blonde poker forum

Full discussion on the APAT forum but I am posting across other forums and will answer any questions blondes have

London, August 3rd, 2007 – The Amateur Poker Association & Tour (“APAT”), in conjunction with Blue Square, today announced details of the sixth live event in its critically acclaimed tour.

APAT is the world’s first combined Poker Association and Tour, and will hold the European Amateur Poker Championship at the Grosvenor G Casino in Luton, over the bank holiday weekend, August 25th to 27th. 

The entry fee will be £75.00 and the winner will take home an expenses paid entry to the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Final, worth up to $8,000, in addition to the European Amateur title and a substantial cash prize.  Players will not be required to pay a registration fee for the event and APAT standardised rules will be in operation at Grosvenor.

Players will start the event with 10,000 in chips, and a structure designed to encourage creative play throughout. 

300 seats are being made available and these will be allocated in the following way:

• A seat option will be available for every $160 in the prize pool, via one online satellite at Blue Square, taking place on Monday August 6th at 8pm sharp. This event will feature a $20 + $2 entry fee.  The Blue Square poker client can be downloaded via www.bluesq.com.  The APAT satellite can be found under “Scheduled Tournaments / Satellites”.

• The remaining seats will be allocated via a direct buy in at www.apat.com on Wednesday August 8th at around 7.00pm.

The event will feature two day ones and players will have the opportunity to nominate on which opening day they would prefer to play.  Day options will be granted on a first come first served basis as there will be a requirement to have an equal number of players on each day one.

APAT members from several European countries have expressed their intention to travel to Luton, ensuring that this will be the largest and most international APAT tournament field to date.

In season one, APAT features seven national and international events culminating in the World Amateur Poker Championship.  Each APAT event winner receives a cash prize, an engraved Championship Cup and an expenses paid Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, European Poker Tour or World Series of Poker main event entry.

Details of the APAT World Amateur Poker Championship will be announced later in August, where the winner will take a Blue Square sponsored expenses paid entry to the main event at the World Series of Poker.   

APAT Membership can be obtained online at www.apat.com.

Further Information For Editors

Daniel Phillips was the winner of the inaugural APAT event, the English Amateur Championship in September 2006 and played in the EPT Copenhagen event as part of his winner’s prize.

Max Ward was the winner of the UK Amateur Championship in December 2006 and will play in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event as part of his winner’s prize.

Lee Mulligan was the winner of the Welsh Amateur Poker Championship in February 2007 and played in the EPT Dortmund event as part of his winner’s prize.
 
Phil Starrs was the winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship in April 2007 and will play in the season four Barcelona EPT event as part of his winner’s prize.

Jacques Kieft was the winner of the Irish Amateur Championship in June 2007 and will play in a season four EPT event as part of his winner’s prize.

For images or additional information on the Amateur Poker Association & Tour, contact Richard Prew on 07887 987044 or via media@apat.com, or visit the Press section at www.apat.com.

Ends

Is it just me, I can't see the satellite for tonight in the BS lobby

Not there for me either - someone at BlueSq needs to get on the phone to whoever sets these up.

nope its not there.

on the case

CAn anyone tell me what the buy in will be for the satellite tonight?


is it $20 + $2?

I need to know how much to stick in my neteller account- god i hate using neteller.

Give me blondePoker and an easy debit card deposit anyday!

It says $20+2 in the top post.

Sigh, im such a  ;djinn;

I knew i had got that amount from somewhere.

Thx Robert lol

Can't you deposit on BQ with a debit card too?  They're on the same network

On blonde when you go to cashier it gives you 5 or 6 different methods but when you go to cashier on blusq (or at least on mine) it just goes straight to a netteler pay page. Am on live help with neteller now, its a nightmare!

