Full Tilt Online Poker Series
The Full Tilt Online Poker Series, better known as FTOPS, is sponsored by the popular online poker room called Full Tilt Poker. As one of the biggest online poker tournament series, the FTOPS attracts players from all around the world. The FTOPS is held four times a year, with roughly three months in between each series. Over the years, Full Tilt Poker has been able to attract an increasing number of entrants into the FTOPS events. Read on to learn more about the Full Tilt Online Poker Series, including the series' history and results.
The history of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series
The inaugural Full Tilt Online Poker Series took place in August, 2006. More or less, the overall structure and format of the FTOPS has remained the same since the first series. In every series, numerous events were hosted. Tournaments of different poker variants were played during each series. Some of the types of poker games that have been played in FTOPS history include Seven Card Stud, Razz, Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, and No Limit Texas Hold'em. As with other popular tournament series, the Texas Hold'em events have been amongst the most popular in FTOPS history. In fact, the Main Event in all of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series Main Event has always been a No Limit Texas Hold'em event with a $500 buy-in.
Full Tilt Poker offered eight events in FTOPS I. All of the events, except for the Main Event, had a buy-in of $200 + $16. The first event attracted the most entrants, with 2,000 players competing in a No Limit Hold'em tournament. The Main Event had 1,468 entrants, building up a prize pool of $734,000. Over $160,000.00 in prize money was awarded to the very first Full Tilt Online Poker Series Main Event champion, “crownnginger”. The other events in FTOPS I had between 437 and 818 entrants. All in all, there were 7,779 entrants in the first FTOPS, with a total prize pool of $2,008,800.
Three months later, in November of 2006, the FTOPS II commenced. Full Tilt Poker offered nine events in the second series, one more than the first. For the second consecutive time, the $200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em event had the most entrants. A total of 3,010 players competed for their share of the $602,000 prize pool in this second event of the FTOPS II. The FTOPS II Main Event had 2,449 players and a prize pool of $1,244,500. “Spiked” won the Main Event, taking home $224,653 in prize money. For the FTOPS II, the total prize pool amounted to $3,020,000 with 11,279 poker players joining the event.
Full Tilt Poker first changed the buy-in rates in FTOPS III, which took place on February, 2007. The first two FTOPS only featured two buy-in rates, $200 + $16 for regular events and $500 + $35 for the Main Event. In FTOPS III, the regular events would now have buy-ins ranging from $100 + $9 to $300 + $22. The largest event of FTOPS III was the Main Event, which had 3,217 players and a prize pool of $1,608,500. A little over $288,000.00 was awarded to the winner of the Main Event, “traheho.” Amongst the regular events, the $300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em tournament attracted the most entrants, with 2,755. The final figures of the FTOPS III included a total of 13,985 entrants and a total amount of $4,416,600 in prize money.
The fourth FTOPS kicked-off in May, 2007. A total of ten events were played in FTOPS IV. The most popular of the events was the Main Event, in which 3,798 players went head-to-head for part of the $1,899,000 prize pool. “John_McClane17" prevailed over the other players, taking home $326,217.95. Amongst the regular events in FTOPS IV, the $1,000 + $60 No Limit Hold'em event had the biggest prize pool, amounting to $908,000. In total, 17,579 players joined FTOPS IV, compiling a total prize pool of $5,826,200.
In August 2007, FTOPS V commenced. The buy-ins for the 14 events in the FTOPS V ranged between $100 + $9 and $2,500 + $120. Among the 13 regular events, the most popular was the $300 + $20 No Limit Hold'em event, which had 4,372 entrants. The Main Event was the biggest event in the FTOPS V, with 4,578 players putting up a total prize pot of $2,289,000. The FTOPS V had a total of 24,857 players and $10,548,200, by far the biggest FTOPS to that date.
The FTOPS VI had 16 events in all, starting with one of the eight Texas Hold'em tournaments held during the November 2007 series. For the second consecutive series, the FTOPS would have events that allow rebuys. Some of the new additions to the FTOPS VI included a Razz event, a Stud 8 tournament, and the first knockout tournament in FTOPS history. The biggest event in the FTOPS VI was the $300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em event, with 4,475 players and a prize pool of $1,342,500. The Main Event had 4,371 entrants, with “fkscreennames” winning $385,937.45 from the total prize pool of $2,185,500. Nearly 27,500 players joined the FTOPS VI, compiling a total series prize pool of $11,158,000.
