Full Tilt Poker Opens Poker Academy

DUBLIN, Ireland -- The best poker players in the world play at Full Tilt Poker. With the launch of Full Tilt Poker Academy, they now teach there too.

Combining the extraordinary poker knowledge of
Full Tilt Poker continues to grow in influence in the poker world.  the professionals who make up Team Full Tilt with the educational opportunities made possible by modern multimedia development, Full Tilt Poker Academy is making an instant impact on the game. Poker players have shared their secrets and strategies before, but never has so much information been available in one place, and never before has it been offered in such an interactive format.

Standing at the head of the virtual classroom are the superstars who comprise Team Full Tilt, including Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, Allen Cunningham and Patrik Antonius. Collectively, they have won 35 World Series of Poker bracelets, 12 World Poker Tour titles and more than $82-million in tournament winnings. They are joined by other Full Tilt Poker Pros and Friends of Full Tilt Poker in opening up their minds to the poker community via Full Tilt Poker Academy.

"I'm excited to share my insights and experiences with the Full Tilt Poker community, and to watch all of my fellow pros' videos and learn from them as well," says Lederer. "With this extraordinary line-up of teachers, the best poker education in the world is at Full Tilt Poker Academy."

The Academy boasts an expansive catalogue of engaging video features, and fresh content will be added to the site's library regularly.

In Lessons, pros break down specific topics and the strategies attached to them, drawing upon personal experience as well as visual hand examples from televised poker competitions. Users can watch Lederer analyze the objectives behind Sit & Go bubble play, Ferguson share his pre-flop betting strategies, and Lindgren reveal his keys to victory at a tournament final table.

Along with the Lessons come Challenges, where users improve their game and earn rewards by utilizing the pros' advice in real-money situations. For example, if players can follow Cunningham's tips for medium-stack play and finish in the top 5 of a tournament with 90 or more competitors, they'll receive Academy Credits that can be put toward prizes or tournament entries.

Also accompanying each Lesson is an Interactive Sit-n-Learn, a quiz featuring video hints from the pros. You'll compete against other Academy members for a spot on the Leaderboard and the right to play in Academy-only freerolls on Full Tilt Poker.

In Sessions, pros talk you through their thought processes as they play real tournaments or cash games on Full Tilt Poker. It's an opportunity to go inside the heads of the best players in the world like never before, and videos currently available on the site include Bloch playing $1/$2 HORSE, Paul Wasicka playing $2/$4 heads-up No-Limit Hold 'em, and Ferguson competing in a $25,000 buy-in tournament.

In Pro Podcasts, the Academy pros focus on individual hands in short-form videos that are available for easy download. New Podcasts will be made available to Academy members on a daily basis.

"The Full Tilt philosophy has always been built around the idea of breaking down the barriers between the so-called 'star' pros and the rest of the poker community," Phil Gordon explains. "Full Tilt Poker Academy continues that tradition, and is the ultimate in combining education with entertainment for poker players of all skill levels."

The Full Tilt Poker Academy experience can be personalized based on an individual's preferences. Full Tilt Poker Academy is available in 19 different languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Polish, Czech, Russian, Turkish, Hungarian, and Japanese.