OnLive Discussion

[APAT]

I would like to release as much information as possible about the above event due to the continuing delay in completing it, and season one.

First of all, a bit of background.

APAT spent a good deal of time negotiating to hold our World Amateur Championship with one of the most prominent casinos for poker, in Las Vegas.  At that time, our event was scheduled for the third week of July, starting the day after the main event of the WSOP.  No prizes for guessing the casino.

However, and surprisingly late in negotiations, it came to light that this casino would not be willing to host the event as our season one sponsor was still trading in the US.  This was an extremely tricky position for APAT, the sponsor and the casino.  So various changes were made but it quickly became apparent that we would not be able to run this event as a standard APAT Championship event due to the number of events already scheduled for season two.

So the final event of Season One will be a little unique.  It will be known as the APAT World Onlive Championship.  The tournament will be broken into two stages with entrants starting the event online, with 10,000 chips and an APAT Championship structure (clock adjusted to give a similar number of hands per 40 minute level). 

The online section will play down to a final table of 6 players. 

These 6 players will then compete at a live final table, starting with the same seat and chip position as they finished online.  The winner of the event will take a substantial first prize plus an expenses paid entry to the main event of the 2008 WSOP in Las Vegas.

The buy in will be in the $75 to $100 range and we will allocate 18 ranking points as with every APAT Championship event. 

We are currently negotiating to have the final table streamed on the internet and possibly broadcast live.  It is a complicated process and I have set a deadline for final decisions by the end of this week. 

So we will announce the details of this event early next week, with or without TV coverage.  The online element will be run in the first two weeks of November and the final table will almost certainly be held in the middle of December.

[technolog]

Sounds great Des - can"t wait!

[duncthehat]

Sounds like a fair few hours in front of the tv screen lol

Looking forward to it.

Dougal hates online poker and nosey loves it.  Could be an interesting last tourney

[linziwan]

Should be interesting... and I don"t even have to dress up can do it in my PJ"s LOL... 

Out of interest will it be Pokerstars or Bluesquare?

Good thing is we have just bought a second computer so hubby and I won"t have to fight over who will be able to compete.

Thanks for all the hard work Des - all the stuff you do behind the scenes is terrific.    

[APAT]

It will be on Blue Square Linda, they have sponsored the WSOP main event seat so I hope we get a good turnout for their support.  I did not see your appearance on Sky Poker earlier this week, but had forwarded some images to the production team a couple of weeks ago.  Hope it all went well.

[nosey-p]

Thanks for the up date, Des

[Swinebag]

Looks like the best solution to a tricky problem. Well done.

Will there be satellites for it?

[kinboshi]

I wouldn"t have thought they"d need to run satellites (although they might want to).

As I posted on the other thread, this tournament is going to attract thousands of runners.  A $100 satellite (with a decent prize pool on top of that) for the WSOP ME!

As it"s open to all on BlueSQ, as soon as the "masses" get wind of it, it"ll attract thousands of runners.  What"s the maximum they allow for a tournament on BlueSQ?

It would be best if it"s announced on here (and via emails to members) before it"s publicised on BlueSQ and wherever else.  I think this tournament will have the ability to significantly increase APAT membership, more than any other previous APAT event.

[Swinebag]

what is 40 min (live) equivalent in online time? Is it 15 or 20 min levels?

You are probably right about the satellite situation. I just thought they may run them because all the other nationals had satellites.

[kinboshi]

They might run satellites - I don"t know.  Like you said, it would make it consistent with the other "nationals" even though this one is quite a bit different.  Onlive - as Des called it.  

[Buck Pete]

Don"t see why they won"t run "Feeders" into the online main event.

Blue Square run feeders for their $100 GUKPT super satellites.

Should be a good event. Looking forward to it.

[kinboshi]

Oh - I think they"ll run satellites if they can make money from them (and so I think they will).  I was just saying that they won"t need to run satellites to get a very large field for this one.

Great prizes, nice structure, and the right buy-in level for most APATers I would have thought.

[nosey-p]

It should only be open to members from season 1, no new new members should be allowed to play.

[Swinebag]

It should only be open to members from season 1, no new new members should be allowed to play.

I agree, BUT BSQ will probably have a problem with restricting the numbers. It will probably be open season on season 1!

[tinkerman]

It should only be open to members from season 1, no new new members should be allowed to play.

I agree, BUT BSQ will probably have a problem with restricting the numbers. It will probably be open season on season 1!

I would just about come under season 1 members (so no self interest here), but why have a cut-off time when its an event held now.  Surely, it should be open to members when the event is held, which I assume is consistent with last season.  Its like saying, or less you are a member on day 1 of a season, you cant play in the events.  That just doesn't make sense.

Its not only BS which I expect would have a problem, but I would have thought APAT would also have issues.  Isn't the whole idea to promote poker and give opportunity to all.  Why should there be restrictions on which day you signed up on.