PokerStars vs FullTilt

Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker are the number #1 and #2 online poker sites in terms of traffic volumes. While both offer an excellent selection of both cash games and tournaments they differ in many ways, ranging from software interface to bonus and VIP schemes on offer. This article compares the ‘big-2’ poker sites on a number of factors to help you choose the right site for your particular needs.

Poker Stars vs Full Tilt – Software

Both of these poker sites have reputations for the best poker software clients in the industry. Each is unique to the particular site and both offer some innovative features to benefit their users. Full Tilt Poker have a ‘cartoon-like’ feel about the tables, yet fast game play and easy to use buttons and features. Poker Stars have the ability to personalize the tables by uploading your own icon to display while you are playing. Both sites offer re-sizeable tables, easy to navigate lobbies and the ability to play large numbers of games at the same time.

Poker Stars vs Full Tilt – Game Selection

Vast is the right word to describe the cash game selection at both of these sites. Poker Stars having the edge in terms of the number of tables available – Fill Tilt having some innovative games to go with the main selection. While both sites have considerable traffic, Poker Stars is in fact up to twice as busy as its nearest rival Full Tilt. With 130,000 (Stars) and 65,000 (Full Tilt) players online simultaneously you will never have any trouble finding a game type and buy-in level to suit you at either site.

Poker Stars offer the following cash game tables. Texas Holdem in no-limit, fixed limit and pot-limit format. Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo in fixed and pot-limit betting (plus no-limit for the Hi-Lo games), Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, Razz, 5 card draw, 2-7 triple draw and mixed games such as HORSE and HOSE.

Full Tilt Poker offer these cash games: Texas Holdem, again in the no-limit, fixed limit and pot-limit betting, but also including their unique ‘Cap Limit Games’ with restrictions on betting for any single hand. Omaha and Omaha hi-lo are available in all formats (again including Cap-Limit). Stud, Stud Hi-Lo and Razz are also available. Mixed games at Full Tilt include ‘HO’ and HA (Holdem / Omaha or Omaha Hi-Lo), HORSE and HOSE.

Tournaments and Sit N Goes are also very busy at these top poker sites. Poker Stars is the home of the biggest weekly online poker tournament – the ‘Sunday Million’ in addition to thousands of other multi-table tournaments at a range of buy-ins and game types. Full Tilt have a weekly $750k guaranteed event and regularly host 2 week long online events called the ‘Full Tilt Online Poker Series’ which feature many big buy-in tournaments. Sit N Goes are busy at both sites, at the lower levels you will need to be fast with your mouse to get a seat at peak times.

Poker Stars vs Full Tilt – Bonuses and Benefits

The ‘headline bonus’ at Poker Stars is a 100% match on your first deposit up to $50. You can claim this with pokerstars marketing codePAWSUB378 Full Tilt Poker offer a 100% to $600 bonus with can be claimed with Full Tilt referral code HUP. Both bonuses are easy to clear, through either cash game or tournament play. The main difference between the sites is the VIP clubs on offer to regular players. Poker Stars are reputed to have the best VIP club around, both in terms of the ease of accruing points and the value of these for entering freerolls or buying goods from the online store. The Full Tilt poker VIP club is also very good – their monthly ‘Iron Man’ freerolls giving all players the opportunity to win $100,000 and play heads-up against some big name professionals.

To summarize, though the look and feel of these two excellent poker sites is certainly different they both offer a large selection of poker games to their huge player bases. Which you choose is a matter of personal taste – why not check them both out for yourself and decide which is the right site for you.