APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championships

September 27 2011, Richard Prew

The APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championships was held at the Macau Sporting Club in Cork on 24th-25th September 2011. For €75 players were once again treated to a 10,000 starting stack and a 45 minute clock in keeping with APAT's aim to bring affordable deepstack poker to recreational players.

The event attracted 61 runners, creating a €4,575 prize pool. Once again APAT provided added value with a UKIPT seat to the winner of the Irish Amateur Championships.

APAT members have the chance to win added value throughout a packed season of Live and Online National Championships and leagues. In addition, each of the season’s seventy five amateur, professional and online tournaments are run completely registration free for players.

The field comprised a mixture of travelling players from the UK and local players. Foremost amongst the UK players in early action was Richard Baker, winning an early double up with jack-ten, flopping the straight and beating pocket kings. Meanwhile the leading local player was Dion Burns who doubled up with six-three in the small blind on a six-six-five flop.

Former APAT finalist Don Roberts then moved into the chip lead when Pocket Jacks cracked pocket queens, a jack on the flop and he was joined by Ken McBride at the head of affairs.

However McBride fell at the hands of Romain Gambini, aces against Gambini's kings for an unfortunate exit. Gambini then knocked out John Murray finding aces again which conquered pocket queens and he alongside Derek Baker was chip leader through the middle levels of Day One play.

As play moved towards a final table both Keith Luxford and Bobby O'Donnell took commanding positions helped by eliminiating David Croake and Cian Dunne on the final table bubble.

At the End of Day One the final table line up was set as follows:

	Position	Name	Chips
	1st	Keith Luxford	157,100
	2nd	Bobby O'Donnell	146,500
	3rd	Don Roberts	76,500
	4th	Derek Baker	59,300
	5th	Ken Burgess	54,100
	6th	Romain Gambini	39,900
	7th	Dion Burns	33,800
	8th	Paul Elwood	32,500
	9th	Matt Bailie	31,200

With blinds beginning at 1,000-2,000 the first big confrontation of the final came when Roberts moved all in with pocket Queens on a two-three-four all diamond board. Chip leader Luxford had limp-called pre-flop with ace-five of diamonds and flopped the straight flush to knock Roberts out ninth.

Short-stack Burns fell in eighth. He moved all in with pocket deuces, Ellwood in the big blind called with eight-five and a five fell on the turn. Another short-stack, Gambini fell in seventh, ace-four suited meeting Ken Burgess' pocket kings, which held to knock the Frenchman out.

Burgess then knocked Ellwood out sixth, king-queen against king-four on a king high flop. O'Donnell then knocked out Baker fifth, pocket nines flopping a set to account for Baker's shove with ace-five when short-stacked. Burgess then went on to knock out long time chip leader Luxford in 4th, Ace-Nine besting Queen-Ten to take a commanding chip lead into the medal positions over O'Donnell and Bailie.

In the tournament's key confrontation Burgess then found King's against Bailie's ace-queen three handed. Kings held, and Bailie finished third.

After an hour of Heads Up play, in a limped pot O'Donnell flopped two kings with King-Four in his hand. A rivered king gave him quads, against Burgess' seven-three and a full house kings full of sevens

O'Donnell became the 2011 APAT Irish Amatuer Champion winning €1,650 and a UKIPT seat. APAT now moves onto the UK Team Championships at Luton near the end of October. For all the details of this event and free membership of apat visit www.apat.com

Final table results

	Position	Name	Prize
	1st	Bobby O'Donnell	£1,650
	2nd	Ken Burgess	£950
	3rd	Matthew Bailie	£645
	4th	Keith Luxford	£455
	5th	Derek Baker	£370
	6th	Paul Ellwood	£275
	7th	Romain Gambini	£230

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