APAT North American Amateur Poker Championship

November 22 2011, Richard Prew

The Amateur Poker Association & Tour held its first event in the United States with the APAT North American Amateur Championship, which was held at Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas on 19th & 20th November 2011.

Early play was brisk with chip leader Don Logan accounting for several opponents in the first three levels, before he was joined by Jeldon Fernandes at the head of affairs. Indeed, throughout the day, with only the exceptions of Robert McMillan (Arizona) and Michael Murphy (Oregon) play was largely dominated by the 51 APAT members who travelled from the United Kingdom and Ireland to the tournament.

In the mid-levels, former APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker HORSE Champion Andrew Tracey became the chip leader before he lost some ground late on when he doubled up Colin Wilson and Dawn Dineen, putting them both in contention.

Meanwhile Jack Prime and Glenn Laming clashed on several occasions, Prime eventually being in the ascendancy as Laming exited near the end of day one’s play. Scotsman Neil Dawson moved through the gears and doubled up near the end through Fernandes to end a fast and furious day's play as the chip leader.

At the end of Day One 15 players remained with the chip leaders as follows:-

	Position	Name	Chips
	1st	Neil Dawson	93,600
	2nd	Michael Murphy	88,400
	3rd	Jack Prime	86,700
	4th	Dawn Dineen	85,700
	5th	Tod Wood	75,100

The action and exits continued quickly on day two and the final table; which was railed by a boisterous and good natured contingent of players from the UK, lined up as follows:-

	Seat	Name	Chips
	1	Neil Dawson	27,600
	2	Dawn Dineen	106,600
	3	Steve Roderick	60,700
	4	Tod Wood	156,700
	5	Stuart Ward	40,600
	6	Jeldon Fernandes	64,000
	7	Andrew Tracey	153,000
	8	Brian Harland	80,700
	9	Michael Paterson	135,100
	10	Michael Murphy	52,900

Tracey accounted for Fernandes, the first exit at the final, aces holding up against a flopped flush draw. Tracey was by now over 250,000 chips and a solid chipleader.

Stuart Ward knocked out Brian Harland in ninth, pocket kings against a short-stacked ace-eight. Ward then ran pocket queens into Paterson's aces in a 200,000 pot. Left shortstacked, former European Amateur Champion Ward was then knocked out eighth when Steve Roderick with queens defeated his king-jack.

Welshman Roderick then knocked out Dawson in seventh, calling a ten big blind shove with ace-ten suited, flopping an ace to beat the suited connectors of Dawson.

Michael Paterson then flopped two pair after button raising, and Dineen check-raised all in with a flush draw. The American missed the draw and exited in sixth.

With five left Roderick, Paterson and Tracey vied for the chip lead ahead of shorter stacks Tod Wood and Michael Murphy.

Roderick then eliminated Wood in a blind on blind battle ace-ten calling a shove from king-seven before Murphy's short-stacked vigil ended unavoidably when four-handed he ran pocket tens into Paterson's pocket jacks.

When Paterson then felted Roderick with pocket eights against a suited ace three-handed, he was a commanding chip leader with over 500,000 of the 900,000 in play

Roderick then had queens against the pocket jacks of Tracey, three-handed. Sickeningly for Roderick a flopped jJack gave Tracey the pot and Roderick was eliminated in the Bronze medal postion.

Heads-up, Paterson began with a two to one chip lead which he maintained before, eventually, the all-in confrontation saw Paterson with pocket eights beat Tracey with ace-queen to win the event and cap a superb US visit for the Scotsman and his wife.

So the winner of the 2011 APAT North American Amateur Poker Championship was Galashiels Michael Paterson who won $4,231, the APAT Championship trophy and Gold medal.

Paterson, a member of the Silver medal winning Scotland team at the APAT European Amateur Team Poker Championship in 2008 was lost for words when presented with the Championship trophy by Charles Nistler, a Director of Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino.

APAT now moves on to the APAT UK Open in Manchester in the first weekend of December. For all the details of how to enter this and future APAT events and free membership of APAT visit www.apat.com.

APAT North American Amateur Championship - Final Result

Venue: Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

Dates: 19-20 November 2011

Buy-in: $120

Prize Pool: $11,420

	Position	Name	Prize
	1st	Michael Paterson	$4,231
	2nd	Andrew Tracey	$2,104
	3rd	Steve Roderick	$1,201
	4th	Michael Murphy	$874
	5th	Tod Wood	$764
	6th	Dawn Dineen	$655
	7th	Neil Dawson	$546
	8th	Stuart Ward	$437
	9th	Brian Harland	$328
	10th	Jeldon Fernandes	$200

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