in praise of APAT....

[lazaroonie]

I know there is a perfectly good forum over at apat for stuff like this, but I want to put it here.

I really love these events. My only regret is that I wasnt switched on to them sooner, and missed the ones in newcastle and birmingham.

Thanks to the traffic on the M1 coming out of London Village on saturday morning, I nearly missed this one as well, finally arriving at the casino at 2.17pm, after  a horrendoius 2.5 hour journey from west london.

I just read a thread which stated that "cor that second flight looks much tougher than the first day". To that I would reply "nonsense". I saw some truly great play at each of the tables I was at, including when I got moved across from Ralph (Karabiner). His intricate and thoughtful play was causing trouble for lots of players, so I just decided to avoid him, and try to mimic his impeccable sense of timing to attack the shortstacks whenever possible. I am so pleased to read that he got a cash - 2 in 2 weeks, thats consistency !

Anyway, as it goes I departed in around 25th place, 5 short of coming back for a second day. In truth I probably could have delayed my exit the ten minutes necessary to make a return on the monday, but there wouldnt have been much point with around 30K in chips. I decided to make a move at the time - gamble and double up - or death and glory. Looking back I only really made one mistake all day, and ill advised steal  attempt from the button when I was pretty new to a table, against a guy who was just short enough to mean that when he went all in, I was left with a horrible decision.

So all in all I was quite pleased with my play - to final in Dublin and go so deep here shows a level of consistency I am trying to maintain throughout the year, in all my tournament play.

So again, thanks to Tony, Des, Richard. I also saw a guy wearing a "colchester kev" t-shirt, but he hid behind a lamppost and he was gone, so I dont really know who that was.....

[lazaroonie]

In addition I would lie to apologise to Andrew T for the mixup - in the end we ended up getting screwed at the hotel - we went to checkin at around midnight, and they had given our room  away - something about having to check in earlier, which was rubbish cos my mate had phoned at 9pm. Anyway after much debate they magically found us another room, but it was only a double - so you would have been on the floor anyway./

[Robert HM]

In addition I would lie to apologise to Andrew T for the mixup - in the end we didn't ended up getting screwed at the hotel - we went to checkin at around midnight, and they had given our room  away - something about having to check in earlier, which was rubbish cos my mate had phoned at 9pm. Anyway after much debate they magically found us another room, but it was only a double - so you would have been on the floor anyway./

In the circumstances, FYP

[AndrewT]

In addition I would lie to apologise to Andrew T for the mixup - in the end we ended up getting screwed at the hotel - we went to checkin at around midnight, and they had given our room  away - something about having to check in earlier, which was rubbish cos my mate had phoned at 9pm. Anyway after much debate they magically found us another room, but it was only a double - so you would have been on the floor anyway./

No problem - these things happen.

[Karabiner]

Thanks for the kind words Laz, it was nice to see you again and to share a table with you for a while.

It was my first APAT event too and it certainly lived up to all the hyperbole. It ran like clockwork thanks to the Herculean efforts of Tighty, Des and Tikay who must have done fourteen hour shifts on each of the three days. And it all took place in such a friendly blonde bashesque atmosphere. It really was superb.

I was doing okay yesterday and had increased my 92k starting stack to around 150k with three tables left. We were seven-handed on my table approaching the money bubble from £300 to £600 which occurred when we got down to eighteen. My ahem "impeccable sense of timing" let me down when I raised UTG to 35k (5k/10k) holding only to get RR'd allin for another 23k by Josh Sugarman who was holding QQ which stood up and halved my stack. I was always fighting for survival after that and finally crashed and burned in fifteenth for a tidy £600 when my KJ failed to beat the then CL's 77.

[ericstoner]

What's more to be said I concur with all you say Laz,

People all over are realizing what Des and the team have come up with is truly fantastic for us amateurs. everywhere we have been welcomed by our host venue with open arms, and treated to a professionaly run.
 friendly festively of poker.

It was nice to spend a few minutes with you Laz and to......................................

Dewi,......nice kebab eh m8,Glenn,Rick,Des, Tikay,tighty,Kev,Jane,Maureen,mickyp,rookie paul (belly), ironside(of course) Bainn Harmony, M3boy, Charmaine, andrewT,

oh I can't go on.........Just to say it's a real pleasure to meet up with you all ....roll on year 2.

[kenjude]

It was very enjoyable, and very well organised. And apologies to Tikay for managing not to say who I was when he came over and said hello - I was kinda tongue-tied. Haven't got the foggiest idea why.

[bolt pp]

And apologies to Tikay for managing not to say who I was when he came over and said hello - I was kinda tongue-tied.

LOL

i would be as well

would be difficult trying to think up a sentence from which he couldn't make some obscue reference to trains and then bang on about his journey down for the 1/2 hour

[Sugardaddy]

My ahem "impeccable sense of timing" let me down when I raised UTG to 35k (5k/10k) holding only to get RR'd allin for another 23k by Josh Sugarman who was holding QQ which stood up and halved my stack. I was always fighting for survival after that and finally crashed and burned in fifteenth for a tidy £600 when my KJ failed to beat the then CL's 77.

I thought it was great timing hehe. Only joking. I guess if I had the CL and went all in you were folding. For me the most unfortunate thing about the situation was that you were committed to my enter an all in with me (and other short stacks), where as if, if there was a much larger stack with QQ's who's playing TAG or whatever, then it may  be easier.

I guess thats part of the hidden luck maybe!!!

Tell you what though Ralph, you still played a solid game and there wasn't anyone on the table I was avoiding... except you!

[Karabiner]

My ahem "impeccable sense of timing" let me down when I raised UTG to 35k (5k/10k) holding only to get RR'd allin for another 23k by Josh Sugarman who was holding QQ which stood up and halved my stack. I was always fighting for survival after that and finally crashed and burned in fifteenth for a tidy £600 when my KJ failed to beat the then CL's 77.

I thought it was great timing hehe. Only joking. I guess if I had the CL and went all in you were folding. For me the most unfortunate thing about the situation was that you were committed to my enter an all in with me (and other short stacks), where as if, if there was a much larger stack with QQ's who's playing TAG or whatever, then it may  be easier.

I guess thats part of the hidden luck maybe!!!

Tell you what though Ralph, you still played a solid game and there wasn't anyone on the table I was avoiding... except you!

I agree with you Josh, I could have easily got away from a RR by a big stack. My other thought about the hand was that had I R'd to 25k rather than 35k, I could then have got away from your push. But as they say, hindsight is always 20/20.