Full Tilt Poker
Encyclopedia
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker
card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker
professionals Howard Lederer
, Phil Ivey
, Andy Bloch
, Mike Matusow
, Jennifer Harman
and Chris Ferguson
. No games are offered by the company due to the revocation of its operating license.
Full Tilt Poker was launched by parent company TiltWare, LLC in June 2004 and began full operation on July 10, 2004. On April 15, 2011, Full Tilt Poker was one of several online poker operators to have its .com
domain seized by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) as part of a series of indictments of the sites' owners and employees. On June 29, 2011, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission
suspended the license of Full Tilt Poker, and revoked the license on September 29, 2011. The U.S. government has filed a civil suit accusing the company of a $300 million fraud, and called the firm a "Ponzi scheme
". Lawyers for the firm have denied the charges.
On September 30, 2011 it was disclosed that French business tycoon Bernard Tapie
had agreed to buy the company and its assets despite its legal troubles in the United States and the revocation of its gambling license. According to Full Tilt Poker, the agreement provided for full repayment of poker players, but it was subject to resolution of the US legal actions.
in the Channel Islands
. The company is regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission under the name Filco Limited, and regulated by ARJEL
under the name Rekop Limited in France
.
On July 1, 2011, it was announced that Full Tilt Poker would be acquired by a group of European investors. The investor group is lead by Bernard Tapie, former French Minister of City Affairs, and known for specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies. He transformed over 40 bankrupted companies into profitable businesses in the 1980s, among which Adidas
is the most famous.
On September 30, 2011 it was confirmed that French business tycoon Bernard Tapie
had agreed to buy the company and its assets. According to Full Tilt Poker, the agreement provided for full repayment of poker players, but it was subject to resolution of the US legal actions.
On September 29, 2011, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission revoked the license of Full Tilt Poker. In a statement on its website, the commission indicated that the company reported balances that had been frozen by U.S. authorities as liquid, gave unauthorized loans, and failed to report material events.
(also known as "cash games") and tournaments. Freeroll, satellite, sit-n-go, and multi-table tournaments took place throughout the day and often included participation from Full Tilt’s sponsored professionals. The site offered 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 H.O.R.S.E
. Stakes offered ranged from $0.01/$0.02 blinds to $3,000/$6,000 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. Whenever they fold their hand, they are instantly transferred to a new table and dealt a new hand. Full Tilt Poker also launched Rush Poker Mobile for iOS devices such as the iPad
and iPhone
and Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab
.
"Team Full Tilt" was composed of fourteen noted professionals who played regularly on the site and were considered full-fledged members.
In addition to Team Full Tilt, several other pros were "Full Tilt Pros," who were sponsored by the site but were not full-fledged members made up of two teams, "CardRunners" and "The Hendon Mob", there were 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 were known as "Friends of Full Tilt" whose names were 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, Townsend's Red Pro status was suspended for a month for using the combined hand histories from himself and two other players (Cole South and Brian Hastings) to study high stakes player Victor Blom Isildur1
. Thanks to the information gleamed from this infraction Brian Hastings went on to collect over $3 million from Blom in a single day.
The Hendon Mob
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.
, 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.
, 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.
The Plaintiff, Hicks, is a Los Angeles lawyer and a partner in the law firm representing him in his case against Full Tilt.
. 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.
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. The Full Tilt Poker homepage was reinstated six days later on April 20, 2011.
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.
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. Ivey voluntarily withdrew the suit on June 30.
Full Tilt also sponsored a Mini FTOPS, which took place one month later and featured the same events at 1/10 the buy-in.
.
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.
.
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.
of the National Rugby League
.
Online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
professionals Howard Lederer
Howard Lederer
Howard Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
, Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
, Andy Bloch
Andy Bloch
Andrew Elliot Bloch is a professional poker player. He holds two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a JD from Harvard Law School.-Poker:...
, Mike Matusow
Mike Matusow
Michael Matusow is an American professional poker player, residing in Henderson, Nevada. Matusow's nickname of "The Mouth" reflects his reputation for trash-talking at the poker table...
