Launch of the Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT)

[byronkincaid]

Any long term winning player must be at least a semi pro, right? Or does the amount of money they win somehow make a difference to the definition? The lines are very very blurred imo.

Could someone tell me if I would be allowed to play?

Thanks

[TightEnd]

A commercial organisation

It is in the members interests if APL is profitable to be able to be professionally deal as an association with the various large industry and regulatory bodies that it will have to deal with as it seeks to improve those issues that its members want to be tackled

The sponsors, Poker Stars and PokerPlayer, are clearly helpful to the business in terms of added value to the tournaments and media coverage throughout Season 1. Both serve to increase the profile of APAT and thus improve the likelihood of it being a voice that will be heard

[Gamblor21]

I have to agree with alot of the points made so far in the thread, so won't repeat them! As with anything this will suffer from some teething problems and unexpected issues. But i for one wish them all the best!

This is a step in the right direction, even if there is some points i disagree with. One is the "No Deals" and the "Top Heavy Payouts" This seems to go against alot of previous posts that the people involved have made. Why change it for what is ment to be great structured events!

I also side with Wardonkey and Red-Dog... Where do we fit in between Amateur and professional. Also you seem to be penalising the "Successful Amateurs".

Alot of things need to be worked on but i'm sure in time the issues will be resolved!

[tikay]

I'm off out so i'll add the registration questions now.

How is the online reg to be done? is it first click or first payments accepted, if so which is quicker? debit card, credit card, paypal, netteller etc.??

As there are only 118 places (2 appear to have been allocated) first come first served looks like the only real way but do people who have registered an interest get priority?

Do you have to have joined in order to book a place or can you join if you get a spot?

Tighty fielded most of ifm's questions, except the rather odd "only 118 places, 2 appear to have been allocated". I don't understand this - there are 120 Seats available for Event # 1. To whom have the 2 seats been allocated?

As to Totalise's "disappearing Post", I read the gist of it pre-Delete, & will answer it in due course. It's in the queue. Extrordinary how quickly the "who deleted Totalise's Post?" questions appeared! Who else would it be, apart from the OP?

[Jon MW]

Is the tournament registration going to be through the Paypal system like the joing up registration was? This was easy - I wouldn't mind this.

[totalise]

Well obviously you want to enter - lots of recreational players you'd have a better chance of beating for a value added prize pool - doesn't this answer your question?

And isn't the word Amateur a clue in the organisation name?

The added money certainly an attraction, but I doubt the overlay would cover the expense of travel and hotel bills which come with a two day event.

My main reasons for wanting to attend would be social. Also though I am a 'professional' player I have very little experience in live events with long(ish) clocks and deep stacks an event like this would be excellent practise for the 2 or 3 festivals that I attend each year. 

Am I being silly here, but didn't you answer it yourself....

' I am a professional player ' and this is the Amateur Poker Association & Tour

What is good for the amateur is good for the professional. This Association seems to be in a much better position to represent me than the PPA. I understand that the target market is not the sponsored pro and that the association is more about looking after the 'average player'. I actually feel that when it comes to live events I have more in common with the skilled amatuer than I do with the tournament professional.

I just want to say that this is exactly how I feel...  the allure of playing poker with amateurs in friendly live environments is far more superior to me then playing in a £1k tourney full of people close to being broke who are trying to shoot an angle every chance they get.

********

Tighty, I am with you on not chopping the sponsors addition, that would be very wrong.. but it doesn't seem right to tell them what to do with their own money.. it seems like its more a case of putting the sponsors first then the players, which seems to contradict the whole ethos of the APAT. That is my main gripe.....

[Indestructable]

I have tried to read all of this thread but getting a head ache and in trouble with Mrs Indy as I promised her quality time tonight.  
Just as a suggestion would it be possible to do a thread afterwards a bit like the at a glance threads with no interactivity just to summarise the points we need to know about.
My initial reaction is positive to the APAT, and the membership fee appears to beer money not worth worrying about. I will no doubt try for the weekend of the 23rd. I guess there isn't an easy way of selecting 120 to play, but the thought of tapping away in vain at my pc past midnight trying like a desperate Kylie fan trying to get tickets for a Kylie show doesn't appeal (I did get 1 ticket by the way  ) I think you have to stick with the chosen plan as advertised, but perhaps drawing lots, or an mtt could be better for future weekends.
Message for Byronkincaid, no sorry (give us fish a chance.  )

[tikay]

I need to revert back to the "dangler" I posed about Online Sats.