The seventh FTOPS started on February 6, 2008. Twenty events were held during the FTOPS VII. The event with the most entrants was the $120 + $9 No Limit Hold'em 6-Max Knockout event, with 6,000 entrants and a total prize pool of $600,000. The FTOPS VII Main Event had the biggest prize pool out of all of the tournaments, at $2,645,500, well above Full Tilt Poker's guaranteed $2,000,000 prize pot. “Reverse” won the Main Event, earning $456,401.66 in prize money. The FTOPS VII had a total of over 43,000 entrants and a total prize pool amounting to over $15,000,000.
The FTOPS VIII had 24 events in total,with buy-ins ranging from $100 + $9 to $2,500 + $120. The event with the most players was the $300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em event, which had 5,090 players competing for their cut of the $1,527,000 prize pot. The Main Event had 4,750 players and a prize pot of $2,375,000. FTOPS VIII Main Event champion, “cheesemonster” won $410,780.00. Over 38,650 players competed in the FTOPS VIII, which had a total prize pool of nearly $15,380,000.
In August 2008, the first event of the FTOPS IX commenced. The $200 + $16 event attracted the most players of any event in FTOPS IX. A total of 5,779 players competed over the $1,155,800 prize pot. At the Main Event, a total prize pool of $2,500,000 was fought over amongst 4,880 players. In the end, “dubbeemin” won $432,400.00 from the Main Event. With over 53,000 entrants in the FTOPS IX, the total prize pool reached an amount of nearly $26,750,000.
Next event in the Full Tilt Online Poker Series
Scheduled for November 2008, the FTOPS X will have 25 events. Full Tilt Poker has guaranteed over $15 million for the total prize pot of all events. The FTOPS X Main Event will have a guaranteed $2.5 million prize pot. There will also be a $5,000 + $200 No Limit Hold'em Two Day Event 6-Max with a guaranteed prize pot of $2 million. FTOPS jackets will be awarded to all players who reach the final table of any event. Winners of the events will receive their cut of the prize pool, as well as an FTOPS gold jersey avatar and a gold FTOPS jersey.
The history of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series
The inaugural Full Tilt Online Poker Series took place in August, 2006. More or less, the overall structure and format of the FTOPS has remained the same since the first series. In every series, numerous events were hosted. Tournaments of different poker variants were played during each series. Some of the types of poker games that have been played in FTOPS history include Seven Card Stud, Razz, Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, and No Limit Texas Hold'em. As with other popular tournament series, the Texas Hold'em events have been amongst the most popular in FTOPS history. In fact, the Main Event in all of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series Main Event has always been a No Limit Texas Hold'em event with a $500 buy-in.
Full Tilt Poker offered eight events in FTOPS I. All of the events, except for the Main Event, had a buy-in of $200 + $16. The first event attracted the most entrants, with 2,000 players competing in a No Limit Hold'em tournament. The Main Event had 1,468 entrants, building up a prize pool of $734,000. Over $160,000.00 in prize money was awarded to the very first Full Tilt Online Poker Series Main Event champion, “crownnginger”. The other events in FTOPS I had between 437 and 818 entrants. All in all, there were 7,779 entrants in the first FTOPS, with a total prize pool of $2,008,800.
Three months later, in November of 2006, the FTOPS II commenced. Full Tilt Poker offered nine events in the second series, one more than the first. For the second consecutive time, the $200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em event had the most entrants. A total of 3,010 players competed for their share of the $602,000 prize pool in this second event of the FTOPS II. The FTOPS II Main Event had 2,449 players and a prize pool of $1,244,500. “Spiked” won the Main Event, taking home $224,653 in prize money. For the FTOPS II, the total prize pool amounted to $3,020,000 with 11,279 poker players joining the event.