, Jennifer Harman
Jennifer Harman
Jennifer C. Harman-Traniello is an American professional poker player.-Early life:Harman was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She started playing poker in 1972 at the age of eight...
and Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
. No games are offered by the company due to the revocation of its operating license.
Full Tilt Poker was launched by parent company TiltWare, LLC in June 2004 and began full operation on July 10, 2004. On April 15, 2011, Full Tilt Poker was one of several online poker operators to have its .com
.com
The domain name com is a generic top-level domain in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Its name is derived from commercial, indicating its original intended purpose for domains registered by commercial organizations...
domain seized by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) as part of a series of indictments of the sites' owners and employees. On June 29, 2011, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
Alderney Gambling Control Commission was established in May 2000. The Commission is independent and non political, and regulates eGambling on behalf of the States of Alderney. The Commission ensures that its regulatory and supervisory approach meets the very highest of international standards...
suspended the license of Full Tilt Poker, and revoked the license on September 29, 2011. The U.S. government has filed a civil suit accusing the company of a $300 million fraud, and called the firm a "Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
". Lawyers for the firm have denied the charges.
On September 30, 2011 it was disclosed that French business tycoon Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie is a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous ; and owner of sports teams...
had agreed to buy the company and its assets despite its legal troubles in the United States and the revocation of its gambling license. According to Full Tilt Poker, the agreement provided for full repayment of poker players, but it was subject to resolution of the US legal actions.
Corporate affairs
Full Tilt Poker is registered in AlderneyAlderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. The company is regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission under the name Filco Limited, and regulated by ARJEL
ARJEL
The French Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne , usually referred to as ARJEL, is an independent administrative authority, specifically designed to regulate online gambling in France...
under the name Rekop Limited in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
On July 1, 2011, it was announced that Full Tilt Poker would be acquired by a group of European investors. The investor group is lead by Bernard Tapie, former French Minister of City Affairs, and known for specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies. He transformed over 40 bankrupted companies into profitable businesses in the 1980s, among which Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
is the most famous.
On September 30, 2011 it was confirmed that French business tycoon Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie is a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous ; and owner of sports teams...
had agreed to buy the company and its assets. According to Full Tilt Poker, the agreement provided for full repayment of poker players, but it was subject to resolution of the US legal actions.
Licensure
On June 29, 2011, the commission suspended the license of Full Tilt Poker following a special investigation prompted by indictments by the US Attorney General’s Office in the Southern District of New York on April 15, 2011. In the investigation, it was determined that Full Tilt Poker and its associates were operating contrary to Alderney legislation. Subsequently, all game play was suspended on the site. On July 4, 2011, ARJEL suspended Full Tilt's .fr license in France.On September 29, 2011, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission revoked the license of Full Tilt Poker. In a statement on its website, the commission indicated that the company reported balances that had been frozen by U.S. authorities as liquid, gave unauthorized loans, and failed to report material events.
Games offered
Full Tilt offered both play and real money ring gamesCash game
Cash games, also sometimes referred to as ring games or live action games, are poker games played with "real" chips and money at stake, usually with no predetermined end time, with players able to enter and leave as they see fit...
(also known as "cash games") and tournaments. Freeroll, satellite, sit-n-go, and multi-table tournaments took place throughout the day and often included participation from Full Tilt’s sponsored professionals. The site offered the following poker variations in limit, pot-limit, and no-limit: Texas Holdem, Omaha
Omaha hold 'em
Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards...
, and Omaha 8 or Better (a.k.a. Omaha hi/lo). The site also offers limit Razz
Razz (poker)
Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low...
, Stud
Stud poker
Stud poker is any of a number of poker variants in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds. Stud games are also typically non-positional games, meaning that the player who bets first on each round may change from round to round...
, Stud 8 or better, Draw poker variants
Draw poker
Draw poker is any poker variant in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing, or "drawing", cards....
and mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E
HORSE
H.O.R.S.E. is a form of poker commonly played at the high stakes tables of casinos. It consists of rounds of play cycling among:*Texas Hold 'em,*Omaha eight or better,*Razz,*Seven card Stud, and...
