Full Tilt Review

Why Choose Full Tilt?

Full Tilt has fallen a long way since it was shut down on Black Friday. Since its biggest rival, PokerStars, took the reins, the games have started up again and the players have come back.

Traffic has slowed as access to players in the US has been denied, but there's still enough to attract UK players. The fast-fold poker games, Rush Poker, is excellent, and there are some decent weekly tournaments to plough your bankroll into.

Pros

• Reliable software and lobby
• UK gaming license under current law
• Same, great interface and table design and options
• Lots of small-stakes cash players throughout the week
• Rush Poker and Adrenaline Rush Poker for cash game junkies
• Lots of SNGs and 'Flipout' tournaments exclusive to the site
• Welcome bonus worth 100% up to £600

Cons

• No celebs to go and watch
• No instant-play client available
• Greater focus on casino side games

Welcome Bonus

New British players to the Full Tilt site can earn a first deposit bonus worth 100%, up to £600. Bonus cash is released by earning F.T Points and redeeming them 10% at a time. There's a 60-day limit from opting in to getting to your total, so you'll have to get your skates on.

Welcome freerolls are also held twice a day. Depositing gets you entry into the freerolls, and the tournaments offer £200 of tournament tickets.

Other Bonuses and Promotions

Like other online poker rooms that have branched out into casino games, Full Tilt has various bonuses based on their slots and roulette games.

As a result, poker bonuses are a little sporadic at Full Tilt. The 'Snowball' bonus prize draw offers £10,000 worth of goodies for any depositors. There's a VIP holiday costing £7,500 up for grabs, as well as £2,500 in Ring Game tokens.

Avatars have always been a big feature of Full Tilt, and bonus 'Avatar Tournaments' with special characters up for grabs. If you hanker for an American Eagle or Triceratops as your avatar, you'll want to take part.

Software

Even though the firm was snapped up by PokerStars' parent, Rational, following Black Friday, the same familiar software has remained.

There's a great download client available for both Windows and Mac and the same avatars can be picked when you open an account.

Full Tilt's once-haphazard lobby has been tidied up a bit. Like other sites, the lobby can be customised using 'Lobby Widgets'. These let you pick out your favourite daily and weekly tournaments and cash games to revisit later.

Customer Support

Full Tilt offers many ways to contact the Customer Service team. We found that our enquiries were answered quickly using the on-site form, while the Instant Chat service puts it above certain other online poker rivals.

Cash Games

The nosebleed players may have departed for PokerStars, but there is still enough cash game action for the rest of us.

There's a 'no drop, no flop' policy on cash games, as with other major online sites. Games start from just £0.01/£0.02, and the traffic at the low-stakes No Limit Hold'em tables is strong throughout the evening and at weekends.

Tournaments and Sit 'N Go's

Full Tilt runs an excellent selection of SNGs, freerolls and regular tournaments. The daily '1UP Multi-Entry' Tournaments has a guaranteed prizepool of £1,500 and some exciting bonus cash prizes.

Big United Kingdom players can enjoy the 'Sunday Major' which carries a £250 buy-in. It doesn't quite boast the numbers of PokerStars' Sunday Million but the guarantee is only a paltry £60,000. Your Sunday line-up is completed by the 'Sunday Brawl'. Taking place each Sunday (funnily enough), the Brawl is a Progressive Knockout tournament where bounties are placed on your head and the head of anyone who takes you out.

Special series include the famous FTOPS and MiniFTOPS (Full Tilt Online Poker Series) which usually guarantees millions of dollars in cash across its schedule of events.