Archive for 9 - World
APAT Crown Amateur World Champions
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Ben Young: World Amateur Poker Champion
The prestigious World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) has concluded at Europe’s premier poker club; Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham.
Players came from all over Europe and further afield to compete for the 7 Championship titles and every event was sold out.
Ben Young took the blue riband World Amateur Poker Championship main event, outlasting a 425 runner field to take home the £9,000 first prize plus a seat in the GUKPT Grand Final worth £2,700 courtesy of APAT sponsors Betfair Poker. Heads up play was an all Welsh affair with Young seeing off Stephen Roderick after 20 minutes of two-handed play. The final hand virtually played itself with Young claiming the title after his flush beat Roderick’s set.
In addition to the Main Event there were a number of other titles up for grabs in Nottingham. Dave Howard took the heads up championship, beating Germany’s Michael Koenig in the final with Ian Thompson taking the Stud championship beating David Llewellyn heads up. Colin Young pipped Andy Overton to the six-max No Limit Hold’em title with Dutchman Max Kruis taking down the PLO event after beating Craig Johnson.
Wales: World Amateur Poker Team Champions
The Welsh contingent took the prestigious World Amateur Team Championship, beating Canada in an extremely tight finish by only a single point. Northern Ireland finished third, just a point ahead of the fourth placed finishers from Spain. France were fifth with Holland taking sixth place.
England’s Paul Pitchford secured an unprecedented second consecutive ‘Player of the Championship’ award by virtue of fourth and seventh places finishes in two WCOAP side events. Paul will represent APAT and sponsor Betfair at the World Series of Poker Europe later in September.
The next APAT event takes place in Dublin on 24th & 25th of September when the Irish Amateur Poker Championships takes place. Qualifiers are up and running at Betfair Poker.
Interview With World Amateur Champion
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Charles Mason: World Amateur Champion
Charles Mason, winner of the APAT World Amateur Poker Championship, took time to answer a few questions in this exclusive interview for APAT members.
Charles, tell us a little about yourself and your Poker background:
Living in Solihull, first and foremost I’m a family man with wife Linda and kids Simon (19) & Laura (17). I work as an IT specialist in a leading Software company. I love my Poker but I’m a genuine recreational player trying to get a game once a week if possible playing sub £100 tourneys and the occasional low level cash. I started back in 2003 with small stakes online, went to Vegas in 2004 and got hooked big time. I play around the midlands (DTD, G Coventry, Broadway etc), but have had the opportunity to play around the world when travelling (USA, Russia, Copenhagen, Dublin, Prague).
What are your major poker achievements to date?
Getting a seat in the WCOAP! I was so lucky as I got a seat at the last minute, one of the last six available phew! I have had a few notable wins. 2006 Hawaiian Gardens (LA) for $2500, Lucky Chances (San Fran) in 2007 where I chopped 1st and 2nd for $7500 and a win last year at DTD in the £75 regular comp for £3250. Sounds corny but successfully managing my bankroll and picking the right buy-in levels to stay ahead has been my biggest achievement, just when you think this game is easy and you move up too quickly it bites you in the bum.
How did you hear about APAT, and have you played APATs before?
I’ve railed APAT from the beginning; I played in Edinburgh in Season One as well as Luton, not with much success though. I struggled to adjust to the longer format, more chips and time; I just sat there in a daze often not knowing how to play different situations. Those experiences made me study the dynamics of larger tournaments and figure out strategies to hopefully improve.
Charles Mason Crowned World Amateur Champion
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Charles Mason: World Amateur Champion 2009
Charles Mason from England has been crowned 2009 World Amateur Poker Champion, winning the main event of the APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) at Europe’s premier poker room Dusk Till Dawn.
The WCOAP comprised three events in total with Omaha, HORSE and a Texas Hold’em World Amateur Poker Championship main event. All events sold out on the first day of sale six months prior, and the four hundred and fifty entries saw players from as far afield as France, Germany and Norway compete.
As reported elsewhere on these pages, the 81 runner Omaha event was won by Paul Pitchford for £1,300 ahead of Andrew Drago and James Barber, whilst the 48 runner HORSE event was won by Andrew Tracey for £1,000 ahead of Jonathan Woodfield and Richard Iwaniak.
In the 314 runner main event, with two day ones, the most notable hands that led to the creation of the two chip leaders were as follows. Jamie Reeve called a raise with 3-3 in the big blind in the second level and saw a 6-6-3 flop, trebling up up through two opponents with Aces and 6-5. Later in the day, James Bagley won a very large pot when his Ace-Queen beat his opponent’s Pocket Kings in an all-in pre-flop confrontation. The Omaha event winner Paul Pitchford also continued his excellent run in the series, and was amongst the chip leaders through the day.
Andrew Tracey Wins WCOAP Horse Championship
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Andrew Tracey: WCOAP Horse Champion 2009
England’s Andrew Tracey has overcome a sold out field of 48 runners to win the prestigious inagural Horse event at the APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP), held at Europe’s premier poker room, Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham.
Andrew, beat Razz specialist Jon Woodfield in a two hour heads up battle across the five game discipline, finally closing out the Championship at 2am on Monday morning. Richard Iwaniak took the Bronze medal.
The tournament featured a who’s-who of past and present APAT Champions and the final positions were as follows:-
1 Andrew Tracey – £1,000 – Gold
2 Jon Woodfield – £600 – Silver
3 Richard Iwaniak – £400 – Bronze
4 John Paul Round – £200
5 Antony Wolsey – £200
6 Simon Auckland
7 Adam Small
8 Duncan Hodgkins
