# Amateur Poker Association & Tour

The Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) is an organisation founded in England in 2006. It is Europe's largest organisation for recreational poker players, with a membership of over 20,000 players.
The "Association" element of the organisation is focused on consulting with gaming and industry bodies to enhance the player experience, with standardisation of rules, player friendly structures and event sponsorship at the top of its agenda.
The "Tour" element is primarily aimed at organising live poker tournaments in licensed venues across the United Kingdom, Ireland and other European countries. APAT has also hosted the APAT North American Amateur Poker Championship at the world famous Caesars Palace Casino in Las Vegas. APAT’s principal live events are differentiated from other organised Poker Tournaments in the UK by being fully dealer-dealt and featuring deep stacked, well-structured tournaments for a modest entry fee.

## Tournaments

All principal APAT Tour events are run to APAT’s standardised rules, with blind structures targeted on providing value for the players. Tour events are reported, in real time, via APAT’s websites and have also been streamed live via the internet for online viewing.
In addition, APAT organises a series of Online Poker Championship events and the APAT National Online League via its headline gaming sponsors. In 2012, APAT has announced the PokerStars.com National Online League.

## Additional products
### World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP)

The WCOAP is a five-day festival of poker which features a three-day World Amateur Poker Championship main event together with additional World Amateur Poker Championship side events. Side events include the World Amateur Team Championship and tournaments in other poker variants such as Stud, H.O.R.S.E. and Omaha and other formats such as Heads Up and Six Max.

### Poker Circuit

Poker Circuit is an online news aggregator pulling together news from poker sites, operators, poker forums and players.

### APAT Cash Tour

APAT test-trialled a cash tournament at the APAT European Amateur Championship (Season 6) event held in Brighton in late January 2012.

## National Amateur Champions
### Season 1

| Event | Venue/City | Date | Winner |
| APAT English Amateur Poker Championship | Broadway Casino, Birmingham | Friday 22 - Saturday 23 September 2006 | Daniel Phillips |
| APAT UK Amateur Poker Championship | Aspers, Newcastle | Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 December 2006 | Max Ward |
| APAT Welsh Amateur Poker Championship | Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff | Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 February 2007 | Lee Mulligan |
| APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championship | Gala Maybury Casino, Edinburgh | Saturday 14 - Sunday 15 April 2007 | Phil Starrs |
| APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship | Fitzwilliam Card Club, Dublin | Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 June 2007 | Jacques Kieft |
| APAT European Amateur Championship | G Casino, Luton | Saturday 25 - Monday 27 August 2007 | Gareth Ower |

### Season 2

| Event | Venue/City | Date | Winner |
| APAT English Amateur Poker Championship | Grosvenor Casino, Walsall | Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 November 2007 | Richard Offless |
| APAT UK Amateur Poker Championship | G Casino, Manchester | Saturday 8 - Sunday 9 December 2007 | Simon Turton |
| APAT Welsh Amateur Poker Championship | Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff | Saturday 12 - Sunday 13 January 2008 | Tim Magnus |
| APAT European Amateur Poker Championship | Poker Royale Card Casino, Wiener Neustadt, Austria | Saturday 22 - Sunday 23 March 2008 | Andy Kingan |
| APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championship | Gala Maybury Casino, Edinburgh | Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 May 2008 | Jason Jones |
| APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship | Fitzwilliam Card Club, Dublin | Saturday 14 - Sunday 15 June 2008 | Darren Shallis |
| APAT UK Team Championship - Team Prize | G Casino, Blackpool | Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 July 2008 | Bristol & South West Meetup |
| APAT UK Team Championship - Individual Prize | G Casino, Blackpool | Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 July 2008 | Mary Martin |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Omaha | Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London | Wednesday 27 August 2008 | Dave Howard |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Razz | Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London | Thursday 28 August 2008 | Michael Bodman |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Stud | Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London | Friday 29 August 2008 | Owen Rankin |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Main Event | Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London | Saturday 30 August - Monday 1 September 2008 | Nick Jenkins |
| APAT Masters Pro-Am | G Casino, Luton | Saturday 4 - Sunday 5 October 2008 | Neil Blatchley |
| APAT European Team Championship - Individual Prize | Grosvenor Casino, Brighton | Saturday 1 - Sunday 2 November 2008 | Brendan Byrne |
| APAT European Team Championship - Team Prize | Grosvenor Casino, Brighton | Saturday 1 - Sunday 2 November 2008 | Ireland |

### Season 3

| Event | Venue/City | Date | Winner |
| APAT UK Amateur Poker Championship | Grosvenor Casino, Walsall | Saturday 7 - Sunday 8 February 2009 | Steve Redfern |
| APAT Welsh Amateur Poker Championship | Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff | Saturday 4 - Sunday 5 April 2009 | Simon Auckland |
| APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship | Fitzwilliam Card Club, Dublin | Saturday 30 - Sunday 31 May 2009 | Brian Yates |
| APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championship | Gala Maybury Casino, Edinburgh | Saturday 18 - Sunday 19 July 2009 | Derek Murdie |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Omaha | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Thursday 27 August 2009 | Paul Pitchford |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - H.O.R.S.E. | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Friday 28 August 2009 | Andrew Tracey |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Main Event | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Saturday 29 - Monday 31 August 2009 | Charles Mason |
| APAT English Amateur Poker Championship | G Casino, Bolton | Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 October 2009 | John Kay |
| APAT European Team Championship - Team Prize | G Casino, Luton | Thursday 19 - Friday 20 November 2009 | Poland |
| APAT European Amateur Poker Championship | G Casino, Luton | Saturday 21 - Sunday 22 November 2009 | Stuart Ward |
| APAT UK Amateur Team Championship - Team Prize | Grosvenor Casino, Manchester | Saturday 23 - Sunday 24 January 2010 | APAT Team |
| APAT UK Amateur Team Championship - Individual Prize | Grosvenor Casino, Manchester | Saturday 23 - Sunday 24 January 2010 | Bill Wallace |

