Endorsed by the likes of Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harmon and Chris Ferguson, Full Tilt Poker is one of the most popular online poker rooms.http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/our-teamSimilar to other sites of the same kind, Full Tilt offers the chance to participate with both real and play money in a variety of tournaments and table games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Stud and a variety of mixed games.http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/pokerGames.phpThis guide will explain the steps to learn how to play poker on Full Tilt.

Founded in 2004, Full Tilt Poker has grown throughout the years, including starting its own Full Tilt Online Poker Series in 2006 and hosting what was at the time the largest online poker tournament in 2008. Additionally, according to PokerListings.com, Full Tilt has hosted the largest online poker pot games, with Patrik Antonius winning $1,356,947 in a game of pot-limit Omaha on November 21, 2009.http://www.pokerlistings.com/market-pulse/biggest-pots

To play on Full Tilt Poker, you will first need to download the proper software. Next comes creating a user account and finding a table or tournament to join. While this guide does not explain how to play the various poker games, it will help you get started on the site. For additional tips on poker, both Mahalo and Full Tilt offer a variety of tutorials on how to learn and improve your poker-playing skills.

To connect with other players on the Full Tilt Poker network, either to play in table games or tournaments, you'll need to download and install the software. There are four versions of the software available, divided between play money and real money games as well as Microsoft Windows and Mac OSX versions.

1. Determine what types of games you will be playing on Full Tilt Poker. If you will be participating in strictly play money games, visit FullTiltPoker.net. If you plan to use real money as well as play money, visit the main site at FullTiltPoker.com.
2. Locate and click the large red "Play Now" button. The website will detect if you are using a Windows or Mac operating system and automatically start the software download for the correct version.
3. Click OK to begin the software download. The installer should automatically open and begin, however if it does not, check your downloads folder or the button you selected and double click to open the installer program.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software, including reading the End User License Agreement and choosing the box indicating that you have read and understood it, allowing the software to install, which may take several minutes.
5. When the installation is successful, a note will appear saying so and you can click the quit button to exit the installer.http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/thank-you-ff-mac?os=mac

Now that you have the software installed and ready to go, it's time to create an account. Much like other similar poker sites, this is required for playing in both real and play money games or tournaments.

1. Open the Full Tilt Poker application. You should see a welcome screen with a big red button allowing you to create a new user account. Click that button.
2. A pop-up window will appear requesting your desired screen name, password and e-mail address. Complete each field as suggested, checking to make sure your player ID is available.
3. Click the "Change Avatar" button to select and customize an avatar, if desired.
4. Click the check box to confirm that you are 18 years of age or older.
5. Click the link to read the terms and conditions, then check the box to confirm that you agree to them.
6. Press the large, red "Sign Me Up" button to continue.
7. The system will send you an e-mail to the address you used in the previous screen. The email will contain a verification code that will need to be entered in the next screen. Paste or type that validation code in the field provided and press the large, red validate button.http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/thank-you-ff-mac?os=mac

After the software and account are all set up, it's time to get playing. There are numerous types of tournaments and table games that can be played, you just need to find them.

1. Starting from the main screen in the Full Tilt Poker application, find the large number one in the center of the screen. Select either the option to play with real money or play money and click on your desired option. Keep in mind local, state and/or federal laws that may prohibit using real money in online gaming.
2. A large number two will pop up to the right, allowing you to select a ring game, sit & go tournament or full tournament. Click the option that you would like to play.
   1. For ring games, you will be directed to step three, where you can choose the type of game, like Hold'em or Omaha. Step four will ask what type of limit you desire. Step five will ask what stakes wish to play with and step six will allow you to play a ring game, observe and browse available tables.
   2. For sit & go, you will be asked to select the type of tournament, then the type of game, like no-limit Hold'em. Next you will be given a choice of buy-ins and finally, step six will show buttons to register for a tournament, visit the tournament lobby and browse available tournaments.
   3. For tournaments, you will be allowed to select all categories or simply satellite tournaments. Step four will ask why type of buy-in you'd like to play, including free rolls. Step five will display upcoming tournaments that meet the criteria you selected. After clicking on the tournament you would like to join, step six will pop up allowing you to register, view the tournament lobby and browse similar tournaments.http://www.fulltiltpoker.net/lobby-views/basic

Players in the United States are subject to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which prohibits Internet gaming or gambling, including placing bets when playing online poker. Many financial institutions will prohibit the transfer of funds from U.S. accounts to poker websites per the bill. This page is for informative purposes only and does not offer advice on how to break these laws.