tilt Poker was originally launched in June 2004 as the site where you could “Learn, Chat and Play with the Pros”. With its software “designed by poker players for poker players”, Full Tilt was the first online poker site to introduce fast-fold poker when Rush Poker was introduced in January 2010, and the site continues to pioneer innovations in online poker software.
The site was taken over by The Rational Group (the owners of PokerStars) in July 2012, who decided to keep Full Tilt as a separate entity rather than combine the two operations. The result is that Full Tilt Poker remains a popular online poker site, with cutting edge software, a lucrative rewards program and “officially” the best online poker bonus anywhere in the world.
Deposit Bonus at Full Tilt Poker
The deposit bonus at Full Tilt is a 100% match on deposits of up to $600.00. Although not the most substantial bonus in the world, the PokerNewsReport calculator has worked out that it is “officially” the cheapest to clear – with players having to pay $1,500 in rake or tournament entry fees to clear the maximum bonus at an effective rakeback rate of 40% (more on clearing the Full Tilt bonus below).
Unlike most other online poker sites, Full Tilt gives players a grace period of up to sixty days before they have to “Opt In” to the bonus program – enabling players to become familiar with the software, explore the features and choice of games, and find a level of play that they are most comfortable with.
Clearing the Full Tilt Poker Bonus
Once players have “Opted In” to the Full Tilt Poker bonus program, they then have sixty days to clear the bonus – or as much of it as possible. The bonus is released in increments of $20.00 (or 10% of the Full Tilt bonus if the initial deposit was less than $200.00) as players earn Full Tilt Points by contributing to the rake deducted from cash game pots, or paying an entry fee to compete in a Sit n Go (SNG) or Multi Table Tournament (MTT).
Points are awarded at the rate of 10 per $1.00 contributed or paid, and each $20.00 increment is released when players have earned 500 Full Tilt Points. Points also count towards a player´s “Edge” status – the rank that is held within Full Tilt´s rewards program – and can be converted into cash and tournament tickets or used to purchase goods from the Full Tilt online store.
The Full Tilt Poker Download
Despite its cutting edge innovation, the Full Tilt software is remarkably light, easy to download and install. The Full Tilt Poker download can be accessed from any of the links on this page, and starts as soon as you click the red “Play Now” button. The Full Tilt Poker download is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems, and the Full Tilt software will identify which system players are using.
We recommend that the .exe (or .dmg) file is saved into the download folder, from where players can start the installation. A Set-Up Wizard takes control of the installation, and the only thing players might want to change is the destination folder (a new one is created by default). It is advisable to read the End User License Agreement before completing the Full Tilt Poker download which, when finished, will launch automatically and invite you to create an account.
Full Tilt Poker System Requirements
A Full Tilt Poker mobile app which allows players to play Rush Poker is also available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices with iOS 5.0 and higher, and for Android devices running Android 2.3 and above with a minimum screen resolution of 800×480. The Full Tilt mobile download can be accessed for Apple devices directly from the App Store or on Android devices from the Full Tilt Poker website.
Setting up a Full Tilt Poker Account
Setting up a Full Tilt Poker account is equally as simple. When the Full Tilt client appears on your desktop, click on the “Create New Account” button. A new window will appear in which you are asked to select a player ID, a password and an avatar. You will asked to enter your email address, confirm that you are eighteen years of age or older and agree to the Terms and Conditions of playing on Full Tilt Poker.
Full Tilt will then send an email welcoming you to the site and inviting you to fund your account. It is not necessary to fund your account immediately, as Full Tilt Poker has a perfectly good play money site at which players can get a little practise and furthermore, you have sixty days to “Opt In” to the Full Tilt Poker bonus offer. It is important however that you verify your ID (with a passport, utility bill etc) so that there are no delays when you wish to withdraw your Full Tilt bankroll.
Banking at Full Tilt
Full Tilt provides a healthy range of options for funding an account – from the traditional debit/credit card, through eWallets such as Skrill and Neteller, Internet payment vouchers such as UKash and PaySafe, and directly from your bank account. A “Single-Click” deposit option also exists for players who want to top up their accounts in a hurry and players with existing PokerStars accounts can also transfer funds from one account to another.