Blue Sq are sorting out the sat now

For player problems Mike Butlin from Blue Sq is on www.apat.com/forum sorting out any issues


I will be on my mobile (see above ) this afternoon if you need me to give Blue Sq a prod on anything

Having a nightmare with neteller, am trying to swap over my card details to my new account but when i deposit it still says my card details are registered with old account and i need a ne card to desposit. Live help is being helpful but the security is so stringent.

Just as a back up plan is it possible to fund transfer player to player on blusq?

You should be able to deposit using all major credit or debit cards, in addition to Neteller.  If it is your first registration, you will be eligible for a $500 signup bonus also.

The satellite should be on the BSQ client this afternoon.

You can only use one deposit method at a time, so if you're set up with one method you have to contact them to change it to a different one. I did this on Saturday and it just took a few hours from my initial enquiry to being able to deposit.

But if you can deposit with the one that's already on there it might be a better idea to wait until after this qualifier to change it.

But anyway that's why it doesn't show you all the different ways of depositing straight away like it does on blonde.

The sat is in the software now - no password protection or entry restriction.

Sure is, and I'm registered.

No restriction on who can enter though (no requirement to put in a password as with previous APAT events).

Just checking this

Blue Square is the first organisational member of APAT, and as such Blue Square's existing players receive free membership to APAT if they wish and can play the satellites if they wish

Hence no password protection

Even if they're professionals?

It would be far too late to have it password protected at this stage - not enough time to disseminate the password properly.

I'm also curious about the 'Free APAT membership for every player' not in the tournament info - this suggests the tournament is specifically not for current APAT members.

EDIT: *looks up*

Does this mean that APAT get a tenner for each non-APAT member that plays in this tournament?

We will be offering professional membership, for the Pro-Am Masters...

obviously for Luton, pros won't be allowed to play and we will conduct our usual due diligence on the player list well beforehand

Could just use exactly the same one that has been used for the rest of Season 1.


Current members get free membership for this year anyway.

Just mentioned it because there's nothing to stop a 'non-amateur' taking part in the satellite and taking a place that would have gone to someone else.

No, there is no affilaite deal

As said above, Ble Sq's players are being given free membership, as are existing members

If i dont laugh about it, i'll cry!

Spent an hour on livehelp with neteller trying to swap card details then when that was done i went to deposit and my bank wont let me deposit to neteller!!!

So instead took jonMW's advice, rang blusq customer support and in the space of 3 minutes had got rid of the shitty neteller and had deposited using my debit card!!!!

Not too happy about the tourneys not being password protected, just a sly way of increasing the rake for blusq! (obviously nothing to do with APAT but not happy with their sponsors attitude!)

At the moment the membership references are the members emails - does this mean that Blue Square have provided you with the email addresses of all their members? Or do Blue Square members have to confirm their APAT membership? Or haven't you got around to working out the logistics?

To be confirmed, but it is most likely that blue square members will be given the option of becoming members rather than any compulsion

Gd but why not just put it up on blusq homepage and still have tourney p/w protected. I was looking forward to playing the online series next year but wont if you have just non-apat blusq players being able to play it just because there is added money.

Has APAT been taken over by Blue Square?

There is $4,000 to $5,000 to add online in Season Two and we will carefully select which events to put that against KP. 

Blue Square players entering an APAT events will become members and BSQ will provide their details. 

Can I confirm, this was APAT's decision, not Blue Square trying to increase their rake from their own players as you suggest! 

It is an important objective to grow APAT in Season Two, and the partnership with Blue Square will provide a great opportunity to do so for APAT.   Remember, with scale will come added benefits for members.

lol, no....has Blue Square been taken over by APAT?

I sure it wlll Des.

Im behind any plans of expansion APAT have I really am, i just dont want it to turn into a completely different thing from the tour i enjoyed partaking in in the first season.

I think that it would be appropriate if these tournaments were password protected still. If Blue Square members want to confirm there membership (at no cost for season 2 at least) then they could be sent the password. My concern is that control of the situation doesn't pass out of APAt's hands.

