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Full Tilt Poker logo

Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room launched in June 2004 with the involvement of a team of poker professionals, among them Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson. It was the second largest online poker card room in the world, after PokerStars.

Full Tilt Poker was registered in Alderney, regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission under the name Filco Limited; and France, regulated by ARJEL under the name Rekop Limited.

On April 15, 2011, Full Tilt Poker was one of several online poker operators to have its .com domain seized by United States law-enforcement authorities as part of a series of indictments of the sites' owners and employees. The Full Tilt Poker homepage was replaced with a notice of the seizure until the domain was reinstated on April 20.

On June 29, 2011 Alderney Gambling Control Commission suspended Full Tilt Poker licenses. This decision follows a special investigation prompted by the indictments unsealed by US Attorney General’s Office in the Southern District of New York on 15th April 2011, during which grounds were found to indicate that these licensees and their business associates were operating contrary to Alderney legislation.

Games offered

Full Tilt offers both play and real money ring games (also known as "cash games") and tournaments. Freeroll, satellite, sit-n-go, and multi-table tournaments take place throughout the day and often include participation from Full Tilt’s sponsored professionals. The site offers the following poker variations in limit, pot-limit, and no-limit: Texas Holdem, Omaha, and Omaha 8 or Better (a.k.a. Omaha hi/lo). The site also offers limit Razz, Stud, Stud 8 or Better, Draw poker variants and mixed games such as HORSE. Stakes range from $0.01/$0.02 blinds to $3000/$6000 blinds.

In early 2010, Full Tilt introduced a new poker variation called "Rush Poker" designed to increase the number of hands a player receives. In "Rush Poker" players do not remain at a specific table. Instead, they join a pool with hundreds of other players. When they fold, they are instantly transferred to a new table and dealt a new hand. Full Tilt Poker have also launched Rush Poker Mobile for iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone and Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Members of Full Tilt

Full Tilt's team of professionals is an integral part of the company's marketing strategy, its slogan being "Learn, Chat and Play with the Pros."

"Team Full Tilt" is composed of fourteen noted professionals who play regularly on the site and are considered full-fledged members.

In addition to Team Full Tilt, several other pros are "Full Tilt Pros," who are sponsored by the site but are not full-fledged members made up of two teams, "CardRunners" and "The Hendon Mob", there are also an additional 164 "Full Tilt Pros" and 41 non-members made up of Authors, Celebrities, Announcers, Commentators and the 2007 Main Event Champion Jerry Yang, they are known as "Friends of Full Tilt" whose names are also highlighted in red text on the site.

In March 2008 Team CardRunners (including Mike Schneider and Brian Townsend) were announced to have been signed as Full Tilt pros. On December 21, 2009, Pokernewsdaily.com reported that Townsend's Red Pro status was suspended for a month for using another player's hand histories to study high stakes player Isildur1, from whom he won $3m in a single day earlier that month. 

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Team Full Tilt

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CardRunners

There are a total of 10 Card-runners members which includes: 

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The Hendon Mob 

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Full Tilt Pros 

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Friends of Full Tilt 

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In late 2008 it was alleged that Full Tilt Poker owned a number of domain names, including ones incorporating the names of rising players – even some of those who are not affiliated with the cardroom. These domains redirect to Full Tilt Poker's main site.

Full Tilt on television

Full Tilt Poker is or has been the principal sponsor of a number of poker television programs, including:

Legal matters

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

On September 29, 2006, the U.S. Congress passed a harbor security measure, the SAFE Port Act, which included a last-minute amendment known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). While the law does not outlaw online gambling, it does make it illegal for financial institutions, such as banks and credit card companies, to transfer funds to online gambling sites.

In response to passage of the UIGEA, PartyGaming Plc, owner of Party Poker, left the US market, creating a vacuum largely filled by PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

Clonie Gowen

In late 2008, Full Tilt was sued in Nevada by Clonie Gowen, prominent poker professional and former Full Tilt endorser. She claimed that during Full Tilt's formative year of 2004, she was offered a 1% ownership in the company in exchange for her promotional efforts. The suit was dismissed by a trial court, but later partly reinstated on appeal.

James Hicks

On April 29, 2009, James B. Hicks filed a civil complaint against Tiltware, LLC (d/b/a FullTiltPoker.com), TiltProof, Inc., and Chris Ferguson generally alleging unfair and unlawful business practices including illegal Internet gaming and violations of the UIGEA. Hicks is seeking injunctive relief to prevent Full Tilt from operating its website, soliciting players, or funding or accepting payments for illegal gambling in California. No monetary damages are being sought save reasonable costs and attorneys' fees.

The Plaintiff, Hicks, is a Los Angeles lawyer and a partner in the lawfirm representing him in his case against Full Tilt. Hicks has previously been disciplined by the California Bar Association which resulted in a suspension of his law license and a requirement that he complete ethics classes.

Jason Newitt

On September 11, 2009, Full Tilt was sued civilly in Nevada by Jason Newitt in the case of Jason Newitt v. Tiltware; Full Tilt Poker; Pocket Kings Ltd.; Pocket Kings Consulting Ltd.; Raymond Bitar; Howard Lederer. Mr. Newitt alleges that he was unfairly fired and that his distribution payments were unfairly ceased.

