Full Tilt Poker: The Inside Story of Its Rise and Fall

Full Tilt Poker, once the second-largest online poker room in the world, has a fascinating history. Ray Bitar, who stood at the helm of the company, played a crucial role in its rise. Bitar met Chris Ferguson at a poker table, and the two decided to collaborate, with Ferguson bringing his poker expertise and Bitar his financial acumen.

In 2003, Chris Ferguson, one of the top five poker players at the time, decided to launch his own poker site. This site would later become Full Tilt. Howard Lederer was appointed as the president, while Ray Bitar became the general director. Initially, Bitar managed the finances of JetSet Poker, the precursor to Full Tilt.

The first major promotion by Full Tilt was 'Main Event Mania', which offered significant prizes. The success of this promotion catapulted Full Tilt into the spotlight. The company's growth was rapid, with the number of players and revenue increasing exponentially. Full Tilt's servers often struggled to keep up with the influx of players, a problem that mirrored the early days of Party Poker.