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Derek Murdie wins 2009 APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championships

The 2009 APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championships, in association with Blue Square.com was held at the Gala Maybury Casino in Edinburgh and attracted a sell out field of 130 players from the United Kingdsom and further afield.

Included amongst the runners were seven past APAT Champions including the winners of the first two Scottish Amateur Poker Championships Phill Starrs and Jason Jones.

Early play was cautious, and unusually no players were eliminated during the first two levels, ruling out alternate entries. Phil Starrs, who would proceed to Day Two, was the early chip-leader, notably helped by beating the Queens of Louis Manson and the Ace King of Rob Swindells with pocket tens, all-in pre-flop, ten on the flop.

Also at the head of affairs was Thomas Stanfield, eliminating several players including the highly ranked Will Young. Former GCBPT Winner Rupinder Bedi recovered from a slow start to make considerable progress through Day One. Meanwhile Dean Whittaker moved to the head of the chip counts when eliminating two players in the last level on the same hand.

At the end of Day one,with 24 players remaining, the leading chip counts were as follows:

Dean Whitaker 122,700
Thomas Stanfield 117,300
Gareth Darbyshire 112,600
Mark Wright 100,500
Rupinder Bedi 85,100

Blinds began Day Two at 2,000/4,000with a 300 ante,  so for a number of the short-stacks it was a case of pushing and attempting to double up to get in a position to reach the final. Indeed eight players exited in the first fifteen minutes of play and the final was reached within three levels. George Dickson became a big chip leader early on, his AJ winning an all-in race with Phil Starrs' pocket tens, the Jack falling on the river. Dean Whitaker and Thomas Stanfield were also doing well, but the majority of players remained under pressure from the blinds.

The final table line up was as follows:

1 Derek Murdie from Hawick 92100
2 Alan Mower from Suffolk 203000
3 Gareth Derbyshire from Edinburgh 120900
4 Glen Laming from Surrey 82300
5 Dean Whitaker from Edinburgh 117400
6 Thomas Stanfield from Dunfermline 74100
7 David Blane from Edinburgh    229400
8 George Dickson   from Edinburgh 261700
9 Mark Wright from Middlesbrough 120200

First to depart on the final table was Thomas Stanfield losing a race with pocket sevens against Whitaker's King Queen suited. Shortly afterwards Alan Mower also fell to Whitaker. His Kings being cracked by Ace-Jack. This gave Whitaker a third of the chips in play seven handed.

Mark Wright exited in seventh, his pocket nines losing to Derek Murdie's Ace-King. Then Dean Whitaker again moved into action. This time his Kings were too good for the Ace Jack of Gareth Derbyshire, out in 6th.

Five handed Glen Laming suffered an unavoidable exit, running Ace King into Blane's Aces, the case Ace falling on the flop for good measure. By now all four remaining participants had decent chances to win as play moved into a short-handed but deep-stacked phase.

Four handed momentum swung away from Dean Whitaker. Taking King Queen against Murdie's pocket Kings all in pre-flop he moved well ahead on a flop containing two Queens only for the remaining King to fall on the river to double Murdie up. He then lost out to Blane, pocket tens losing to Ace Jack and he departed in fourth.

Three handed play lasted for nearly two hours as the participants sparred. Eventually George Dickson was the player to lose out, with both he and Murdie flopping a pair in a limped pot in the blinds, with Murdie's kicker deciding the outcome.

Heads Up was short, and concluded when David Blane bluffed all in on the turn of a Six Five Jack Jack board and Murdie called with six eight against his opponent's seven three to triumph.

Derek Murdie from Hawick thus became the APAT Scottish Amatuer Poker Champion 2009 winning £3,000 and a GUKPT Seat package courtesy of BlueSquare.com

APAT now moves to the centrepiece of it the 2009 season, the 450 player World Amateur Poker championship Festival at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham at the end of August. The Festival will include Omaha and HORSE championships alongside the prestigious World Amateur Poker Championship event.

For full details of APAT tournaments sign up for a free membership at www.apat.com