APAT Blackpool

APAT UK Team Championship, G Casino Blackpool 19-20 July 2008

Entrants: 200
Buy in: £50
Prize pool: £10,000

Final individual results:

1. Mary Martin (Raise the River), £1,250 + GUKPT Package

2. Andrew Bailey (Gutshot), £750

3. Paul Smith (Bristol & South West Meetup), £500

4. Steve Talbot (Eat My Stack), £250

5. Dale Leighton (UK Poker Life), £250

6. Nathan Samuel (UK Football Fans), £250

7. Rod Buckman (Bristol & South West Meetup), £250

8. Ross Johnson (PokerPlayer), £250

9. Rich Offless (Chezger), £250

Final team results:

1. Bristol 157, £2,500

2. Raise the river 139, £1,500

3. FISO 122, £1,000

4. EMS 91

5. apat 88

6. Newcastle 75

7. Gutshot 73

8. ukpl 71

9. UKFF 66

10. Furness 57

11. THMF 57

12. LPM 51

13. PokerPlayer 48

14. Chezger 42

15. Punters 39

16, blonde 37

17. AWOP 22

18. gambling uk 22

19. LIP 11

20. Time for Poker 7

The APAT Poker Association & Tour held the inaugural United Kingdom Team Championship in the G Casino Blackpool on 19th & 20th July. The event had 200 entries, in teams of ten drawn from 20 UK poker communities with a £50 buy-in per person.

The players played for both individual and team prizes, points being scored by the top 50 finishers. The individual winner received significant added value from tour sponsors BlueSquare.com via the form of an entry package into a GUKPT Tour event worth $3,000 to the winner in addition to their cash prize. The winning team also received a championship trophy and £1,000.

At the end of the first day 25 players remained, with the individual competition prize money beginning at 19th.

Blinds began on Day two at 4,000-8,000 and the run to the final promised to be brisk with little room to manoeuvre for the short-stacks.

With eleven players left Carlos Gonzalez of The Hendon Mob was unfortunate. Steve Talbot pushed the small blind on Carlos’ big blind with K3. Carlos made an excellent call for his tournament life with K10 only to see a three flop and eliminate him. Louise Saban of Raise the River final table bubbled in 10th.

Rich Offless had a torrid start to the final table. He lost a big pot to Steve Talbot when passing to a three-bet on the river then doubled up Nathan Samuel when his Jacks could not beat Ace-Queen. Unfortunately his A7 then lost to the A6 suited of Dale Leighton which flushed to knock Rich Offless out in 9th.

Next to depart was PokerPlayer’s own Ross Johnson who took AK versus the pocket eights of Buckman which won the race to knock Johnson out in 8th.

Three handed Martin led Bailey with Smith the short-stack of the three. Mary Martin then knocked out Smith, her AK flopping an Ace against pocket eights. She had a comfortable lead going into Heads Up play.

Heads Up -play was brief, always likely with the stack disparity. Mary’s KQ held on against Andy Bailey’s Q9 to take the title of APAT UK Team Championship Individual Winner, playing for the Raise the River Poker Community.

To rapturous applause from the large contingent of spectators, Mary won £1,250, the Championship Gold Medal and expenses paid entry into a GUKPT event worth $3,000 courtesy of APAT sponsor Blue Square.

In the Team Championship, Bristol & South West Meetup triumphed. The only forum with two final tablists, they won £2,500 plus an extra £1,000 to the team owners courtesy of Blue Square. Raise the River were second for £1,500 while newcomers Fantasy Interactive Sports Online took third for £1,000.