APAT acquires Poker.co.uk and will launch online poker room

[Des]

This will be circulated across the industry during the next 24 hours but it is being first released here.

London, July 11th, 2012  The Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) today announced that it has successfully acquired the player database, online poker software and customer support contracts of Poker.co.uk, an online poker room on the International Poker Network.

Des Duffy, Managing Director of APAT stated:  "We"re excited that APAT will add an online poker room to our product range and look forward to delivering a high quality online poker experience for our customers, as we have in the casino environment since 2006."

The Poker.co.uk online poker room will be rebranded APAT later in the year, but the software is available for immediate download and play via APAT's website at www.apat.com.

The new online poker room will host satellites and direct entry to APAT's Live and Online Championship tournaments, the National Online League and the inaugural National Online Cup.  In addition, a complete schedule of tournaments and cash games will run around the clock. 

Matt Dale, Founder of Poker.co.uk added:  "With a membership of over 50,000 players and a reputation for being very community focussed, APAT is well positioned to bring something new to the online poker market and I"m delighted to play a part". 

APAT announced that Dale will join the business in the position of Online Poker Director, while ex Head of Online, Leigh Wiltshire, will become Marketing Director at the London based organisation.

About the Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT)

APAT launched the United Kingdom's first national poker tour in 2006.  With a clear focus on developing playing talent, APAT has become the largest organisation of its kind in Europe, hosting National Amateur Championship poker tournaments throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Estonia, Spain and North America at the world famous Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  Finalists at APAT National Amateur Championship and Online Championship events have gone on to win millions in prize money in addition to World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour titles.

[Des]

I'm genuinely happy to make the above announcement and I believe it will be a good thing for APAT members and Poker.co.uk players.

I'd like to think that our members will agree that APAT have a good history of listening and delivering the games and structures that you want to play, whether it's in live or online poker.

Going forward we will be able to control our own tournament schedule and put on private cash games for you.  We can look at structures, levels, clocks, chip stacks, basically all of the components that make up an online poker room.

On top of that we will bring something new to the International Poker Network and with your support, we can grow liquidity on the network and continue to develop the APAT tour and increase the added value available to you.

There are downsides and Tikay and Tighty have both chosen to sell their shareholding in APAT.  Tikay for commercial reasons, due to a clash with his role at Sky.  Similarly Tighty would almost certainly have preferred not to sell, but for personal reasons has chosen to.  He'll definitely be updating with APAT at DTD next month and I hope he'll  guest for us at APAT events that don't clash with his other commitments at DTD and blonde.  I owe Tighty and Tikay a huge debt of gratitude for what they brought to APAT over the past few years.  Without them we simply would not have existed and I have an enormous amount of respect for them both.  We shared some amazing times together and I know they are both as supportive of APAT today as they were when we launched in August 2006.

Matt Dale joins the team and will largely focus on the online poker side of things.  Matt's got lots of experience in running an online room; as indeed have I, and he will be all ears over the coming weeks to ensure we can give you guys what you want.

I'm really excited to see Leigh back in an official role.  He's one of the most committed APAT-ers I've ever met and he will look after the marketing of APAT, Poker Circuit and one or two other projects that we are developing in the background.

While this development will change the commercial focus of APAT, please remember that the people managing the business are all long term APAT-ers, committed to delivering the same high quality experience that we've given you over the years.  Our mindset will never change.

I'm sure you've got questions, please fire ahead and thanks in advance for your support.  We"ll need it.

[Des]

Reserved for updates.

[CincinnatiKid]

Great news, well done Des !

[Curlarge]

KaBoom...That is all  

[amcgrath1uk]

Wow just wow Looking forward to it all!

[Paulie_D]

Really pleased for you and Matt....oh, and Leigh.

Sad about Tighty and Tikay.

A huge and necessary step for APAT and, I feel, a big win for Poker.co.uk....they"ve come a long way from the tiny office in Brizzle I visited a few years ago with the LPM.

[jacklevel06]

Well that came out of the blue, congrats and good luck with this venture.

[Mikeyboy9361]

Nice one guys, congrats!

[ian.ski309]

Exciting times, congratulations guys !

[Santino67]

Amazing news Des, congratulations on what is a fantastic achievement

[HOLDorFOLD]

wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii awesome news  


So glad to see Leigh back involved with APAT and congrats to Matt in his new role (I have you on face book if I need to send complaining PMs haha)

Sorry to see Tikay and Tighty leave though      Tighty IS apat updates ... hope there are no clashes with DTD/APAT events

Sooooooo .... anyone up for a few SNGs later  

[fandango]

Awesome news.. Especially being able to have the buy ins for all brick and mortar events kept to one site, this opens up some great sattelite opportunities I reckon.. Well done Des, welcome aboard Matt and a very warm welcome back to Leigh.. Great to hear Richard will keep involved as much as he can with his legendary updates.

[alsomati]

sweet..

[Hammerite]

Very best of luck with this new version of Apat, Des, Matt & Leigh, and all the best for the future Tighty & Tikay, you have certainly given poker pleasure to myself and other players all over the world, so thanks very much for all you have done.