Full Tilt Removes HU Tables | New Recreational Player Model

July 28, 2015 – Full Tilt Poker makes a number of changes to it’s ring games, ahead of upcoming VIP program changes and a wider focus on the recreational player model.

PokerStars is unaffected.

Full Tilt Ring Game Changes

A summary of Full Tilt’s changes announced on the forums by FTP rep Shyam Markus earlier today:

• No More Heads Up

Heads up cash tables have been removed at all stakes.

Despite making a ‘decent amount of revenue‘ from HU, the rep described these tables as a ‘very negative game for the poker economy‘.

This comes as a surprise to some players as FTP was synonymous with high stakes heads up action, at one point hosting up to $3,000/$6,000 HU Limit Holdem.

Full Tilt: No longer the site with “Heads up for Rollz!”

— Christian (@Ohm2k) July 29, 2015

The largest pot in online poker history was played at a Full Tilt HU PLO table in Nov 2009.

• No More Table Selection

Players can no longer see individual ring game tables.

Instead the lobby is more of a Fast Fold Poker format where players choose a game and buy in amount, and are then assigned a table by the software.

The new Full Tilt lobby ‘basic view’, set as default (players can switch to ‘standard view’)

Players can join up to 6 tables per game type, and are restricted by a 30 minute timer from entering that table agin if they leave – ‘preventing players from joining and leaving hoping to table select’.

A 2 hour ratholing timer has been implemented to prevent players doubling up, leaving then rejoining tables with a short stack.

• No More Mixed Games

Stud and Draw cash games have been removed, the rep citing a lack of players ‘still interested in these games‘ and the desire to offer a ‘clean and simple‘ lobby.

Mixed game tournaments will still be run.

• No More Nosebleeds

The highest stake games have also been removed, to improve the poker ecology.

‘These games simply didn’t fit with what we were trying to do anymore. And with the new system not allowing you to watch individual tables, the spectator factor was gone as well.’

• Rake Increase at Microstakes & High Stakes

Microstakes rake (up to and including $0.05/$0.10) was raised.

Rake increments are now 1 cent per 16, 17, 18 cents at 2NL, 5NL, and 10NL respectively.

Previously that was $0.01 cent per $0.20 at each.

In addition the rake caps (not increments) were raised at $5/$10 and $10/$20.

See a summary of the FTP rake increases here.

Upcoming Full Tilt VIP Program Changes

The Full Tilt rep stated ‘the entire rewards program will be changing‘ however no details have been released yet.

The FTP blog describes the upcoming VIP changes as ‘genuinely attractive to all players, not just those that play the most‘ and geared towards ‘playing for the love of the game.’

One could assume that means more of a recreational player model, following in the footstop of rooms like PartyPoker and Bovada in the US, and may mean a drop in rakeback equivalent rewards.

Read players’ reactions on the TwoPlusTwo forums.

For heads up tables, mixed games and table selection, PokerStars remains the highest traffic room.

For US players, Americas Cardroom is rakeback friendly and this Sunday hosts a $1m GTD event.