The vast majority of poker players will never get the chance to compete in a major tournament series. Whether it is the costs (both tournament fees and travel), the time away from home, or level of competition, there are just too many barriers to playing. In the time before internet poker if you could not make it to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or Atlantic City you were out of luck. However, all of this changed after FullTilt introduced their online poker series, known as FTOPS. Now, poker players from around the world can compete for major prizes from the comfort of their own home. With in the next few weeks the 17th installment of the FullTilt Online Series will begin on one of the world's biggest poker sites. If you have yet to check out the schedule and satellites for FTOPS XVII you are running out of time! If you are new to their site you will have to use the Full Tilt Poker Download to create an account and play for real money.

Participating in an internet series like FTOPS can be a great experience and be quite profitable. In general tournament buy-ins will range from as low as $10 all the way up to $5,000! With buy-in levels for every poker player FTOPS is truly one of the most diverse tournament series around. Each tournament typically carries a guarantee which is a set amount of money the prize pool will contain no matter the number of entrants. In most cases the amount of entrants (along with buy-in fees) surpasses this number. However, there are cases every year where the amount of players does not reach the guarantee. If the guarantee is not met the poker site itself will have to pay what is called "overlay" to match the guarantee. For those playing this proves to be quite the reward as it translates into getting a better bang for your buck.

Those with out a big enough bankroll to play some of the events should check out the satellites, or smaller buy-in tournaments awarding tickets to the bigger events. For example, a $500 buy-in tournament might have $50 satellites, awarding a ticket to the $500 event for every 10 players in the smaller tourney. Participating in satellites will gain you valuable tournament experience and can pay big dividends down the road. A lot of sites will allow you to cash these tickets in before the tournament starts so you can use them for other events or to play cash games. For the most part you should stick to tournaments with in your bankroll but splurging after winning a satellite is not a bad idea either.

Determining the proper tournament to play in is they key to success. These series have a lot of different formats which can be found in the FTOPS Lobby. The last thing you would want to do is sign up for a $200 event thinking it was Texas Hold'em only to find out it was Seven-Card-Stud. After using the Full Tilt Poker Download and opening the Lobby you can find out which game a tournament offers by opening up the tournament's very own Lobby. Players should also seek out the blind structure (some blinds escalate faster than others) and the number of seats at the table (heads-up, 6-handed, 9-handed, etc...). Try to find a game you are used to playing and will comfortable with. After picking the best tournament for your game kick back and get ready for the tournament. Make sure to play your game, have fun, and always go with your instincts when you're faced with a tough decision.

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