Already a record breaker

02/15/2008

The Full Tilt Online Poker Series of tournaments grow more popular with every new issue, and the currently running FTOPS 7 proves the point...and the fact that online poker continues to flourish. Although the overall Series 7 official statistics are not yet released, it is clear that new records have already been set for this event, which is now in its final stages with the main event due to start this Sunday.

Taking a look at the numbers available thus far FTOPS 7 has to date already eclipsed its predecessor last November when it comes to prize money. In November, FTOPS 6 had awarded just over a total of $11 million in prize money by tournament's end. Yet by mid-week and with just under half of the events still to be completed FTOPS 7 has already disbursed $7.3 million to players - over a million dollars more than the 6-series had handed out at this stage of the event late last year.

In terms of player entries, FTOPS 6 last year signed up a total of 27 511 players, but this number has already been surpassed in the 11 FTOPS 7 events so far this month, which have pulled in 28 551 hopefuls. Before the FTOPS 7 series began, the record for players entering in a single event stood at 4 578, a record broken on three occasions this year's 7-series events: 5 319; 6 000 and 5 637.

Across all of the FTOPS events, this leading online poker spectacular has paid out $44.3 million to entrants, and judging by the intense action so far this year, that total is about to be significantly augmented.