Additionally with the growth in membership that should be expected for APAt could it be a good time to introduce unique membership numbers, as keeping track of members by email address is probably not the most efficient method.

How do you stop pro's playing the sat if anyone can join?
Is there even a notice saying you need to be an amateur on the comp?

Good spot, I've requested that this be made clear on the client.

wouldn't mind playing the sat tonight, but can't remember my blue square username or password.  Fingers crossed it gets sorted in time!

Well that did not go well.

managed to get into my Blue Sq account, couldnt get any new poker name to be accepted so had to have the catchy "B3293286".

Then in the BSq sat, I managed to finish in the dizzying heights of last place. 

so as I play on Bluesquare I don't have to become an apat member for season two but will become one automatically when I register for a sat online?

I didn't read that anywhere (mainly because I didn't pay any attention to such a post) so just wanted to clarify that :)

Yes, you're correct.  I think.

That's right boldie.

One further problem for the members is that we havve left the totally professional software of Pokerstars and gone to the crap amatuerist one at Blue Square.

I am to presume that negotiations did not go too well at Pokerstars who I feel have looked after us in season 1?

cough, you mean the wonderful blonde poker like software?


Negotiations with PS were fine, but the deal with BS which helped us secure live venues well in advance was an improvement to APAT members we felt

Out of interest, is/was it not possible to have some online sats or games on blonde Poker?

Foggy - I had the same thoughts about the software.  You just can't beat PokerStars.  But the pros in terms of the live events outweigh the online negatives for me.

blonde hat on..bring it on!

APAT hat on...I don't think our sponsor would appreciate some sats going elsewhere!

I agree that the pros outweigh the cons - but it would be so much better if the software was better. Otherwise it might not even be worth playing the online events.

There is an awful lot going on to feedback players' requests re the software...we all switched over in March and a number of improvments have been made since

Some are ongoing.

Anyone is welcome to contact me with what they would like to see..blonde has been working with Blue Sq to help effect the improvements we would like.

I don't disagree - but I think I'll still be playing the online events as well.

Tribeca.

behave


Milk,no sugar

Not now they wouldn't obviously, but prior to negotiating the deal with BQ, perhaps a couple of feeders could have been put on blonde.  Would have been a nice way to boost player numbers on blonde.  Perhaps with all the BQ players that are now APAT members, next negotiation would be better.

The sat's going ok for me. Managed to get a few chips early on and am sitting around the bubble mark atm with plenty of time to go.

Pre the deal with BS, all the sats were on PS!

I strongly suspect I will be - but only because I don't expect they will be as bad as this satellite.

:sigh:

Running bad - nearly out, and I get KK and flop a third to make sure 77 doesn't outdraw me.  One more double-up and I'm back to the land of the living...

We will use this feedback to improve the structure for our next event at Blue Square.  The team over there will be extremely keen to get this right.  A key driver of what made our tournaments so successful at PokerStars was the structure, and that is something we can quickly influence at Blue Square also.

So all they have to do is copy the Pokerstars structure - problem solved  :)up

Nearly...

BUT....................with a reasonable structure ( something that is lacking on the site) and no password protection. This will open up the APAT comps to every Tom, Dick and Harry that plays on the crap site.

Good luck to apat and I look forward to playing many events in season 2. I feel with the "all blue square players are now apat members" approach there is a danger that apat will increasingly be seen as a Blue Square offering and the decision that the individuals dont need to register as members takes away a bit of the team spirit that has been built up in season 1. I undestand your desire to increase membership but the unique identity of being an apat member is rather diluted compared to season 1 - if last year on Pokerstars the tourneys were not password protected and were instead open to all, would it have made a difference - personally, I think yes.

I'll probably be unpopular here but I'd prefer to pay a small membership fee to be a member of a group that I support - in season 1 everyone who played at a live tourney had payed their money and everyone understood what apat was about - I'm sure you'll agree the spirit of the competition could not be bettered. By widening membership so dramatically and making it automatic the perceived value of membership is reduced. I've worked in sales for years and the old saying is never give anything away for free as it will not be valued.