Full Tilt Poker first changed the buy-in rates in FTOPS III, which took place on February, 2007. The first two FTOPS only featured two buy-in rates, $200 + $16 for regular events and $500 + $35 for the Main Event. In FTOPS III, the regular events would now have buy-ins ranging from $100 + $9 to $300 + $22. The largest event of FTOPS III was the Main Event, which had 3,217 players and a prize pool of $1,608,500. A little over $288,000.00 was awarded to the winner of the Main Event, “traheho.” Amongst the regular events, the $300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em tournament attracted the most entrants, with 2,755. The final figures of the FTOPS III included a total of 13,985 entrants and a total amount of $4,416,600 in prize money.
The fourth FTOPS kicked-off in May, 2007. A total of ten events were played in FTOPS IV. The most popular of the events was the Main Event, in which 3,798 players went head-to-head for part of the $1,899,000 prize pool. “John_McClane17" prevailed over the other players, taking home $326,217.95. Amongst the regular events in FTOPS IV, the $1,000 + $60 No Limit Hold'em event had the biggest prize pool, amounting to $908,000. In total, 17,579 players joined FTOPS IV, compiling a total prize pool of $5,826,200.
In August 2007, FTOPS V commenced. The buy-ins for the 14 events in the FTOPS V ranged between $100 + $9 and $2,500 + $120. Among the 13 regular events, the most popular was the $300 + $20 No Limit Hold'em event, which had 4,372 entrants. The Main Event was the biggest event in the FTOPS V, with 4,578 players putting up a total prize pot of $2,289,000. The FTOPS V had a total of 24,857 players and $10,548,200, by far the biggest FTOPS to that date.
The FTOPS VI had 16 events in all, starting with one of the eight Texas Hold'em tournaments held during the November 2007 series. For the second consecutive series, the FTOPS would have events that allow rebuys. Some of the new additions to the FTOPS VI included a Razz event, a Stud 8 tournament, and the first knockout tournament in FTOPS history. The biggest event in the FTOPS VI was the $300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em event, with 4,475 players and a prize pool of $1,342,500. The Main Event had 4,371 entrants, with “fkscreennames” winning $385,937.45 from the total prize pool of $2,185,500. Nearly 27,500 players joined the FTOPS VI, compiling a total series prize pool of $11,158,000.
The seventh FTOPS started on February 6, 2008. Twenty events were held during the FTOPS VII. The event with the most entrants was the $120 + $9 No Limit Hold'em 6-Max Knockout event, with 6,000 entrants and a total prize pool of $600,000. The FTOPS VII Main Event had the biggest prize pool out of all of the tournaments, at $2,645,500, well above Full Tilt Poker's guaranteed $2,000,000 prize pot. “Reverse” won the Main Event, earning $456,401.66 in prize money. The FTOPS VII had a total of over 43,000 entrants and a total prize pool amounting to over $15,000,000.
The FTOPS VIII had 24 events in total,with buy-ins ranging from $100 + $9 to $2,500 + $120. The event with the most players was the $300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em event, which had 5,090 players competing for their cut of the $1,527,000 prize pot. The Main Event had 4,750 players and a prize pot of $2,375,000. FTOPS VIII Main Event champion, “cheesemonster” won $410,780.00. Over 38,650 players competed in the FTOPS VIII, which had a total prize pool of nearly $15,380,000.
In August 2008, the first event of the FTOPS IX commenced. The $200 + $16 event attracted the most players of any event in FTOPS IX. A total of 5,779 players competed over the $1,155,800 prize pot. At the Main Event, a total prize pool of $2,500,000 was fought over amongst 4,880 players. In the end, “dubbeemin” won $432,400.00 from the Main Event. With over 53,000 entrants in the FTOPS IX, the total prize pool reached an amount of nearly $26,750,000.
Next event in the Full Tilt Online Poker Series
Scheduled for November 2008, the FTOPS X will have 25 events. Full Tilt Poker has guaranteed over $15 million for the total prize pot of all events. The FTOPS X Main Event will have a guaranteed $2.5 million prize pot. There will also be a $5,000 + $200 No Limit Hold'em Two Day Event 6-Max with a guaranteed prize pot of $2 million. FTOPS jackets will be awarded to all players who reach the final table of any event. Winners of the events will receive their cut of the prize pool, as well as an FTOPS gold jersey avatar and a gold FTOPS jersey.