Back to back FTOPS Leaderboard winner, Mark “Dipthrong” Herm, gives his opinion on the XXVIII schedule, and PokerStars show they aren’t just playing lip service when it comes to SCOOP feedback.
There are many things that made Full Tilt famous: t-shirts adorned with donkeys, Rush Poker, and a bunch of robbing bastards immediately spring to mind. But it was an acronym that produced the most groin heat.
I’m talking about FTOPS.
15-29 March 2015 are the dates when bedrooms all over the world will smell of sweaty farts as online poker players refuse to leave. FTOPS XXVIII (number 28 for those of you that didn’t go to school), will consists of 35-events, and the organizers have promised $4m in guarantees.
There is a little something for everyone.
The working class can get involved in the action. There are eight events carrying a $100 price tag. Although, you had better like No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE), otherwise you will have to dig a little deeper to play. There are 25 NLHE events all-in-all.
The men and women with too much money can also get involved. Sunday, 22 March, sees the start of a two-day event that will cost $2,500 to enter, and carries a $350,000 guarantee.
There is also a $250 NLHE event carrying a $200,000 guarantee, and the $1,000 Main Event will take place Sunday, 29 March. There will be a million dollar guarantee for that one.
I reached out to the FTOPS XXVI & XXVII Leaderboard winner Mark ‘Dipthrong’ Herm, to seek his opinion on the latest schedule. This is what he had to say.
“Overall, the schedule is still sick. Personally, I don’t like the bigger buy-in events. The $500 and $1,000 events cuts into the field sizes, and it’s primarily the weaker players who get cut.
“Let’s hope that the bigger buy-in events attract more interest from people who have never before viewed FTOPS as being ‘high profile’ instead preferring SCOOP or WCOOP; but I’m not so sure. I think the higher buy-in events will attract tougher players.
“It depends what floats your boat. If you’re looking for value I think the increased buy-ins will hurt, but if you’re looking for bigger prize pools then this is a good thing for you. My main concern, with Full Tilt, is drawing more fish to the site. It’s currently very reg heavy and that just sucks.”
Can Dipthrong top that leaderboard for the third consecutive time? I wouldn’t bet against him.
Click here for the full breakdown of the schedule.
PokerStars Taking on Board Grinders SCOOP Advice
If FTOPS gets your juices flowing, then PokerStars 2015 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) will positively drown you in the stuff.
To prepare for the forthcoming series Brian Slick, Senior Manager, Tournament Schedule & Online Championships, for PokerStars pushed a draft schedule onto 2+2, solicited feedback, and according to his latest response it seems as though the customer’s feedback is being taken on board.
The series will operate 10-24 March 2015, with three events starting daily, each containing a Low, Medium and High level buy-in, and Slick asked four specific questions relating to interest levels for 3-Max tournaments, Phase tournaments, Shootout tournaments and table size for Omaha FL08 tournaments.
That was back on the 12th of this month, and six days later he was back on the forum with some feedback.
• There will be a new event added to the first Sunday, starting at 08.00 ET.
• Turbo tournaments are being slashed in line with customer demand.
• The Ante Up event is likely to vanish.
• A 1R1A is being added to the schedule.
• FLO H/L is likely to be 8-Max.
• The Phase event idea has been dropped like a dead body in Lake Tahoe.
• Saturday’s will be strengthened.
“We’re making serious modifications which are largely based on what we’ve heard from our players,” Slick wrote.
You’ve heard it.
PokerStars are listening. So get over to the thread and voice your opinion.