. Stakes offered ranged from $0.01/$0.02 blinds to $3,000/$6,000 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. Whenever they fold their hand, they are instantly transferred to a new table and dealt a new hand. Full Tilt Poker also launched Rush Poker Mobile for iOS devices such as the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
and iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is an Android-based tablet computer produced by Samsung introduced on 2 September 2010 at the IFA in Berlin.The Galaxy Tab has a TFT-LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi capability, a 1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 Samsung Exynos 3110 processor, the Swype input system, a 3.2 MP rear-facing...
.
Members of Full Tilt
Full Tilt's team of professionals was an integral part of the company's marketing strategy, its slogan being "Learn, Chat and Play with the Pros.""Team Full Tilt" was composed of fourteen noted professionals who played regularly on the site and were considered full-fledged members.
In addition to Team Full Tilt, several other pros were "Full Tilt Pros," who were sponsored by the site but were not full-fledged members made up of two teams, "CardRunners" and "The Hendon Mob", there were 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
Jerry Yang (poker player)
Xao "Jerry" Yang is an ethnic Hmong poker player from Temecula, California and the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.Yang started playing poker in 2005. An amateur player at the time, Yang entered the 2007 World Series of Poker after winning a $225 satellite at the Pechanga Resort...
, they were known as "Friends of Full Tilt" whose names were also highlighted in red text on the site.
In March 2008 Team CardRunners (including Mike Schneider
Mike Schneider (poker player)
Mike Schneider is a professional poker player from Eagan, Minnesota who, at the age of 22, won the "PartyPoker.com Million V" for $1,000,000. He is also a member of Team CardRunners a group of sponsored professional poker players on Full Tilt Poker.Schneider graduated from Eagan High School in 2002...
and Brian Townsend
Brian Townsend
Brian Townsend is an American professional poker player currently residing in Santa Barbara, California.-Biography:Townsend is largely known for his success playing no limit hold 'em and pot-limit omaha at Full Tilt Poker, playing under the nickname 'sbrugby.' He is the former co-owner and lead...
) were announced to have been signed as Full Tilt pros. On December 21, 2009, Townsend's Red Pro status was suspended for a month for using the combined hand histories from himself and two other players (Cole South and Brian Hastings) to study high stakes player Victor Blom Isildur1
Isildur1
Viktor Blom is a Swedish high stakes online poker player, best known as Isildur1. His rise to fame drew considerable audience around the poker world in late 2009, taking part in all ten of the largest pots in online poker history. In December 2010, it was announced that then-anonymous Isildur1...
. Thanks to the information gleamed from this infraction Brian Hastings went on to collect over $3 million from Blom in a single day.
Team Full Tilt
- Howard LedererHoward LedererHoward Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
- Phil IveyPhil IveyPhillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
- Chris FergusonChris FergusonChristopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
- John JuandaJohn JuandaJohnson "John" Juanda is a Chinese Indonesian professional poker player based in Marina del Rey, California. Juanda lives in Los Angeles.-Personal life:...
- Jennifer HarmanJennifer HarmanJennifer C. Harman-Traniello is an American professional poker player.-Early life:Harman was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She started playing poker in 1972 at the age of eight...
- Phil GordonPhil GordonPhilip Stewart Gordon is an American professional poker player, commentator and author.-Personal life:Gordon was born in El Paso, Texas. He spent his formative years in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gordon began attending Georgia Tech at the age of 15 while still attending high school...
- Erick LindgrenErick LindgrenErick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
- Erik SeidelErik SeidelErik Seidel is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.In 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
- Andy BlochAndy BlochAndrew Elliot Bloch is a professional poker player. He holds two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a JD from Harvard Law School.-Poker:...
- Mike MatusowMike MatusowMichael Matusow is an American professional poker player, residing in Henderson, Nevada. Matusow's nickname of "The Mouth" reflects his reputation for trash-talking at the poker table...
- Gus HansenGus HansenGustav "Gus" Hansen is a professional Danish poker player who lives in Monaco. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, the 2007 Aussie Millions main event and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament...
- Allen CunninghamAllen CunninghamAllen Cunningham is an American professional poker player.Cunningham studied civil engineering at UCLA before dropping out of school to play poker professionally. At the age of 18, he began playing at in Indian casinos...
