Full Tilt
Full Tilt Poker is under new management, and has been relaunched as strong as it ever was before. Now under the ownership of online poker giant PokerStars, Full Tilt has the same great software and gameplay it was known for, backed by the marketing power and prestige of PokerStars.
The new Full Tilt client is sleek and streamlined; and while the company has shed its previous marketing strategy of being "The Place for Pros", Full Tilt is definitely still the destination for some of the top online poker players, including their new crop of pros led by Viktor "Isildur1" Blom. It is one of top poker sites in the world, and there are a lot of good reasons for that.
Despite a few weaknesses in the customer support and graphics areas, Full Tilt is incredibly well-run. With an incredible array of ways to customize the tables and the poker experience, a huge selection of different games and table, frequent promotions, a world-class VIP loyalty program, and the increased security and banking features that come with being owned by PokerStars, Full Tilt remains one of the preeminent places to play poker online.
Poker Sign-Up Bonus
Full Tilt now offers a very generous sign-up bonus that mirrors the offer of its new owner, PokerStars. Their first deposit bonus is a 100% matching bonus, up to $600. However, unlike some other sites, it is easy for almost anyone to take advantage of this bonus due to the flexibility of its release. Instead of just the first deposit, you can claim the $600 over the course of your first three deposits. Additionally, the bonus is released at the rate of $1 for every Full Tilt Point collected, in increments of 10% of the deposit value for 90 days, giving everyone a chance at claiming some of the bonus
Poker Promotions
Having always been considered a site that hosts huge tournaments and exciting promotions, under the helm of PokerStars, the amount of promotions and special events at Full Tilt has increased.
The Full Tilt VIP Program allows all of its players to collect points for playing in any real money game, with a series of tiers granting better rewards to more frequent players. A unique system of rolling point averages determines your level in the VIP program, so players with different playing styles can still benefit. You can use your points to purchase a very limited amount of things, such as online tournament tickets, but the real reason to strive for higher levels is the cash-back rewards that increase as you climb the ladder.
Even for those players that aren't at the top of the VIP program, there are still plenty of promotions to take part in. Tournaments, including the multi-million dollar Full Tilt Online Poker Series, are running each and every minute. You can also find freerolls, daily Happy Hours where double points can be earned, and all kinds of other promotions and races.
Software
One of the most attractive things about Full Tilt is its incredible poker software and client. It really has been built with the online poker pro in mind, and has all the features that any serious player wants and needs. With support for up to 18 tables at a time, as well as note-taking features, an automatic rebuy and top-up feature, and even the ability to sit out or return to all tables with just one mouse click, it was built for the serious player, especially the kind that likes to multi-table.
While the cartoony look of the tables can be a turn-off for some, it can easily be changed in the table options, where nearly the entire table and game client can be customized. Likewise, the lobby is clean and very easy to use and navigate, and includes a neat sidebar where you can track your VIP points or keep on eye or your waitlist or favourite tables.
Full Tilt really knows what players want, and have designed their client and gameplay to deliver a magnificent poker experience.
Games
Due to the sheer amount of players that Full Tilt hosts, there is always a game at the level you are looking for. During peak hours, you might have to wait a few minutes just to start playing at one table; that is how popular it can be. All of the standard poker varieties are there: Stud, Omaha, Razz, Draw, and of course Texas Hold'em can all be found in SNG's, Multi-table tourneys, and ring games.
Rush Poker is a system where you play a hand at one table and then instantly move to another, and has proved popular with players. Full Tilt also has some really interesting special tournaments, such as deep-stack tourneys, tourneys where you can enter multiple times and play at multiple tables, and Matrix tourneys where you basically play four SNG's at once and try to earn points. While some of these are pure gimmicks, they do draw lots of players.
Customer Service
Never known to be a strong point of Full Tilt, things have not seemed to improve with the new management. Live support simply doesn't exist, although there are ways to contact the company through email. Unfortunately, the best way to deal with any sort of problems with the site is to hope that you don't have any to begin with.
Banking
The security and financial power of PokerStars is evident in the banking and financial development of Full Tilt. They now accept most of the major online banking options including MasterCard, Visa, Skrill (Moneybookers), Neteller, uKash, and various forms of local online payment.
As an added feature for those players who also have a PokerStars account, it is possible to link the two accounts and freely transfer money to yourself from one poker site to the other one.
