REAL POKER MASTERY

Taking place throughout the month of September on Full Tilt Poker is Take 2, an innovative online poker promotion that allows players to earn up to $50 in cash and double Full Tilt Points (FTPs).

Take 2 kicks off at 00:00 ET on September 1st and runs until 23:59 ET on September 30th. There are two ways to boost your bankroll and FTP balance. First, players who compete on at least two real money ring game tables during the month-long promotion will earn bonus cash based on the number of days they hit the virtual felts. Five days of multi-tabling will earn a Full Tilt customer a cool $5 bonus. Players who multi-table for 10 days will pocket an extra $10 for a total of $15. Fifteen days of multi-tabling means an extra $10 in your pocket, or $25 total. Finally, 25 days of multi-tabling during the month of September results in $50 in bonus cash.

In addition, poker enthusiasts can earn double FTPs on two tables while playing. For example, if a player were to earn 60 FTPs at one table and 40 FTPs at another table, they would take home a total of 200 points as part of the Take 2 promotion. Points can be used in the Full Tilt Store for poker paraphernalia and other items. In addition, FTPs can be redeemed for tournament and sit and go entries. A Mini Cooper S in the Full Tilt Store will set players back six million FTPs, while a Harley-Davidson Night Train motorcycle runs four million. A wide variety of electronics, including a 2.7 million FTP price tag Apple MacBook Pro, can be had, along with apparel, sporting gear, luggage, poker books, and Full Tilt branded merchandise.

Players must opt into Take 2 by visiting the “Cashier” window. Then, they’ll need to click on the rectangular “My Promotions” link and look for “Take 2.” Follow the instructions to register your account and then hit up the cash game felts of Full Tilt in earnest. The “My Promotions” page will keep tabs on how many FTPs and bonus cash you’ve earned; extra points will be dumped into a player’s account within six hours. In order for a tables to count, at least one FTP must be earned while more than one window is open.

Full Tilt will only double the number of FTPs on two tables. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If a player plays at more than two real-money ring-game tables simultaneously during Take 2, that player will receive double points from the combination of their top two tables.” For example, if a player were to earn 60 FTPs at one table, 50 FTPs at another table, and 10 FTPs at a third table, then they would receive 110 bonus FTPs, equal to the sum of their top two points-earning tables. Full Tilt spreads Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, and Razz in a variety of structures.

The site is fresh off hosting the 13th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS), which played out earlier this month amid much fanfare. Starting on September 9th, MiniFTOPS XIII will make its debut, featuring the same tournament lineup as FTOPS XIII, but with buy-ins that are one-tenth of the size. Highlights include a $256 buy-in Two-Day Event featuring at least $400,000 on the line and a $55 buy-in Main Event that assures at least $500,000 is up for grabs. A total of 25 tournaments will play out, each hosted by a member of Team Full Tilt.

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This weekend, the high-stakes action at the Full Tilt nosebleed tables was relatively calm compared to the Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) frenzy that transpired last weekend.  The slow action of Friday and Saturday brought an anticlimactic end to a week that saw the return of Durrrr Challenge play, a big winning week for Ashton “THEASHMAN103″ Griffin, and a substantial loss for the player known as “martonas.”

The bulk of martonas‘ $1.4 million downswing came at the hands of Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond last Friday at the $300/$600 PLO tables.  Martonas clashed with durrrr in two massive hands, one worth over $280,000 and another that sent $460,000 durrrr’s way.  In the latter hand, the two got it all-in on the flop with martonas holding a massive combination flush and straight draw to durrrr’s nut flush draw.  The river brought the third diamond to complete the flush and give durrrr the best hand.

It was a big night for durrrr, who picked up $1 million in profit.  Galfond also found success in last Friday’s session, bringing his end-of-day winnings to over $800,000.  Like durrrr, he also picked up a chunk of his bankroll off of martonas.  Meanwhile, martonas ended the day down nearly $1 million and that was not the end of his misfortune.  He dropped an additional $600,000 on Monday and, despite winning sessions on Sunday and Tuesday, ended the week as the big loser on Full Tilt with a $1.4 million loss from Friday, August 21st to Saturday, August 29th.