Full Tilt Poker´s withdrawal policy is that cashouts will first be made to any eligible Visa card used to make a deposit in the first six months. Okay, it´s a bit crap if you don´t want to pay your bank´s fees and be skinned by the bank´s exchange rate, but that is about the only thing we found on Full Tilt Poker to complain about. If you have used an eWallet to deposit into your Full Tilt account, your funds will be sent there, or you can request a bank transfer (if you want to get skinned by exchange rates again) or Full Tilt Poker will issue you with a check in either CAD, EUR, GBP or USD.
FTP Cash Games and FTP Tournaments
Full Tilt Poker has probably got the most comprehensive range of cash games of any online poker site. We are not going to list them all here (we have bandwidth to consider), but in addition to the “regular” offerings of Hold´em, Omaha and Stud, there are “draw” games, “mixed” games and “Irish” to choose from, the original fast-fold tables of Rush Poker and the very fast tables of Adrenaline Rush Poker.
The tournament schedule on Full Tilt is also extensive, with clutches of games starting every five minutes in addition to the regular Sit n Go tournaments. The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) runs every quarter and is complimented by a mini-version (mFTOPS) which has buy-ins one tenth of the price of the full series. Satellites to the feature events in both series are practically running day and night, and often offer a little bit of value for those who qualify for the target events.
Full Tilt Poker Freerolls
There are a stack of freeroll tournaments running every day. The majority of them are qualifiers for the big weekend freeroll which offers tournament tickets as prizes, but new players can also win ring game tickets (effectively buy-ins to cash tables) in four “New to the Game” freerolls every day.
More experienced players also have the opportunity to win ring game tickets in freeroll tournaments which they can buy into with their Full Tilt Points. Full Tilt Poker gives away more than $35,000 in tournament and ring game tickets every month, so the freeroll tournaments are worth investigating irrespective of your level of experience – or your bankroll.
Promotions at Full Tilt Poker
There are always multiple promotions in progress at Full Tilt and, whether you are a tournament grinder or a ring game specialist, there is always something of benefit going on. At the time of writing this Full Tilt Poker review, players could win custom avatars for winning a special “Avatar tournament”, aim to take down the progressive “Double Jackpot” by winning two specific tournaments within one day, or collect a $5,000 bonus for having four entries merged in the special multi-entry “1-UP” tournaments.
Players chasing Full Tilt Points to clear their first deposit may be interested in the “Happy Hours” and Short-Handed Happy Hours” promotions in which players are awarded points at a rate of up to 3x the normal rate, or the “Early Bird” points bonus for being one of the first players to register for a Sit n Go game. Don´t forget that Full Tilt Points also contribute to your level and rewards in the Full Tilt Poker “Edge” rewards program.
Full Tilt Poker “Edge” Rewards Program
Full Tilt Poker´s “Edge” rewards program is probably unlike any rewards program you have seen anywhere else. It is a six level rewards program which assesses your status on the average number of Full Tilt Points you collect over a thirty day period or (if you are a recreational player who puts in longer shifts less frequently) a one hundred day period.
Players who reach the lower levels of the “Edge” rewards program are rewarded weekly with cash bonuses according to the number of Full Tilt Points they have collected, while players who turn over more volume get to exchange their points for cash and purchase goodies from the online store. There are also sixteen different monthly leaderboard competitions that players can opt into that reward the top three winners with cash prizes of up to $500.00.
Summary of Full Tilt Poker Review
In a word “sensational”. If you have not played at Full Tilt since it was taken over by the Rational Group, you are definitely missing out on something. The volume of games, promotions and rewards that players can benefit from is astonishing – and all on the best online poker software in the world (that´s what we say, that´s what Full Tilt players say!).
There is always plenty of action on the tables and, if you fancy a break, you can always watch the site´s professionals battling out at nose-bleed stakes. Full Tilt Poker hosts satellites into many of Europe´s leading live poker tournaments and offers (“officially”) the best first deposit online poker bonus anywhere in the world.
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