- Patrik AntoniusPatrik AntoniusPatrik Antonius is a Finnish professional poker player, former tennis player and coach, and model from Vantaa, Finland. He currently resides in Monte Carlo...
- Tom DwanTom DwanThomas Dwan Jr. is an American professional poker player who regularly plays online in the highest-stakes No-Limit Texas hold 'em and Pot-Limit Omaha games, primarily on Full Tilt Poker, where he plays under the screen name "durrrr"...
CardRunners
There were a total of 10 Card-runners members which included:- Isaac BaronIsaac BaronIsaac Baron an American professional poker player from Menlo Park, California. He was the winner of the first Card Player Magazine Online Poker Player of the Year Award in 2007.-Online poker:...
- David Benefield
- Taylor Caby
- Ryan DautRyan DautRyan Daut is a professional poker player from New Jersey. After earning a degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Richmond in 2006, Daut began work on a doctorate in mathematics at Penn State University...
- Brian HastingsBrian Hastings (poker player)Brian Hastings of Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania is an American competitive poker player best known for his profitable sessions against the Swede, Isildur1.- Poker career :...
- Eric Liu
- Mike McDonaldMichael McDonald (poker player)Mike McDonald is Canadian poker player. McDonald is the youngest person to win an event on the European Poker Tour and the youngest person to win an event on the Epic Poker League ....
- Haseeb Qureshi
- Mike SchneiderMike Schneider (poker player)Mike Schneider is a professional poker player from Eagan, Minnesota who, at the age of 22, won the "PartyPoker.com Million V" for $1,000,000. He is also a member of Team CardRunners a group of sponsored professional poker players on Full Tilt Poker.Schneider graduated from Eagan High School in 2002...
- Andrew Wiggins
The Hendon Mob
The Hendon Mob
The Hendon Mob are a group of four professional poker players from London, England:* Joe Beevers* Barny Boatman* Ross Boatman* Ram VaswaniThe name of the group was first publicised by the Evening Standard newspaper in September 2000....
- Barny BoatmanBarny BoatmanBarny M. P. Boatman , is an English professional poker player and the oldest member of the poker-playing foursome known as The Hendon Mob...
- Ross BoatmanRoss BoatmanRoss Boatman is an English RADA-trained actor, professional poker player and a member of the poker-playing foursome known as The Hendon Mob.-Acting:...
- Joe BeeversJoe BeeversJoseph "Joe" Charles Beevers is an English professional poker player and a member of The Hendon Mob....
- Ram VaswaniRam VaswaniRam Vaswani is an English professional snooker player, turned professional poker player and the youngest member of The Hendon Mob...
In late 2008 it was alleged that Full Tilt Poker owned a number of domain
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
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:- Learn from the ProsLearn from the ProsLearn from the Pros was a television program sponsored by the online poker website Full Tilt Poker, which aired on Fox Sports Net a number of times during each week. It was hosted by Chris Rose....
- Poker Championship at Red RockPoker Championship at Red RockFull Tilt Poker Championship at Red Rock was a seven-week televised shootout poker tournament played at the Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino in Summerlin near Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament was sponsored by online poker website Full Tilt Poker and aired by Fox Sports Net...
- Poker After DarkPoker After DarkPoker After Dark was an hour-long poker television program on NBC. The show made its debut on January 1, 2007, and was cancelled as another victim of the "Black Friday" criminal case due to the show's sponsorship by Full Tilt Poker, one of that case's defendants. on September 23, 2011 For its first...
- Pro-Am Poker EqualizerPro-Am Poker EqualizerThe Pro-Am Poker Equalizer is a televised poker tournament in which professional poker players play Texas hold 'em against celebrities which began airing on ESPN in January 2007. In order to "equalize" the playing field, the celebrities start the tournament with 50% more chips than the...
- Face the AceFace the AceFace the Ace is a poker-themed game show on the NBC television network first airing August 1, 2009. The show is hosted by Steve Schirripa and features the commentary of Ali Nejad, who also commentates for NBC’s Poker After Dark...