### Season 4

| Event | Venue/City | Date | Winner |
| APAT Welsh Amateur Poker Championship | Aspers, Swansea | Saturday 20 - Sunday 21 March 2010 | Gareth Johns |
| APAT UK Amateur Poker Championship | Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London | Saturday 17 - Sunday 18 April 2010 | John Murray |
| APAT Central European Amateur Championship | Concord Card Casino, Vienna Simmering, Austria | Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 May 2010 | Christoph Kreindl |
| APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championship | International Casino, Aberdeen | Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 June 2010 | Scott Wilson |
| APAT Northern European Amateur Championship | Olympic Casino, Tallinn, Estonia | Saturday 31 July - Sunday 1 August 2010 | Vladimir Fedotov |
| APAT World Team Championship - Team Prize | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Thursday 26 August 2010 | Wales |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Heads Up | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Thursday 26 August 2010 | Dave Howard |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Stud | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Friday 27 August 2010 | Ian Thompson |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Omaha | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Saturday 28 August 2010 | Max Kruis |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - 6 Max | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Sunday 29 August 2010 | Colin Young |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - H.O.R.S.E. | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Monday 30 August 2010 | Stephen Wintersgill |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Main Event | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Saturday 28 August - Monday 30 August 2010 | Ben Young |
| APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship | Fitzwilliam Card Club, Dublin | Saturday 25 - Sunday 26 September 2010 | Simon O'Hare |
| APAT English Amateur Poker Championship | G Casino, Luton | Saturday 23 - Sunday 24 October 2010 | Tod Wood |
| APAT European Amateur Poker Championship | G Casino, Coventry | Saturday 27 - Sunday 28 November 2010 | Brian Martin |
| APAT Southern European Amateur Championship | Casino de Lloret, Lloret, Spain | Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 January 2011 | Oriol Sanchez |
| APAT UK Amateur Team Championship - Team Prize | G Casino, Bolton | Saturday 29 - Sunday 30 January 2011 | London Poker Meetup |
| APAT UK Amateur Team Championship - Individual Prize | G Casino, Bolton | Saturday 29 - Sunday 30 January 2011 | Niall Farrell |

### Season 5

| Event | Venue/City | Date | Winner |
| APAT English Amateur Poker Championship | G Casino, Coventry | Saturday 26 - Sunday 27 March 2011 | Mark Briggs |
| APAT UK International Home Team Championship - Team Prize | Aspers, Newcastle | Thursday 21 - Friday 22 April 2011 | Wales |
| APAT UK Amateur Poker Championship | Aspers, Newcastle | Saturday 23 - Sunday 24 April 2011 | Ben Young |
| APAT Welsh Amateur Championship | Les Croupier, Cardiff | Saturday 28 - Sunday 29 May 2011 | Lukas Daszynski |
| APAT UK Pub Poker Championship - Team Prize | G Casino, Blackpool | Saturday 25 - Sunday 26 June 2011 | Edgworth Cricket Club |
| APAT UK Pub Poker Championship - Individual Prize | G Casino, Blackpool | Saturday 25 - Sunday 26 June 2011 | Tony Trippier |
| APAT Scottish Amateur Poker Championship | Gala Casino Merchant City, Glasgow | Saturday 30 - Sunday 31 July 2011 | Grant Speirs |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Stud | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Thursday 25 August 2011 | Jonathan Seal |
| APAT World Amateur Team Championship - Team Prize | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Thursday 25 - Friday 26 August 2011 | Wales |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Heads Up | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Friday 26 August 2011 | Chris Peers |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - H.O.R.S.E. | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Saturday 27 August 2011 | Paul McGuinness |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - 6 Max | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Sunday 28 August 2011 | Liam Batey |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Omaha | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Monday 29 August 2011 | Andrea Lombardi |
| APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker - Main Event | Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham | Saturday 27 - Monday 29 August 2011 | David Garden |
| APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship | Macau Sporting Club, Cork | Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 September 2011 | Bobby O'Donnell |
| APAT UK Amateur Team Championship - Team Prize | G Casino, Luton | Thursday 26 August 2011 | Gambling Network Forum |
| APAT UK Amateur Team Championship - Individual Prize | G Casino, Luton | Thursday 26 August 2011 | Nick Mazur |
| APAT American Amateur Poker Championship | Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, USA | Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 November 2011 | Michael Paterson |
| APAT UK Open Championship | G Casino, Manchester | Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 December 2011 | George Downie |
| APAT European Amateur Poker Championship | Rendezvous Casino, Brighton | Friday 20 - Saturday 21 January 2012 | Marie Sherwood |

## Headline gaming sponsors

* Season 1: PokerStars
* Season 2: Blue Square
* Season 3: Blue Square
* Season 4: Betfair
* Season 5: 888poker
* Season 6: William Hill
* Season 7: Coral Poker
* Season 8: Coral Poker
* Season 9: Coral Poker
* Season 10: Grosvenor Casinos
* Season 11: Grosvenor Casinos
* Season 12: Grosvenor Casinos

## Officials

* Managing Director: Des Duffy
* Chairman: Tony Kendall
* Director of Live Events: Richard Prew

## Partnerships

In 2023, the Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) entered into a partnership with online poker operator GGPoker. According to the terms of the partnership, GGPoker commenced hosting online events for APAT members, such as Championship tournaments and qualifiers for live events. As part of the collaboration, the annual World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) moved to an online setting, hosted only on the GGPoker platform.