FT Poker Academy

I've been playing around with the challenges at the poker academy, losing money as I attempt to do what's asked. It's amusing; I have found out it's easier to win three times than to get someone to re-raise you so you can fold, or to get someone to fold to my all-in re-raise. But anyway...
I counted up all the points for all the challenges and came up with a very small number, now forgotten. Does anyone know if there is there another way to make these academy points so I can buy the really expensive junk?
If anyone knows a quick way to pick them up that would be cool to know as well. Thanks:

As far as I know, you have to complete the challenges to earn academy points. The FTPA is a marketing tool to encourage play with additional rewards. Try the Chris Ferguson pre-flop play challenge. It's pretty easy and shouldn't affect your play too much.

The only way you're going to be able to pick them up is by playing. There is no workaround. Also, they will teach you concepts that will make you a better player in the long run. The Pre-Flop play one being one of the best that I have seen people comment on, because the biggest problem with most beginner's games is that they play too many hands. Chances are hat is happening is you are trying to use those concepts in spots that they aren't meant to be used.

The FTPA is basically murder to your bankroll. The best idea is to accept the challenge and just play your style, then hopefully you rack up some points along the way. If you go for the challenges without thinking, you WILL put yourself in bad spots, whether you ignore image, ignore position, or just make a bad play to reach the goal.

I have been doing some really stupid things to try and hit the challenges...
My biggest concern is that you need to rack up 1,000,000 points if you want a new avatar (I don't), but all the challenges added together would only give you about 10,000 I think. How do you make up the other 990,000 points?

tookie21 said:

I have been doing some really stupid things to try and hit the challenges...
My biggest concern is that you need to rack up 1,000,000 points if you want a new avatar (I don't), but all the challenges added together would only give you about 10,000 I think. How do you make up the other 990,000 points?

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If you have to change your play to do the challenges, then its not worth it. The points are not worth losing money. Why would you just keep betting and hoping you get 3bet so you can fold? Thats just dumb.

You can't get 1,000,000 points for the avatar, but you can get more than 10,000. I've gotten way over that. You can do each challenge 10 times, so add up the points of all the challenges and then multiply that by 10.

Pick a challenge (like the preflop challenge that was suggested) and then just play normal. It might take you a few days or a few weeks to complete it, but no big deal. You should not be trying to complete these challenges for the points...you're supposed to use them to help your play.

If you can finish a challenge in 1 hour by playing 1 table then you are doing it wrong. It should take time to finish these.

I easily can complete 2 or 3 challenges in a 2 hour session, depending on what it is, just by playing my same old game. If you are losing money by trying to do these challenges, then chances are that you are trying to make whatever moves or challenges at the completely wrong spots. Or you are making it obvious. You wouldn't believe how many people I am able to pick up on trying to do the pre-flop play challenge. A guy I have barely any previous hands prior to that day is always raising 2xbb from EP, 2.5xBB from MP and 3xBB from LP...hmm... narrows that range right down. What is even funnier is when people will specifically say in the chat that they are trying to complete whatever challenge(I've had this happen 3 or 4 times).

tookie21 said:

I have been doing some really stupid things to try and hit the challenges...
My biggest concern is that you need to rack up 1,000,000 points if you want a new avatar (I don't), but all the challenges added together would only give you about 10,000 I think. How do you make up the other 990,000 points?

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How many personalized avatars have you seen on Fulltilt? (personally, aside from the red pros, I've only seen 4). pretty sure they all were won from something (ie. FTOP Leaderboard I think??). I don't know of anyone who's bothered to purchase one for 1mil FTPs.

As has been mentioned in this thread already, I really don't think your goal should be to alter your play in order to earn a few FTPs (< or whatever they call them) & instead just play your game (maybe keep in mind what some of the concepts/requirements were & then to try to implement them into your game). I don't think the FTPs are worth a whole lot & would seem like really -EV to be chasing after them. Obviously a freebie bonus to be picking up a bunch while just playing but to play with the sole intention of acquiring them???... sounds like a bad idea to me.

I don't know much about the FTP Academy (only looked at it when it first came out & then last nite too actually). I looked over one of the challenges...... meh... not interested. Cool bonus I guess for those who are interested but didn't grab me. Watched a few of the vids. on there too... fancy graphics & put out very professionally but content was real basic imo.

There are alot of members here working strictly on "freeroll" bankrolls or no deposit bankrolls and if they haven't looked at FTPA at least for the Sit N Learn monthly freeroll, then they are missing out. Every month they have a $5K freeroll for people who complete 1 Sit N Learn challenge. Usually only @3,500 entrants and top 800 or so pay at least 5 bucks. Hits the money in about 2 hours. Alot easier than daily freerolls.

tookie21 said:

I've been playing around with the challenges at the poker academy, losing money as I attempt to do what's asked. It's amusing; I have found out it's easier to win three times than to get someone to re-raise you so you can fold, or to get someone to fold to my all-in re-raise. But anyway...
I counted up all the points for all the challenges and came up with a very small number, now forgotten. Does anyone know if there is there another way to make these academy points so I can buy the really expensive junk?
If anyone knows a quick way to pick them up that would be cool to know as well. Thanks:

Click to expand...