- Late Night PokerLate Night PokerLate Night Poker is the pioneering television show that helped pave the way for the explosion of interest in poker in the 2000's. With it's ground breaking use of "under the table" cameras that enabled the viewer to see each player's cards, the show became a cult hit on Channel 4 UK when it first...
- Poker MillionPoker MillionThe Poker Million has been a televised European poker tournament since its inception in November 2000. The final debuted to 30 million viewers and has since remained popular. It was created by UK gaming outfit Ladbrokes with the help of sports promotion firm Matchroom Sport...
- The Poker Lounge
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
On September 29, 2006, the U.S. Congress passed a harbor security measure, the SAFE Port ActSAFE Port Act
The Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006 was an Act of Congress in the United States covering port security and to which an online gambling measure was added at the last moment...
, which included a last-minute amendment known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is United States legislation regulating online gambling. It was added as Title VIII to the SAFE Port Act which otherwise regulated port security...
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
PartyGaming
bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc is an online gambling company, formed by the March 2011 merger of PartyGaming plc and bwin. The world's largest publicly traded online gambling firm, it is best known for its online poker room PartyPoker.com and its sports betting brand Bwin. It is...
, 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 GowenClonie Gowen
Cycalona Gowen is an American professional poker player, based in Dallas, Texas.-Early life:Gowen was born in Florida, and grew up in Kiowa, Oklahoma. She won Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma, at age 15, and as a teenager moved to Corsicana, Texas...
, 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 law firm representing him in his case against Full Tilt.
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"Computer poker players
Computer poker players are computer programs designed to play the game of poker against human opponents or other computer opponents. They are commonly referred to as pokerbots or just simply bots.- On the Internet :...
. 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
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
, 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, indictment, and website seizure
On April 5, 2010, the Financial TimesFinancial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
reported that a federal grand jury in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
is investigating Full Tilt Poker and individuals associated with the company, including Howard Lederer
Howard Lederer
Howard Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
and Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
, for violations of gambling and money-laundering laws. Although neither the Manhattan United States Attorney nor officials with the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
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
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
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. The Full Tilt Poker homepage was reinstated six days later on April 20, 2011.
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 the Department of Justice indictment unsealed on April 15, 2011. Ivey further noted that he will not compete in the 2011 World Series of Poker2011 World Series of Poker
The 2011 World Series of Poker was the 42nd annual World Series of Poker . The WSOP is the most prestigious poker tournament in the world with the winner of the Main Event considered to be the World Champion. It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada between May...
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. Ivey voluntarily withdrew the suit on June 30.
Justice Department accusation
On September 20, 2011, The U.S. Justice Department accused Full Tilt of defrauding poker players out of more than $300 million. The U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York filed a motion to amend an earlier civil complaint to allege that Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer and two other directors for Full Tilt operated what the Justice Department says was a Ponzi scheme that allowed the company to pay out $444 million to themselves and other owners, which included other famous poker players. A lawyer for Ferguson has denied the allegations, suggesting that the issues may have been the result of mismanagement not malice.Full Tilt Online Poker Series
The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) was Full Tilt's premier tournament series. It was established in August 2006 and was held approximately every three months. The FTOPS consisted of multiple tournaments in a variety of different poker games and formats, each of which was hosted by a different Full Tilt professional. Throughout the series, Full Tilt offered a number of challenges and prizes that rewarded players for accomplishing certain feats.Full Tilt also sponsored a Mini FTOPS, which took place one month later and featured 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 PokerStarsPokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
.
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
Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius is a Finnish professional poker player, former tennis player and coach, and model from Vantaa, Finland. He currently resides in Monte Carlo...
beat the Swede Viktor "Isildur1
Isildur1
Viktor Blom is a Swedish high stakes online poker player, best known as Isildur1. His rise to fame drew considerable audience around the poker world in late 2009, taking part in all ten of the largest pots in online poker history. In December 2010, it was announced that then-anonymous 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 RacingVirgin Racing
Marussia Virgin Racing, the trading name of Virgin Racing Limited, is a Russian owned Formula One racing team based in the United Kingdom and racing on a Russian licence, which made its debut in the 2010 Formula One season. It was granted entry as Manor Grand Prix on 12 June 2009, as one of four...
.
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 RoostersSydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
.