Registration FULL - APAT Announce Welsh Amateur Poker Championship

[DesD]

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><?xml:namespace prefix = w ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />London, January 18, 2007 – The Amateur Poker Association & Tour (“APATâ€) today released entry details for the third live event in its critically acclaimed Tour for non professional players. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

APAT, the world’s first combined Poker Association and Tour, will hold its third live event, the Welsh Amateur Poker Championship, at the Grosvenor Casino in Cardiff, on February 24^th & 25^th, 2007. Players will start the event with 10,000 in chips and a tournament structure which has been designed to encourage creative play throughout. APAT tournament rules, which have been standardised across all tour venues, will be in operation at Grosvenor Cardiff.

The event, which will have a capacity of 180 players, will attract some of the finest amateur players in the United Kingdom¸ who will compete for the Welsh national title, a first prize of £3,500 and an $8,900 expenses paid entry to the German leg of the European Poker Tour in March, courtesy of Tour sponsor PokerStars.com.

Entry to the Welsh Amateur Poker Championship will be open exclusively to members of APAT, and tournament seats will be allocated in the following way:-

• Ten seats will be available via two online satellites on PokerStars.com. The $10 + $1 tournaments will run on January 21^st and 23^rd at 8.00pm. Registration will open 24 hours before the event and the top five players in each satellite will win a guaranteed seat in Cardiff plus the balance of available prize money for expenses. The satellites can be found under Tourney / Special on the PokerStars.com client from this coming weekend.

• Five seats will be available via a live satellite taking place at Grosvenor Cardiff. The £10 + £3 tournament will run on January 25^th at 8.00pm. Registration for this event will be available via Grosvenor Cardiff, and Grosvenor Casinos nationwide, from January 20^th at 2pm. A maximum of 120 players will be able to enter the satellite, and the seats plus the balance of available prize money will go to the top five players for expenses.

• One hundred and sixty five seats will be on sale at www.apat.com from January 27^th at 8.00pm sharp. Seats will cost £75.00 each and 100% of entry fees will go directly in the prize pool.

APAT’s previous event, the United Kingdom Amateur Poker Championship sold out two hundred and ten seats in a record twenty nine minutes.

APAT Chairman, Tony Kendall, stated: “APAT is delighted to partner with Grosvenor, the leading provider of live tournament poker in the UK. APAT has established itself as the affordable proving ground for talented amateur players in the UK, and we look forward to bringing our members to Cardiff, for what should be an outstanding event, at an outstanding venue.â€

Russell Tamplin, National Poker Manager for Grosvenor, added: “Grosvenor Casinos are very happy to be hosting such a prestigious tournament for APAT, at our Cardiff Casino. We feel that it will compliment our own GUKPT tournament taking place at Cardiff in March, and very much look forward to working with APAT on this exciting event.†Membership of the Amateur Poker Association & Tour can be obtained online at www.apat.com. Individual membership costs £10.00. Tournaments scheduled throughout the next six months include the Scottish, Irish, European and World Amateur Poker Championships.

For additional information, logos or images, call Richard Prew on 07887 987044, email: [email protected], or visit the Press section at www.apat.com.

Ends.

[Paulie_D]

Re: APAT Announce Welsh Amateur Poker Championship Cheers, Des. Looking forward to it! Jim's joping to set up a game in Bristol with the tractor boys on the Friday...wanna come?