Tim Magnus from London won the APAT Welsh Amateur Poker Championship in Cardiff on the 13th January. Richard Prew caught up with Tim on the day after his triumph to find out more about the winner of the competition and his victory and his thoughts about playing in a GUKPT event: RP: Could you tell us about yourself please? Tim: I'm 26 and recently completed a degree in Business and a Masters in Law at Aberystwyth University. I currently live in Clapham. For the last two years I have been working for an Investment Bank in Central London.
What is your previous poker experience? Do you play live and/or Online?Coming from London I have the luxury of having a choice of live venues that I can play at. I generally play at the Victoria Casino, Gutshot, or Big Slick in Purley.
I have been playing online for the last couple of years. I generally play on William Hill, Virgin or Poker Stars.
My challenge for this year is to start moving away from online tournaments and more into the live arena as that is where I feel I am more successful.
Do you have any previous poker successes?Recently, I played at the Virgin Festival and finished just off the final table. I had played a solid game and was unluckily knocked out when my pocket 9's were taken out by the chip leader who called my all in with 10 6 off suit. The 10 on the turn spelt my doom! A double up would of seen me nicely placed for a final table.
Online, I havent had any large wins. I generally win enough to keep me going and so I avoid having to pay any additional money into the account.
How did you hear about APAT? Have you played any previous events?This is my fourth APAT tournament.
I played in the Cardiff event last year and I reached the final thirty. My AK was taken out by AA. A King on the turn gave me some hope but the river drew a blank.
My second tournament was at Luton and I never really got going. I eventually busted out just after Dinner.
I played in the recent Manchester tournament just before Christmas and I think I finished in 15th place. I played a solid game through out the weekend. On the second day I really didn't receive any cards and I eventually got knocked out, when my opponent caught a flush on the river. I was obviously upset to be so close to the final table but yet so far, however it made me more determined for the next event.
Can you tell us your thoughts about the event's organisation and structure? The structure of APAT is incredible. The deep stack and slow blind structure allows you to wait for hands that you want to play with. This really suits my game.
Most of the live tournaments around where I live within the £20-£75 category have a small starting stack and quick blind structure. I find these tournaments a bit of a lottery. You really don't have a chance to wait for any hands and if you happen to lose a race you are either out of the tournament or short stacked.
The beauty with APAT is that you often can afford to lose some hands and still be within a shout.
Not forgetting the cheap buy in and the great people that you meet while playing. I therefore would recommend an APAT tournament to anyone that wants a great live deep stack experience.
Talk us through Day 1? How did you get up to 55,000 chips?Day 1 was a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Ironically I found myself on the left of Ant (Ant1966). I had been alongside him for 6 hours at the Virgin Festival before Christmas. We had a good chat and I had perfect position to keep checking for football updates and was quite happy to see Crystal Palace beat Wolves 3-0! At the first break I had taken a couple of pots and was on around 12k.
Following the break I received JJ on the small blind. I raised and the lady on the BB moved all in. I called. She showed AQ and flopped trip queens. This damaged my stack considerably and I was left with around 7k at the lunch break.
A little after lunch I received A 10 on the big blind. It was raised and 3 people were in the pot. Flop came out 722. It was checked all around. Turn came out a 10. I bet this fairly strongly to see where I was at. The same lady to my left flat called and I put her on trips. The turn produced another 10 which gave me the full house. I bet hoping for a call as I felt I was ahead. She made a great lay down and she folded her 2 for the lower full house. (I told her that I didn't have a 10 and didn't show the hand, so you now know the truth if your reading this!!!).
Later on I moved tables, my stack was around 15k and I was being blinded away. I was dealt KQ under the gun. I raised to 3/4 of my stack. Not an ideal starting hand by any means of the imagination. The table folded around to the big blind who came over the top. I was pot committed and called. He flipped over a small pair. The turn brought out a Queen. The river was no good to the opponent and I doubled up to around 30k.
A couple of hands later i was dealt q 10 on the button. The small blind (same guy) limped in. The flop came out q 10 7. I felt I had to get value for this and we both checked. The turn came out an 8. This was a danger card for me and something clicked when looking at him that he had hit his straight. He checked over to me so I checked as well, as I didn't want to be re-raised to any bet, as I would have had to of folded my two pair. The river came out as a 10 and I hit the full house. He checked again. I put in a 3k bet to see if we can get some action and to hopefully be re-raised. He then moves all in. I immediately call and he shows the straight. I was pleased that I made the correct read. Admittedly, i was lucky to hit my out, but at the same time I was allowed the free card and I feel I played the hand well.