Other players who ended up in the losing column during that time include both Di “Urindanger” Dang and his brother Hac “trex313″ Dang, who each dropped in the vicinity of $300,000.  Several Full Tilt Red Pros didn’t fare too well this week, either.  David Benyamine, Haseeb Qureshi, David Oppenheim, and Gus Hansen all came out of the week in the red with six-figure losses.

While those sponsored pros had a rough week, several other names in red came out in the black, most notably Patrik Antonius.  He picked up much of his $500,000 in profit from two epic Durrrr Challenge sessions in which he was able to completely erase durrrr’s $726,000 overall lead in their infamous bet.  Now, Antonius is sitting with a slight lead of $76,104 and half-million dollars more in his Full Tilt account.  Richard Ashby and Phil Ivey also booked respectable weeks with profits of $190,000 and $163,000, respectively.

The big success story of the week is THEASHMAN103, who found himself up nearly $900,000 at week’s end.  His $1 million winning session on the tables on Tuesday resulted in the majority of that profit.  THEASHMAN103 continues to be one of the big winners of 2009 on Full Tilt Poker along with Antonius, CardRunners instructor Cole “cts” South, and Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies.  Ziigmund had an impressive week himself, with $725,000 in winnings.

If this weekend is any indication, the fast and furious action on Full Tilt Poker may be hitting a lull.  With the live tournament schedule picking up and continuing high-stakes action in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, perhaps the attention of many players is diverted.  In his latest blog post, Doyle Brunson spoke of “insane” action at the Bellagio, so that could explain part of the dip in action at the online nosebleed tables.  Only time will tell if action will pick back up shortly, when Durrrr Challenge play will resume, and if martonas can rebound from his rough week at the tables.

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Starting in November, Card Player Cruises will return to the high seas aboard the 138,000 ton Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Explorer of the Seas. Destinations over the next year for the cruising company include Alaska, the Mediterranean, and Mexico.

The nine-night Canada and New England Fall Foliage cruise will depart from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey in November and steam up the eastern seaboard of the United States. Ports of call include Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, and Boston and the cruise starts at $550 per person. Card Player Cruises partner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson commented in a press release distributed by the travel company, “This trip will feature some of the most spectacular scenery on the Eastern Seaboard. There’s no better time to visit this region than in the fall, when the foliage stands out in every imaginable color.”

Besides the fall foliage outside of the ship, the other main attraction on the November cruise will be its poker room. $100 to $200 buy-in poker tournaments will abound, with private seminars and free poker lessons also taking place. In addition, the press release notes, “Passengers can play as much or as little as they want during the week.” The Explorer of the Seas also features a rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink, miniature golf course, basketball court, disco, spa, fitness center, pools, Jacuzzis, and shops. In addition, what would a cruise be without a parade of food?

Here is the upcoming schedule for Card Player Cruises:

Canada and New England Fall Foliage nine-night cruise – October 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas
Departs from Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – November 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

Western Caribbean seven-night cruise – March 7, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager
Departs from Galveston, Texas

Mediterranean Venice 12-night cruise – May 15, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance
Departs from Barcelona, Spain

Alaska seven-night cruise – August 27, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody
Departs from Seattle, Washington

Eastern Caribbean seven-night cruise – September 25, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis
Departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – December 5, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

The poker room closes while the ship is parked in port and opens while the vessel is out in the open water. Card Player Cruises customers make up between 25% and 40% of the total number of passengers onboard, so traditional cruising activities still occur day and night. In order to play poker, Card Player Cruises guests must be at least 18 years-old, while some special events, such as the PartyPoker Million, feature a different age requirement.

Besides tournaments, each ship’s poker room hosts a wide variety of cash games, ranging from limits of $1/$2 to $30/$60. Customers with children are more than welcome to participate as well. Card Player Cruises explains, “There are extensive programs for children that provide entertainment for the kids from morning until night. Some of the activities are scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, talent shows, pizza parties, disco parties, trips to the spa/gym, video games, etc. Children are able to sail at reduced rates on most cruise lines.”

Prices for the above schedule vary between $448 per person and $1,719 per person. The cost covers food, cabin, nightly entertainment, and use of the ship’s amenities. According to Johnson, the majority of players who board a Card Player Cruise are recreational and several are celebrating milestones like birthdays and anniversaries. Players can call 888-999-4880 for additional information and to book passage.

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