PokerWorks

The most anticipated events in online poker are put together in each installment of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series, and with several series each year, players have multiple opportunities to cash in on the multi-million dollar guarantees and claim a title in a prestigious FTOPS event. After FTOPS XI wrapped in February, it took little more than a month for organizers at Full Tilt to schedule the 12th installment, this time for May.

Starting on May 6th and running through the 17th, it will be the perfect time for an FTOPS series. The World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour both wrap their seasons of live tournaments in April, and the World Series of Poker doesn’t begin until the very end of May. What better way to wind down from traveling and prepare for the WSOP summer of poker than to compete in the biggest online tournaments offered on the internet?

FTOPS XII is set up with 25 events and guarantees for them all that add up to a total of more than $16 million. There will be the kinds of tournaments that players have come to expect from an FTOPS, like knockout and shootout events, as well as games that range from no-limit hold’em to pot-limit Omaha to stud. HORSE is even included, though this time with a twist as its name and game order has been changed to HEROS. And it will all wrap with the famous $2.5 million main event.

An added perk to the next FTOPS will be the addition of the MiniFTOPS. While offering more than $2 million in guarantees, these miniature tournaments will be interspersed with the major tournaments and provide alternatives for players who do not have the bankrolls to support the bigger buy-in events. MiniFTOPS events will be the same games as the major events but will start five minutes later with buy-ins at 1/10th of those of the regular FTOPS tournaments. Most are in the $20 to $30 range, with the top buy-in being $50 and the least expensive only $10.

Let’s take a quick look at the rundown of FTOPS events:

Event 1: May 6 - $200 + $16 NLHE 6-max, $1 million guarantee
Event 2: May 7 - $240 + $16 PLO knockout, $250K guar.
Event 3: May 7 - $200 + $16 LHE 6-max, $300K guar.
Event 4: May 8 - $500 + $35 NLHE 3x shootout, $500K guar.
Event 5: May 8 - $200 + $16 Stud-8, $100K guar.
Event 6: May 9 - $500 + $35 PLO 6-max, $400K guar.
Event 7: May 9 - $100 + $9 NLHE w/rebuys, $600K guar.
Event 8: May 10 - $240 + $16 NLHE knockout 6-max, $750K guar.
Event 9: May 10 - $500 + $35 NLHE heads-up, $500K guar.
Event 10: May 10 - $300 + $22 NLHE, $1.5 million guar.
Event 11: May 11 - $200 + $16 PLO-8, $200K guar.
Event 12: May 11 - $1000 + $60 NLHE 6-max, $1.5 million guar.
Event 13: May 12 - $300 + $22 NLHE 4x shootout 6-max, $300K guar.
Event 14: May 12 - $500 + $35 HEROS, $300K guar.
Event 15: May 12 - $200 + $16 NLHE turbo, $500K guar.
Event 16: May 13 - $200 + $16 PLHE/PLO, $200K guar.
Event 17: May 13 - $300 + $22 NLHE 6-max w/rebuys, $1 million guar.
Event 18: May 14 - $200 + $16 PLO heads-up, $150K guar.
Event 19: May 14 - $300 + $22 Razz, $150K guar.
Event 20: May 15 - $200 + $16 NLHE, $400K guar.
Event 21: May 15 - $200 + $16 Mixed Hold’em 6-max, $150K guar.
Event 22: May 16 - $2,500 + $120 NLHE 2-day, $2 million guar.
Event 23: May 16 - $100 + $9 PLO w/rebuys, $350K guar.
Event 24: May 17 - $120 + $9 NLHE knockout, $1 million guar.
Event 25: May 17 - $500 + $35 NLHE main event, $2.5 million guar.

FTOPS XII will come with all of the perks that FTOPS fans have come to know and love, including the satellite challenge, video highlights, tournament of champions, and bouncebackability freeroll, all of which will be detailed in future Full Tilt Poker reports as the series nears.

For now, it is time to size up that bankroll, take a look at the FTOPS schedule, especially considering the MiniFTOPS opportunities, and pick your spots. Keep in mind that Full Tilt Poker will be running satellites for all of the tournaments, allowing players to get in at a mere fraction of the buy-ins and compete for hundreds of thousands - even millions - of dollars!

But it is time to sign up for that Full Tilt Poker account. That leaves ample time for practice play and satellite chances leading up to the May 6th start date of FTOPS XII. And upon starting your first Full Tilt Poker account, use the bonus code “POKERWORKS” to qualify for an extra 100% bonus on any deposit up to $600. A little extra spending money to get into more FTOPS tournaments? Not a bad deal.