Full review of Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker
Website www.fulltiltpoker.com
FREE DOWNLOAD!
Established 2004
Country Cost Rica

Special Features
9 world-class poker pro endorsers
Huge $600 sign-up bonus at 100% deposit match!
Cartoon style avatars
Choose your own background environment

Total score (out of 10) 6.50

 Sign-up bonus in $ $600
Deposit bonus in % 100%
Referral bonus per friend $0
Deposit free bonus $0
Paid to play ($/hour) $0

Hits
Different look and feel
High-action play money tables (with the stars)
Good traffic to be a brand new room

Misses
Withdrawal options are limited
Action very concentraded to no-limit Holdem
No high stakes games yet
Summary
Full Tilt Poker is an ambitious poker room that was launched in July 2004. Full Tilt Poker has a number of world-class poker pro endorsers, such as Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, John Juanda and Erik Seidel. The pros are not playing so much at the tables. The most action is at the low stakes no-limit Holdem tables and no-limit Holdem fixed schedule tournaments. The graphics are innovative with cartoon style avatars. The software is good and different, however not quite in line with the very best in terms of functionality. Real money player statistics - July 2005: 700-1100 ring game players at peak hours, 1600-2100 tournament players at peak hours.

Software and graphics
Fill Tilt Poker’s graphics have a different and fun look and feel. Each player chooses an avatar, which can display different emotions to add some spice. The player can choose among different background environments. The software runs quickly and reliably when we have tested the play money tables. Notes on players are supported. The statistics function is OK with decent information details. Overall, Fill Tilt Poker has good software.

Ring game traffic
Fill Tilt Poker just started in mid July 2004, but has decent traffic right away. The volume is very concentrated to low stakes no-limit Holdem. There are typically 700-1100 players at peak hours, out of which at least 90-95% is in the Holdem section.

Tournament traffic
Fill Tilt Poker has an initial tournament traffic of 1600-2100 real money players at peak hours.

Game variety
Full Tilt Poker has a decent game selection, with Holdem, Omaha Hi and Hi-Lo, 7-Card-Stud Hi and Hi-Lo. There are no-limit and pot-limit in Holdem and pot-limit in both Omaha variants.

Rake
The rake is slightly higher than the average of the industry. The rake is 5% and taken in tight intervalls. Full Tilt Poker has a "No Flop - No Drop" rake policy, like most sites. A maximum of $1 is taken out of the pots up to $1/$2 games. At higher limits, $2/$4 and above, Full Tilt Poker has a max rake of $3 and the rake structure is analogous to most other sites.

Soft competition
The competition has become very tough (it started out with average tough games in the summer of 2004). The fixed limit games are the toughest, where most average players will loose at almost any longer session. The no-limit games are a bit less tough, but still clearly more difficult to win at than at average online poker rooms.

Sign up bonus
Full Tilt Poker offers a 100% deposit match bonus up to $600 for all first time depositors. Playing at for example one $0.5/$1 NL table you will typically earn about $3-$6 in bonus per hour. The fine print. For each dollar raked from a pot, every player who was dealt cards for that hand will earn one point. You can earn partial points if less than one dollar is raked, and you can earn up to three points per hand. Each point is worth $.06, so you can earn up to $18 per hundred hands. The bonus is released to your cash account into increments of 20% of your initial deposit. So if you do a one-time deposit of $100, with each $20 you earn, it will be released into your account.

Loyalty bonus
They also offer a regular system with Full Tilt Points.

Promotions
Promotions with the stars coming up.

Support
Only email support currently.

Financial security
Good, as a relative newcomer but with finacial muscles and famous backers.

Deposit & withdrawal options
Deposit options: VISA, MasterCard, NETeller and FirePay.

Cash out options: NETeller, FirePay and credit card (with the usual restrictions)