You need to pick the right time, and the right spots.
which ones are you having problems with? The Sng ones i am finding easy.

There are several very easy challenges - 5 Common Hold'em Leaks is very easy.

The problem I have with the preflop one is it is for full ring only

Poker Orifice said:

I don't know of anyone who's bothered to purchase one for 1mil FTPs.

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Believe me I would...

tookie21 said:

I have been doing some really stupid things to try and hit the challenges...
My biggest concern is that you need to rack up 1,000,000 points if you want a new avatar (I don't), but all the challenges added together would only give you about 10,000 I think. How do you make up the other 990,000 points?

Click to expand...

You can earn way more than 10k Academy points. But you are right, you can't earn 1 million as of right now.

The Academy is always adding more challenges though. So in the future you will be able to earn more than 1 million as more challenges are added.


Most of you are missing the point of the challenge. The point is to improve your game, and add concepts that you might not understand. You need to learn the concepts you don't understand and when to use them. You do that by reading up on whatever concept you don't understand and by playing. If you have to make drastic changes to your game to complete challenges you probably aren't that good of a player to begin with and you need to make those changes. Also, remember that the challenges aren't desinged to be completed in one session or even in just one day. So you shouldn't be pushing and misusing concepts to complete challenges. The point of the challenges is to learn new concepts and improve your game. Full Tilt gives you a reward for doing so.

TPC said:

You can earn way more than 10k Academy points. But you are right, you can't earn 1 million as of right now.

The Academy is always adding more challenges though. So in the future you will be able to earn more than 1 million as more challenges are added.


Most of you are missing the point of the challenge. The point is to improve your game, and add concepts that you might not understand. You need to learn the concepts you don't understand and when to use them. You do that by reading up on whatever concept you don't understand and by playing. If you have to make drastic changes to your game to complete challenges you probably aren't that good of a player to begin with and you need to make those changes. Also, remember that the challenges aren't desinged to be completed in one session or even in just one day. So you shouldn't be pushing and misusing concepts to complete challenges. The point of the challenges is to learn new concepts and improve your game. Full Tilt gives you a reward for doing so.

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+1 Read the bold. To be honest...I think you're kind of missing out if you aren't doing these challenges. I think it was Belgo that says he has one up and then every few days he checks to see if he has it done. If he doesn't then he just keeps going until he has it done or starts a new one. 1 academy point = 1 ft point....except academy points have nothing to do with rake and can be accumulated faster at micros than ft points.

Yup - I'm at 5.5k credits from grinding micro stakes

I see them more as just another bonus to use; most of the things I do anyway, and some of them are so outrageous you have to get lucky to make a profit from them...

Wes747 said:

+1 Read the bold. To be honest...I think you're kind of missing out if you aren't doing these challenges. I think it was Belgo that says he has one up and then every few days he checks to see if he has it done. If he doesn't then he just keeps going until he has it done or starts a new one. 1 academy point = 1 ft point....except academy points have nothing to do with rake and can be accumulated faster at micros than ft points.

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That's what WVH and I do. Just accept a challenge and check in every few days and see if it's completed. If it is, either reset the challenge or pick a new one.

If you are a competent player you shouldn't need to change your game to complete any of these challenges. If you do need to change your game to complete the challenges, it's probably for the better.

Wes, that's exactly what I've been trying to hit on the entire time +1. I do the same thing also, just playing my game and checking every now and then to check for completion. Every once in a while I will get to a challenge that has a part that just doesn't get completed in my own game, so I might check into it a little and go through HEM to see how I am doing it differently than what they are wanting it done. If I see anything that I think could be improved, then I might look for some spots where I could use it to improve, but if I think that it isn't going to do anything for my game, then I just leave it and there is a chance that eventually it will get completed just by chance.

Added bonus for completing challenges right now is a round 2 entry to the FTPA wsop freeroll in June.

TPC said:

You can earn way more than 10k Academy points. But you are right, you can't earn 1 million as of right now.

The Academy is always adding more challenges though. So in the future you will be able to earn more than 1 million as more challenges are added.


Most of you are missing the point of the challenge. The point is to improve your game, and add concepts that you might not understand. You need to learn the concepts you don't understand and when to use them. You do that by reading up on whatever concept you don't understand and by playing. If you have to make drastic changes to your game to complete challenges you probably aren't that good of a player to begin with and you need to make those changes. Also, remember that the challenges aren't desinged to be completed in one session or even in just one day. So you shouldn't be pushing and misusing concepts to complete challenges. The point of the challenges is to learn new concepts and improve your game. Full Tilt gives you a reward for doing so.

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I know TPC, i would help him with it, just like you would ...
They are easy, from the way i play. <<< That will soon be seen...