I got moved tables again and was placed on the left of Jeldon Fernandes who had a big stack! A couple of hands later I got a KQ with Jeldon on the button. I raised to 10k which was around 3 times the blind. Jeldon called. The flop came A 7 4. Jeldon looked at his chips and shuffled and then checked. I thought something was not as it should be, however I made a bet of 15K to see if I could take the pot down. Jeldon immediately moves all in. I had hit nothing and I had no choice but to fold.
I was down to around 18k and immediately on the big blind. I looked down at J9 suited. The action was folded around to Simon Auckland on the button who of course raised. I felt that if I folded I would be down to 14k and basically out the tournament unless I got lucky. I felt I was likely to have two live cards/flush/straight possibilities and so called. Simon showed a low pair. 50/50 chance. The flop came out empty. So did the turn. The river showed the magical Jack. I hit the pair and doubled up to around 38k. A magical moment! I then took a few blinds and at the end of the first day I was sitting on around 51k.
What were you realistically hoping for at the start of the second day? This was the third time in a row that I had made the second day in a deep stack event. Each time I had been sitting on a similar stack size. I wanted to change to a more aggressive gear, hope to get a double up and reach the final table. One thing I was not prepared to do was get blinded away.
You seemed to go on an incredible run from two tables out, knocking players out continually. Describe that period for us:Early on the second day I had taken a few hands down, but also had lost a fair portion when a play went wrong. I was down to 30k when approaching the cash bubble. I then found pocket queens. The early limper called and I doubled up.
I firstly knocked out John Williams when my AJ took out his J10 off. He was short stacked and I was on the small blind so had value to make the call.
A few hands later I raised with A 10 in late position. Andy Cielieski on the BB moved all in. Again, it wasn't to many more chips compared to my raise and so had value for the call. He showed a small pocket pair. I hit the 10 on the river.
At this stage I joked I hadn't had aces. A couple of hands later I looked down at them. I raised and Jack Prime after some consideration moved all in. It got folded around and I called. The Ace on the turn sealed the hand.
An early position raise all in by Martin Wilson a few hands later and I look down on pocket 10's. I don't generally like the hand but felt that I could afford to make the call and still be in a good position if I lose. The pair held up.
On the money bubble I look down to find pocket 6's. I of course raise and the BB Darren Shallis moved all in. I had a decision to make but felt I had value to call. The pair held and I added the chips to my stack!
You then made the final a big chip leader. How confident did you feel? Did it all go according to plan?In truth I havent had that much experience going into a final table as chip leader. I generally am in mid position. I wanted to make my stack work to my advantage and to pick up pots where possible. I was however conscious that I did not want to give an easy double up to anyone and decided to lay down hands where I felt I could be behind.
Early on I limped in with Kings on the button. David Potter raised and I went all in. He had to call and the Kings held. A few hands later I hit a flush and managed to knock out Steve Harrison who was short stacked. This gave me 50% of the chips in play at the break.
Following the break I had to lay down pocket 7's to Jeldon Fernandes when I decided I was behind. This was the first dent into my stack. I then went relatively card dead and decided to sit back for a while. I also laid down pocket Q's on the Big blind due to an early limp by Jeldon and a raise by Paul.
We got down to the final 4 and we stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity. Good poker was played by all and in fairness any one of us could of won the tournament. Eventually Simon Aukland who at the time was the small stack raised all in and I look down at AK on the BB. I called and the K on the flop held.
After some tense 3 way play I find QQ on the small blind. I raise and Jeldon Fernandes moves all in. I call. The flop gives me a queen to hit trips but the AK gave Jeldon a full house draw. That missed and we were down to heads up, but I had a big chip lead.
Your full house hand with J10 was crucial wasn't it, heads up? You slow played it. Tell us about it.I felt going into the final table that Paul would be my biggest threat, as he had been playing some great poker. As I suspected, Paul started heads up very aggressively and I knew that he was likely to be raising with any two cards. I was also conscious that I did not want to provide him with an opportunity to double up on a 50/50% chance.
I let him steal a few blinds and after a while I look down at JJ. I raise and he calls. The flop comes out 10,4,J. I wanted to get maximum value from this hand and when he checked I felt that any bet would likely scare him off. I therefore check. The turn card brought a K. Paul bet and I decided to flat call. The turn brought a 10 and I hit the full house. Paul again bet. I then instantly re-raised all in. Paul folded knowing that he was beaten. Looking back, I should have delayed my re-raise as this may of enticed a call from Paul.
A few hands later and I had pocket 6's again. When Paul re-raised all in it was an automatic call for me. Thankfully, they held through.
Has it sunk in yet? Any thoughts on which GUKPT you might play?To be honest it hasn't. I was confident that I could do well and maybe win the competition. However, actually going ahead and doing it is a different matter!
I will probably play at the London or Luton event. I went and watched part of last years GUKPT event at the Victoria Casino. Now thanks to APAT I will actually be playing in one! Once again, many thanks for holding a great tournament and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next event.
Congratulations!