I'm not knocking the efforts, honestly I'm not. Some of the plans for season two are fantastic and in this regard I congratulate you. This is more the ramblings of someone who has really enjoyed watching apat develop in the last year and I guess I'm being very selfish in my views. But the fact remains that to play in online apat events you now only have to join Blue Square, not APAT, which seems a shame to me.

Anyway, good luck APAT and hope to see many of you in Luton... alas the clickfest awaits after my satellite attempt tonight!!

I think they should have passwords to be given out to APAt members only when (in the case of Blue Square) members they have confirmed there membership. This keeps APAt in control.

All Bluesquare users are automatically APAT members at the lower level which entitles them to play the online tourneys. Am sure Des or Tighty will confirm..

It's rigged, I tell thee!

JJ and I shove, only to be called by KingPoker with AA.

The J on the flop is mildly amusing, but is accompanied with a K.  The Q turn and T river meant he had the last laugh.  Battled with a short stack after that, but to no avail.

Good luck to all still in, and I'm off to practice my ctrl+F5.

And you think that this is a good thing for the APAT membership. I personally feel that the tremendous spirit that was a feature of season 1, both in online and live events will be missing.

My initial thought is that commercialism has been put before the membership, otherwise this would have been debated on the APAT forum before major decisions were made. I have supported the live events where possible and also played in many of the online series, but I cannot see me playing on the crap software that is available on Blue Sq. This is the main reason that I left Racing Post / VC Poker after the move from Tribeca. The superior software available is on Pokerstars, the one that we are saying goodbye too !!!!!!

You're just worried I'll beat you Foggy.  Admit it.

Dream on mate

Are we talking computers or poker?

You're running scared...;D

Foggy, the commercialisation will allow many more players to play APAT live events in Season Two.  APAT is primarily about the live experience and that is what differentiates us.  It was not possible to have it both ways.  The software is not PokerStars, but then nobody elses software is PokerStars either, and we will work with Blue Square to deliver a far more appropriate structure for future online events.

Down to 16 - still no sign of hand for hand play.

Bit odd?

;goodluck; Jon.  Grind it out.  Nothing stupid.

Not me dumbo - just noticed it thats all

and thanks for the support, in the hypothetical situation that I had survived that long

All over - congrats to the 15 who made it through.

[ ;grr;]

Fair enough Des, I realise that any decision that the crew ( TK, Tighty, and you ) make, you feel it will be for the better, and obviously I will support APAT as I have done in the past at live events.Have to say they are excellant, or we would not pay vast amounts of money to travel all over the British Isles for a £75 freeze out.

Just basically having a moan at the online site, and the fact that it will be opening up to everyone. Still think that the £10 shoulld stay and that they comps need to be password protected!

Just an old poker player, still looking for a poker home after the demise of tribeca

What was ur nickname in the game jon??

Ps. I won a seat, GET IN!!!!!!

I didn't get deep, that was just Kinboshi misinterpreting my general observation as meaning that I was still playing

Thank God coz the way it was worded i thought u were the 16th player i knocked out- phew!

Seat was never in doubt!  ;yippee;

Glad to see you didn't waste them fella :)up

Well done KP, a great effort. Just think, you can now make plans for Wednesday night!!

Thankyou both, i was more worried my pay cheque i put in today was gonna clear in time for the wednesday clickfest lol.

I think im more happy with the way i played than the seat, Its nice when your game comes together and you also seem to get that lil bit of luck aswell.

See you all in luton.

It was a crapshoot after about 50 mins, push or fold every round. Apart from the levels being 5 mins shorter we also stated with half the chips (2500) than usual for an Apat online tourney.

It has been aknowledged that the structure needs looking at so hopefully the online games for season 2 will be ok.