APAT Crown Amateur World Champions

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.