Yes, people are working on their game to make money - but the fact that it is obviously very hard to make a profit from playing APAT just emphasizes the fact that making money isn"t why people are playing them.
Nuh-oh, don"t agree with this. People play poker because, while it is a social game, you can win money. For any serious player, making the money places is exactly why they play APAT games especially as there"s a GUKPT seat on offer for the winner. And serious doesn"t have to mean hardcore pro either, just anyone trying to improve at the game.
APAT games for serious or semi-serious amateur players (which I think is the majority) are obviously not going to be the only games they play in the year. The goal is to be a winning player at the end of the year from ALL poker not just the APAT tour.
I"ve never believed that people show up for these weekends purely because of the social entanglements. You can get pissed and fall into water features with your usual circle of friends at home. I"m speculating of course but I can"t see these events being over subscribed if they were all free-rolls but the only prizes on offer were medals.
The poker aspect of the tour must always be the priority obviously as it"s a poker tour not an 18-30s weekend tour group. But without contradicting myself, I"m not sure that always has to manifest itself in a beautifully calculated structure.
Structures matter of course, but I"m more interested in the events being held in the best venues with the most experienced dealers and TDs and nicest fixtures and fittings and wherever possible, waitresses that call you "Sugar" and wink at you, than having a structure that rivals anything you see in the professional world.
People wanting a one off tournament buy-in and a perfect structure are wanting their cake and eating it. Cash games are for the structure-purists. Tournaments were designed in the first place to encourage action were they not? That was the whole point of the exercise. The crap-shoot element was the main selling point no? APAT games are also £75 games which is a lot of money to find on the floor, but in poker terms it"s mini-stakes isn"t it..so I think we have to be realistic about how long these events should last and how they should play out.
In summary - fast structures suit my game better.
The end.