Full Tilt Poker Academy

On the recommendation of some friends at The Poker Pod, I've started horsing around in the Full Tilt Poker Academy. What an amazing resource! I know there are a lot of resources on the web these days. What Full Tilt offers is pretty awesome though. All original content offered up to anyone who signs up. Furthermore, participation is rewarded on a points system that can be converted to merchandise and poker money.

I started the program while in Attu on temporary duty. However due to experiencing the Dark Side of Internet, I didn't really step into it until just recently. What I really and truly like about the program is that it makes me focus more on my online play. Obviously their pros offer extremely sound advice, and applying the principles will generally increase my bankroll over time.

Essentially the program has a progression that it takes a player through. The first step is a video lesson with a Full Tilt Pro. So far I've watched videos from Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Howard Lederer, and my favorite so far: Aaron Bartley. Each video is professionally presented and the advice is solid. Following the video, the player can take a "Sit N Learn" Quiz, where they are presented with seven questions related to the video. Accurately answering the questions in a timely manner can score the player access to monthly freeroll poker tournaments. Finally the player can take the related challenge for the lesson. The challenge actually tracks the user's actions on Full Tilt and rewards task completion with Academy points redeemable in the Academy store.

In all, I've only broken even since starting the academy. However, most of that fault lies with my absolute lack of focus at times. I recommend the Academy to any level amateur player, live or online. Many of the lessons are helpful in either environment.