Lary Kennedy

On October 1, 2009, Lary Kennedy and Greg Omotoy filed suit against Full Tilt Poker, Tiltware and several individual members of Team Full Tilt alleging fraud, libel, slander, false advertising, and racketeering. Kennedy and Omotoy filed suit following unsuccessful attempts to have Full Tilt refund $80,000 which it had seized from Kennedy’s and Omotoy’s accounts asserting a violation of Full Tilt’s Terms of Service for using "bots". On October 17, 2009, Full Tilt responded to Kennedy’s lawsuit by claiming the suit was baseless and frivolous and stating that it “has never knowingly allowed ‘bots’ to play on its site.”

After the case was removed to the United States District Court for the Central District of California, on April, 26, 2010, Judge Margaret Morrow dismissed the case with leave stating the Kennedy had failed to "detail many portions of her case regarding state violations and, in particular, there could be no claim under the RICO Act. However, as the case was dismissed with leave, Kennedy may re-file the complaint in federal court if she is able to correct the deficiencies in her original complaint.

Grand jury investigation and indictment

Main article: U. S. v. Scheinberg et al. (10 Cr. 336)

On April 5, 2010, the Financial Times reported that a federal grand jury in Manhattan is investigating Full Tilt Poker and individuals associated with the company, including Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson, for violations of gambling and money-laundering laws. Although neither the Manhattan United States Attorney nor officials with the United States Department of Justice would comment on the matter, it was reported that such an investigation “would fit the federal law enforcement strategy by trying to make an example out of prominent targets”. The Department of Justice maintains that online poker violates the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 (Federal Wire Act).

On April 15, 2011, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment, dated March 10, 2011, against two of the owners / employees (Raymond Bitar and Nelson Burtnick) of Full Tilt Poker, along with some of the owners / employees of PokerStars and Absolute Poker. The defendants were charged with fraud, money laundering, and violation of United States federal gambling laws, and certain domain names for the sites were seized by the FBI.

A companion civil case, U.S. v. PokerStars, et al. (11 Civ. 2564) was filed on April 14, 2011, and includes Full Tilt and its related entities as defendants. The U.S. government is seeking the forfeiture of approximately $3 billion USD in defendants' assets as a remedy.

Phil Ivey

On May 31, 2011, Phil Ivey announced that he has filed suit against Tiltware, the software and marketing provider for Full Tilt Poker, as a result of Full Tilt's failure to reimburse online account holders following Black Friday. Ivey further noted that he will not compete in the 2011 World Series of Poker since it would not be fair for him to compete when others cannot as a result of Full Tilt's failure to reimburse account holders.

Full Tilt Online Poker Series

Main article: Full Tilt Online Poker Series

The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) is Full Tilt's premier tournament series. It was established in August 2006 and is held approximately every three months. The FTOPS consists of multiple tournaments in a variety of different poker games and formats, each of which is hosted by a different Full Tilt professional. Throughout the series, Full Tilt offers a number of challenges and prizes that reward players for accomplishing certain feats.

Full Tilt also sponsors a Mini FTOPS, which takes place one month later and features the same events at 1/10 the buy-in.

Records

On July 19, 2009, Full Tilt attempted to beat the world record for the highest number of players playing in an online poker tournament. This event was part of their fifth anniversary celebration. They broke the old record of 35,000 by hosting a tournament with 50,000 players, but this record was surpassed later that day by PokerStars.

According to the hand history database at Pokerlistings.com, Full Tilt, known for hosting the highest stakes games in online poker, was site to the 100 biggest online pots of 2009, including the ten largest pots in online poker history. On November 21, 2009, Team Full Tilt Professional Patrik Antonius beat the Swede Viktor "Isildur1" Blom for a $1,356,947 pot in a hand of Pot Limit Omaha: the largest online poker pot to date.

Motor Sports sponsorship

Full Tilt is a major sponsor of the Formula One racing team, Virgin Racing.

Currently Full Tilt Poker sponsors a Driver in Formula D Joon Maeng along with the Bergenholtz Racing crew. The sponsored car is a Mazda RX8 built to 600 Horsepower using a 3 rotor motor from Japan.

Full Tilt is also the major sponsor for Taylor Barton Racing.

Rugby League Sponsorship

Full Tilt is a senior sponsor of the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League.

References

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  2. http://www.pokerscout.com/
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  6. http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/pokerdomainnameuseagreementspr.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. https://docs.google.com/a/tobyschrapel.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5hmWJY3rs91MjMzOWJhNjMtODY2MS00MTJlLTgxZDUtMDk4YWYzYTg0YTJi&hl=en_US&pli=1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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  13. http://mobile.fulltiltpoker.com. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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  22. Las Vegas Sun: Appeals court ruling a partial victory for professional poker player
  23. ^ Hicks v. Tiltware, LLC, et al., US Dist. Ct., Cent. Dist. West. Div, Case. No. CV09-03009 FMC PJWx; http://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/los-angeles-federal-usdc-central-district-of-california-042909-180435-209-cv-03009.pdf
  24. California Bar Association Attorney Records for James B. Hicks; http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=109117
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  44. "Virgin Racing". Virgin Racing. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  45. "Taylor Barton Racing". Tbartonracing.com. 2010-10-22. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  46. "Official Site of the Sydney Roosters | Sydney Roosters news, video, fixture, results, tickets". Sydneyroosters.com.au. Retrieved 2011-03-02.

External links

Team Full Tilt
The Professionals
Tour Ambassadors
Ex-Members (Team Full Tilt)
Ex-Members (Red Pros)
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