FULL TILT POKER

Through thick and thin Full Tilt Poker has remained one of online poker’s most recognizable brands. Weather it is due to their iconic triangle-shaped logo worn by so many professional players on the tournament circuit, or due to their extensive TV and internet marketing Full Tilt is a brand that has seen plenty of ups and downs during it’s tumultuous history.

As part of the fallout from the April 15, 2011 shutdown by the US government Full Tilt Poker was sized by agents and charged with allegations of bank fraud and money laundering. Players across the US were in full on freak out mode over the fate of their poker account balances worth hundreds of millions of dollars in aggregate. Finally on July 31, 2012 an acquisition of Full Tilt Poker was carried out by competitor PokerStars as part of a $731 million dollar settlement with the US Department of Justice. 

A large part of the settlement money ($547 million of it) has been set aside by the US authorities to reimburse players who lost their accounts after the seizure. Whether players will get their full account balances back or simply the initial deposit amounts is still unknown at this point in time. 

Because of the great market value of the Full Tilt Poker brand-name it was re-launched in the summer of 2012 and began accepting new players (non US only). PokerStars is hoping that players will recognize that increase oversight of online poker will repair the Full Tilt brand back to its once stellar reputation. The Full Tilt brand will be totally distinct from PokerStars with their own website and support staff. 

On November 6^th 2012 the official re-launch of Full Tilt Poker went live with email notices sent to players affected by the shutdown. The message stated that non-US players now simply need to verify their existing account information and they will be able to log into Full Tilt site with unrestricted access and ability to play. US players, however, will still need to appeal to the authorities to get their account balances back.

You can learn more about the history of Full Tilt Poker by watching 2+2's interview of Howard Lederer on YouTube. Lederer was one of the three directors of Full Tilt Poker when the indictment from the US authorities came down alleging he and others misappropriated customer funds. While the gov’t has its own motivations for busting Full Tilt its also good to hear their side of the story as well.

Full Tilt Poker originally offered 27% rake back before it was sold in the summer of 2012. PokerStars changed the loyalty program so that rake back was replaced by a reward program to all players. The loyalty program was expected to only pay out up to 35% where as PokerStars own program offers up to 70-85% depending who you ask and how you calculate it.

Full Tilt Pokers' rakeback policy is clear. It is strictly forbidden for affiliates to offer private rake back deals.

After PokerStars purchased Full Tilt Poker it was solely to gain recreational players and not to get a hold of pros or the grinders.

	Full tilt Poker own its only brand on the network