Full Tilt Poker Review

Full Tilt Poker is one of the internet’s largest and most well-known poker sites. They opened for business in 2003 and quickly became a major contender in the industry by signing many well-known poker professionals and investing heavily in advertising. The poker site received positive reviews from the beginning and today it’s not unheard of to log in and find nearly 100,000 other players logged in as well.

One of Full Tilt’s greatest advantages is its dominance of the poker market. With so many players online all the time, Full Tilt is able to host thousands of cash games, tournaments and sit-n-gos at a huge variety of stakes. The same thing also goes for other poker variations – no matter what you specialize in, you can probably find real money games at Full Tilt.

Full Tilt Poker is already approaching a decade in the business and they have maintained a squeaky clean reputation the entire time. To date, there have been no issues with security, payouts or other problems that seem to plague smaller poker sites. That trust factor is a big one in the online gambling world and Full Tilt knows it.

Full Tilt Sign Up Bonus

For as long as we can remember, Full Tilt Poker has offered a sign up bonus to all new players. The bonus is given as a 100% match bonus worth up to $600 on your first deposit there. This means that if you deposit $450 at Full Tilt, they will match it with an additional $450. You can get up to $600 added to your bankroll with this bonus.

After you sign up and claim the bonus, the money is listed in your account as “pending” until you clear the bonus. This bonus is cleared and released in $20 increments as you earn Full Tilt Points by playing in real money ring games and tournaments. Each Full Tilt Point releases $0.06 of your bonus money and these points add up quickly.

One of the nice things about this bonus is that you get to keep your Full Tilt Points after you finish earning it out. You don’t have to redeem your points for bonus money or anything like that; the simple process of earning points releases the bonus for you. You can then use the remaining points to purchase gifts from the VIP store.

Ring Games

The selection of ring games at Full Tilt Poker is easily the best on the internet. They have more cash game players here than anywhere else. With stakes that range from $0.01/$0.02 to $2000/$4000, the poker room here appeals to poker players of all skill levels. And unlike most poker sites, the high stakes games at Full Tilt Poker actually have people ready to play any time.

Texas Holdem is obviously the most popular format for ring games, but it’s far from the only one. In addition to Texas Holdem, Full Tilt also hosts tables for Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, Razz and a variety of mixed games. Each of these poker variants is also spread at stakes that range from the very low to the very high.

Competition at the ring games is a mixed bag. Full Tilt Poker is a massive poker site that displays a wide variety in skill levels. The high stakes games can be incredibly tough at times, but new players are always joining Full Tilt. Your best bet at Full Tilt Poker is to practice table selection and look for tables that have the highest average pot size.

One of the biggest additions to Full Tilt Poker in recent years is something called “Rush Poker.” This poker format looks like a normal ring game at first, but it automatically moves every player to a new table as soon as that player folds. This completely eliminates waiting time in between hands in which you fold. It’s a difficult concept to fully explain in writing but it is definitely worth a look.

Tournaments

Believe it or not, tournaments at Full Tilt Poker may be even more popular than cash games. Poker on television is almost always displayed in tournament format and that’s how most new players get started. And with a player base as large as Full Tilt’s, there is plenty of tournament action.

Regular multi-table tournaments are always running at Full Tilt at a wide variety of stakes. New players can try out a few freerolls and more experience players can jump right in to high stakes tournaments that offer first place prizes worth $100,000 or more. Most of the biggest tournaments are held in the Texas Holdem format but there are also tournaments for every other poker variant.

Sit-n-go tournaments are also popular at Full Tilt. These tournaments also come in all varieties, ranging from your standard single-table-tournament to multi-table heads-up matches to single-table satellites. These tournaments can also be found at all stakes, with buyins starting out at just $2 and going all the way up to $2,000.

Software

The software used by Full Tilt has always been one of the site’s main selling points. The software was designed to be efficient, fast and easy to navigate. The graphics are crisp and clean but they do not go for realism. Instead, the graphics focus on displaying everything as clearly as possible. This comes in very handy if you like to multi-table and need to see the action with minimal distraction.

Navigating the poker lobby is easy thanks to the simple table listings in the middle of the lobby and a set of filters at the top. If you want to play no-limit cash games, you can click on that option at the top of the screen and the tables list automatically updates to show no limit cash games only. You can further filter the tables by stakes, number of players and average pot size.

The poker tables themselves are also equipped with plenty of options to help customize your experience. Players have the option to use four color decks (highly recommended), set up auto-rebuy features, change the chat options, choose an avatar and select from a variety of table themes.

VIP Program

Full Tilt Poker has a simple VIP program that rewards you for playing in real money games. For every dollar raked from a pot, each player who was involved in that hand receives one “Full Tilt Point.” In tournaments, 7 points are awarded per dollar paid in tournament fees. These points can then be redeemed at the Full Tilt store for some nice merchandise.

Once you have a decent points balance, you can visit the Full Tilt VIP store and exchange your points for things like new computers, flat screen televisions, iPods, video games, clothing and much more. Shopping at the Full Tilt Store can basically be compared to shopping at Best Buy without having to pay.

Deposit Options

Players can fund their account through a variety of deposit methods. Your location plays a major role in determining exactly which deposit options are open to you. For most players, the list of deposit options includes the following:

USA Deposits

• Instant eChecks
• Visa / MasterCard
• Cash Transfer

Non-USA Deposits

• Neteller
• Moneybookers
•  Click2Pay
• Paysafecard
• Solo
• Switch / Maestro
• Bank Transfer