FTOPS at Full Tilt Poker
For those of you not familiar, Full Tilt poker came up with an ingenious idea of having a circuit of events similar to that of the World Series of Poker, called FTOPS (Full Tilt Online Poker Series). Each tournament is hosted by one of the well known pros who frequent the Full Tilt tables. These tournaments have been hosted by well know players like Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Mike Matusow and Jennifer Harmon. Over an 8 or 10 day period there is a major event every day during the series, which attracts huge fields due to numerous qualifier tournaments and whopping prize payouts.
Here is how it works. A schedule for FTOPS events is posted and for weeks prior to that there are qualifying tournaments running all the time. Or if you have a big bankroll and don’t have time to play qualifiers, you can get in these tournaments directly by just paying the entry fee. Entry fees range from $100 to $1,000.
A variety of games are available in the series and this suits the Full Tilt community well because a lot of pros can play games other than hold’em, so FTOPS includes PL Omaha, PL Omaha HL and HORSE. Still though, the biggest fields come to play NL Hold’em where the amount of entries ends up in the thousands. In fact, the Main Event which was hosted by Gus Hansen attracted nearly 4,000 players.
Full Tilt Poker Report: In the Style of the WSOP, Except From Your Home
Computer.Everyone has heard of the World Series of Poker and the huge prize payout for the Main Event, but little do most realize that it is one of many events during the dog days of summer in Vegas where pros have long been playing WSOP tournaments yearly that include Razz, Omaha, Omaha 8b, Stud, Stud 8b, PL Omaha, Pl Omaha 8b, Pl Hold’em and the skill testing HORSE besides the $10,000 main event.
This is the reason why you hear about poker pros that have multiple WSOP bracelets, even though they have never won the main event. Phil Ivey and Allen Cunningham come to mind with several bracelets each. It is a much more daunting task to win the Main Event bracelets, than it is to win the $1,500 Omaha HL PL with 367 competitors! That is why all pros covet the Main Event bracelet most.
For us amateur players in the online world we have a similar outlet now, thanks to the clever marketing minds at Full Tilt Poker. It is called the FTOPS, or Full Tilt Online Poker Series. It sort of works in the same way in that players who participate in several FTOPS events have a chance to collect FTOPS points for placing in any of the events. The points leader is awarded prize money as well at the end of the FTOPS series.
There are a variety of events available including a John Juanda hosted 6 seated NL event that has a guaranteed prize pool of over $350,000. Mike Matusow will be boasting his tournament skills at an Omaha HiLo tournament with a $200+16 entry fee. While the main event, where most Full Tilt Pros will be participating is a $500+35 entry fee and sports a minimum prize pool of $1,500.000. Chris Ferguson is the host of this tournament, and last season’s FTOPS winner took home more than $225,000! Not bad for online poker! I am sure this season’s FTOPS will top $250,000 for first place while just making the final table will pocket a player about $20,000.
Other pros you will run into at the FTOPS are Erick Lindgren, Jennifer Harmon, Gus Hansen, Phil Gordon, Andy Bloch and Allen Cunningham. Watch out for Cunningham, he is one of the best tournament players around and made the final table of last summer’s WSOP record breaking payout.
Hey it is not the WSOP, but FTOPS gives you the next closest thing without the travel and 114 degrees in the shade thing.



