Hey Mate - i remember our discussion on the other forum - good to see youre an APAT member as well!
OK, to your points :
IN GAME STRUCTURES
We provide, for Landlords who arent "clued up" about Poker, a full welcome package that includes a whole guide to hosting a night - which includes a default and suggested game structure - which is essentially a 5k stack, 15 minute levels, starting at 25/50 running up the usual increments. The usual window for game play is around 3.5/4 hours - so for around 16 players, this works well.
But, thats just a recommendation - and we ensure the venues and players are well aware that they can play a structure that suits THEIR game. So if you want, and all agree, on an 8k stack - feel free! 20 minute blinds, 10 minutes - whatever suits your game. As long as it keeps players motivated to play and it fits in with the venues own timeframe ( we dont want situations where landlords are waiting for the game to be over, or chip counts required) then we are happy for to you tweak our recommended starting structure accordingly.
We do promote games that are of a "Deepstack" nature - and we also offer venues the chance to play Pot Limit Omaha games and what we call CashPoint games - games that allow cash to be played for WITHIN the legal parameters but also score you league points - there are some quite strict rules about these games though that must be adhered to. But they are also an option.
QUALIFICATION
Our Leaderboards run every two calendar months - so for example our next Season is due to start June 1, and will close July 31. August 1 will signify the start of the new season.
The Finals for Seasons are usually held in the 2nd or 3rd week of the following month - so again, the finals for the Jun/July Season will be held likely on August 11 or 18 - occasionally will be the 26th - very rarely do they fall the week after, unless there is an LPPL/APAT event on a weekend of these dates, where we will hold NO Area Finals at all - we want no clashes whatsoever.
The Date/Venue for Finals are always advertised before the start of the upcoming season - so all players know well in advance when and where their final will take place.
You can qualify for finals via one of three methods :
Finishing in the top X number of places in your overall Regional Area Leaderboard
Being a Top Average Scorer in your Region
Being your Venue Champion - so winning a local venues Leaderboard outright in isolation.
Points are scored for every game you play through the 2 monthly season - you can see how our points system works by looking here :
http://livepubpokerleague.com/holdem_pointsThis link also shows you our default level structure, as well as what points can be gained from our Area Finals.
At Area Finals (every 2 months, so 6 a year) not only do you win prizes (top 10% of field as usual) but you score points that qualify you through to our other
Hoc events - our two annual National Finals (March and September) as well as our famous InterLeague Championships - where rep teams from each League battle it out in a specially formatted team event - so many extra events to play and qualify for via your regular weekly games and bi-monthly Area Finals.
COSTS
Costs are based purely on the number of players that play and are invoiced in arrears - so any Host venue :
1) Gets the benefit of trade from the players playing the weekly games BEFORE having to pay anything out and
2) Only ever pay for the players that play
The maximum fee per player that is ever levied by the League is £2:50pp - but the more players that play, the amount per head lowers - for example 16 players costs just £1.87pp!
We also send across a First Night TD to welcome players, show them how to register, explain the points system, show how to key the results, show them around the website and basically just be there to ensure the nights get off to a great start - oh and have a beer and a game of poker with them as well!!
We also supply a full promotional pack of posters, flyers, handouts that advertise the game both in house and externally, and all the stationery needed to run a game - totally FOC (as much as you want/need) - and at the moment, as a special for APAT members/venues, we can offer a system that means the venue gets brand new poker equipment (tables, chipsets, cards, dealer buttons, cut cards etc) TOTALLY free! There are also no joining/admin fees for venues/players.
PRIZES
Every Area Final has its own "Headline Prize" for the winner - not only do they get entrance into our end of year "Champion of Champions" event, but they win the attached Headline prize for that final. Now this will vary, depending on the time of year primarily - and we are reviewing the Area Final Headline prizes for APAT Local events against whats on offer at APAT Championships and the like so that there are no anomalies between what can be won and where. But direct buy ins to UK National and International Poker Tournaments, usually with hotel accomodation and, if needed, flights are included, often with spending money - for example in 2012 one of the tournament packages on offer was the International Poker Open in Dublin, where we took about 50 prizewinners for a long weekend, that included all of the above. Infamously, the event was won by our very own Tom Brady (hes never let us forget it either!) and overall we had 7 players cash in the Main Event - and many others during the weekend in side events. But at the centre of it all was plenty of lemonades, great laughs and banter, and cheering on fellow prizewinners to glory. Obviously our focus going forward will be the support of APAT events - so you may find direct buyins and entrances/packages to Season 7 events - but all will be promoted in advance of the Finals.
Secondary places in the Finals win our Reward Points - these are redeemed against items you can find in our online shop - so in essence, you pick your own prize(s). The amounts on offer at finals are variable, and you may well be able to accrue Reward Points via other means also - but you can spend them, gain more to get a bigger prize, save them - they are yours, and our Online Ship is always being updated with new prizes - both poker and non poker related - to redeem them against.
Hope that helps mate - we"d love for you to give us a go - im hoping that Mr Yates of the BCPC will be open to discussions and we have exsiting venues in Birmingham currently - but as said, we will accomodate any venue anywhere and if you are a little isolated, do a recruitment drive focused on your area to gain more players and venues.
Though also you can play the Tavern game - an online game which also wins you cash and scores you league points.....
Any more questions, please feel free to ask
