Season 9 UK Team Championship

[IrishTom]

We wish to build on the success of the UK Team Championship and hopefully this year not have to disappoint as many teams - to do that we need to increase the capacity. 

This means a split of Day 1 which would see 4 members from each team compete on Friday evening (circa 1900/2000) and play around 9 levels (7 hours play) and the remaining 4 compete on Saturday (circa 1500) obviously to play around 9 levels (7 hours play) also. 

Day 2 would then have all those remaining come back to commence on Sunday at 1200 noon and play to a completion as usual.

The venue has not yet been confirmed, but probably north of London and south of Manchester!

We would welcome thoughts on the above.

Cheers/Tom

[doublebubble]

Love the idea of getting as many teams as possible in however personally don"t like the split team scenario. For events like these teams like to imo travel together, play together, drink together. Can"t you have 2 flights, but all teams in same day. If that means people from same team more chance to be on same table then so be it. Once tables break you have that chance anyway.
Seems a logistical issue for traveling teams

All always many thanks for always thinking of improvements.

[teamdobb]

Hi Tom & APAT

Newcastle Poker have entered a team in every team event that has ever been organised by APAT BUT by splitting the event into day1A and day1B but also splitting your team up where members are playing different days is IN MY OPINION one of the worse decisions you could make.

While I understand the organisational problems and trying to satisfy all concerned as Ive organised many events like this it will ruin the event from an atmospshere point of view and sometimes additional numbers a split day may create will be lost by the enjoyment that a big majority will lose

MY VIEW IS NO SPLIT DAY in order to maintain the demand that this event achieves

[AAroddersAA]

I don"t think this is ideal for this event. This is a personal viewpoint would be interested to see other points of view though as it might not be reflective of the entire community.

My logic here is that it is the event that probably is most responsible for drawing people into APAT (it certainly was in my case). The team element means that you do not turn up to an event and know nobody at all, you will at least have some people you are familar with in your team even if it is the first time you have met them.

A large part of this event for me is meeting up on the Friday night and having a few beers and a laugh with your team without having to worry about the poker*.

This allows new players to see the social side of APAT and meet some of the characters you see at all the events. I am not exactly objective here but having visited a few other tours (Sky, Pokerplayer for example) the APAT community is the strongest out there I have seen. It is true to say that you can meet these people at the table but I don"t think this is the same at all. Some teams are made up from forums where people don"t always know each other that well and the time to get to know each other enhances the experince and the event itself, I believe it makes it more likely these players will looks to play future APAT events. This improves the event also as people rail their team mates and you make new poker friends which is very useful. By starting an event on Friday night you remove an element of the community aspect from the weekend which feels like it could be a mistake?

My feeling, the event works very well as it is.

*It is worth noting that there are a number of us who see every event like this to a certain extent and are a minority who will turn up to every event anyway so should not be the main focus on who events should please.

[ian.ski309]

Let me say that I"m liking the fact that APAT are constantly seeking to improve and innovate... but there are a few drawbacks to this idea IMHO...

i) It means that at least half the team, if not all, are paying for two nights in a hotel rather than the usual one.

ii) The 3am - 4am finish might be a strain for those who have already spent much of the day travelling.

iii) Half the team could find themselves at a loose end for the second day

iv) If all four of a team"s players were to bust out of flight 1, it kind of ruins it for the four in flight 2.

I could go on, and of course there are counter arguments to all of the above, but as "teamdobb" says above, making this a two-flight tourney will destroy the brilliant atmosphere of these events.

[Curlarge]

I pretty much agree with all of the posts above.

TBH there are just too many negative points to this option for it to work successfully.

Also agree that to keep the interest at a peak for the years ahead, demand exceeding supply is the best policy.

p.s. Obviously we will completely change this opinion if we dont get a spot in the event  

[nosey-p]

I rate this tournament above all tournaments. By splitting it into 2 day one"s it will destroy the tournament for all the reasons already stated.

As an alternative could we have 2 semi finals (North/south) with say top 8 teams going to a final later in the year.

Increase the teams to 10, The semi"s could run as a 1 day event, prize money could be paid out on the day or carried forward to the final.

But don"t make a £50 game in to a 3 day event

[fandango]

Think splitting a "Team" up into 2 separate flights kinda detracts from the ethos slightly as stated above..

Is there a venue that could accommodate more teams?

What about having 6 players per team?

[kevod85]

Really dislike this idea for all the reasons mentioned.

The team champs is all about the banter and being there as a team. Thats what keeps people coming back year after year.

Would we not be able to start with a few self dealt tables?

[fatpants]

Not a good idea IMO!  I understand you want to let more people to play, but make it split between 2 day ones will spoil the whole idea of the team game atmosphere!  Obv only my opinion but really think you should stick to 1 day one if possible!  

[karrde]

For reasons already stated, I have to add my voice to the no campaign on this one. 

Half the Friday field will have to rush there - or teams will have regular players missing because of it being on a week day. 

The Saturday atmosphere will be ruined as half the teams will have had bad Fridays and their Saturday players will start level one knowing they have no team prize to aim for.

[Scousebill]

As an alternative could we have 2 semi finals (North/south) with say top 8 teams going to a final later in the year.

I like this idea. Maybe whoever enters picks a squad of 6/8 players and any four can play. Gives some flexibility in having to field two teams at different times of the year. That way if a team does get through to the second event there is no "surprise" additions to the team.

[Chipaccrual]

Love the idea of adding another Day 1 to accommodate all the teams that want to play this, and potentially second or third teams form some of the clubs/groups/forums.

Not keen on each team being split across the two day 1"s though, would much prefer that everyone from a team plays the same Day 1 and those that make it through consolidate together for the final day.

It would only need 10-15 of the teams happy to play on the Friday night (and have a more social Saturday) for it to work numbers wise.

The Day 1"s don"t need to run with the same numbers.

[koyte]

not a great idea , to be honest, you seem to be missing the whole bonding experience, a team that plays together stays together, you will kill a great event in my humble opinion

[teamdobb]

organisors need to ask themselves WHY this event is always oversubscribed and it isnt because teams want to be seperated and play on different days or flights!!! To change will kill the event imo