As I have Posted elsewhere, I have no role in the OSAP, but online sats for APAT sort of "crosses" the line, so I checked it out with Des.

The present position is that it's likely (note "likely") that the following will be the case.

Online Sats will be run for the European Amateur Poker Championship (pencilled in for Deauville in April, but tbc) & The World Amateur Poker Championship, provisionally scheduled for Vegas next summer.

By their very nature, the buy-ins for these two events may well be higher, thus justifying Online Sats, & it's planned that these will indeed take place.

[tikay]

Is the tournament registration going to be through the Paypal system like the joing up registration was? This was easy - I wouldn't mind this.

Sadly not. PayPal would not allow this, as it conflicts with their stance on gambling. (And yes, I know they appear to make exceptions, but that's their call, not ours).

So alternative Payment Options are currently being organized. These are horrendously complex to set up in some cases, but in one case, we are only days away.

Oddly, PayPal allowed us the right for Members to subscribe, but not to register for Tourneys. Caused us some last minute head-scratching, I can tell you!

Plan B is in place, & well on the way to completion.

[ACE2M]

How can the association maintain impartial objectivity when it is driven by making a profit for the owners?

The fact that it is profit driven is not clear at first.

When a new chairman is elected next year will they be paid?

It's starting to look like another poker venture dressed up as something else, i am all for the concept but it feels like i will just be paying an extra rake to APAT to organise a decent tournamet series.

If the tour will be televised will television revenues be added to prize pools?

[byronkincaid]

TV companies get poker for free, I think on some US channels you (or more realistically your sponsor) have to pay the TV company to show it.

[Tractor]

wow, theres a lot to digest here but one thing about the tourny at The Broadway.
Now £75 seems fine for a freezeout, but you have to add 2 nights accommodation and travel expenses etc.
And im sure Mel stated it would be a 7hour first day? and Im sure i read it starts at 3pm, so finished at 10pm?
Well i like the 3pm start idea but surely why only seven hours, play longer on day 1 narrow the fields so at least people could go home/make arrangements rather than having to return on day two still way out of the money?

i will have another read again later, ive joined anyway

[londonpokergirl]

How can the association maintain impartial objectivity when it is driven by making a profit for the owners?

The fact that it is profit driven is not clear at first.

When a new chairman is elected next year will they be paid?

It's starting to look like another poker venture dressed up as something else, i am all for the concept but it feels like i will just be paying an extra rake to APAT to organise a decent tournamet series.
If the tour will be televised will television revenues be added to prize pools?

Now i'm sorry but this is now getting a little ridiculous .

Does McDonalds or B&Q say anywhere on their website that they are profit driven?  Does any company who has a website say that?  I think the answer you will find is no.

One thing is certain we need members to survive otherwise there won't be a next year.
We are a new venture and are going to strive to give our members the right structures, right payouts and damn fine poker venues for our players and sponsors so that we get to year 2

We will be striding forward for televised events but I think we are quite a way off that yet, but its in the pipeline and once again all comments will be passed to the board for review so we can discuss at a later stage

[londonpokergirl]

Any long term winning player must be at least a semi pro, right? Or does the amount of money they win somehow make a difference to the definition? The lines are very very blurred imo.

Could someone tell me if I would be allowed to play?

Thanks

The amount of money you win as a poker player makes no difference.  We know its going to be very much be common sense in quite a few poker players cases to assess if you are eligable or not.

One main question is do you play poker for a living?  If the answer is yes then no you will not be eligable to play

Other cases we may need to know more information from you to assess.  If in doubt then email our customer services  ,   customer@apat.com

[Bongo]

Now i'm sorry but this is now getting a little ridiculous .

Does McDonalds or B&Q say anywhere on their website that they are profit driven?  Does any company who has a website say that?  I think the answer you will find is no.

Neither do they call themselves a players' association.