PokerStars Sponsors UK Amateur Poker Association

OK, enough of the pretty girls in short skirts for now.

I'm off on business for a few days, so I'll leave you with some proper poker news about an interesting development in the UK poker scene.

I've met a couple of the guys involved in this, and they are decent guys who have a passion for poker.
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Amateur Poker Association & Tour Formed In UK

London, August 1, 2006 – Amateur Poker Limited, in association with PokerStars.com and PokerPlayer Magazine, today announced the formation of the Amateur Poker Association & Tour (the "APAT").

The APAT is the world's first combined Poker Association and Tour, and will hold its inaugural live event, the English Amateur Poker Championship, at the Broadway casino in Birmingham on September 23rd & 24th, 2006. Players will start the event with 10,000 in chips, and a structure designed to encourage creative play throughout.

The Tour, headline sponsored by the world's leading tournament site PokerStars.com, will allow APAT members to take part in a series of high profile events with low entry fees, and with sponsor funding increasing the value of prizes considerably.

Season one will feature seven national and international events culminating in European and World Amateur Poker Championships. Each APAT event winner will receive a cash prize, an engraved Championship Cup and an expenses paid European Poker Tour or World Series Of Poker main event entry. In addition, the APAT will run an Online Series of nationally titled events on PokerStars.com, with the overall APAT player of the year winning an expenses paid trip to the sun to play in the PokerStars.com Caribbean Adventure World Poker Tour event.

The Association, headline sponsored by PokerPlayer Magazine, will consult with gaming and industry bodies to enhance the player experience; with standardisation of rules, player friendly structures and event sponsorship at the top of its agenda. APAT news updates and detailed Tour reports will feature in each new issue of PokerPlayer Magazine, notably increasing the profile of each APAT event winner.

Tony Kendall, APAT Chairman, said: "I am delighted to be associated with the Amateur Poker Association & Tour, which I believe is a significant new development in European poker. The APAT will quickly become ‘the' affordable proving ground for players wanting to realise their potential in high quality live events, and a guaranteed added value prize pool is great news for everyone. I look forward to welcoming players of all abilities to the APAT, and if it's your first time in a casino environment, then we're going to give you a truly memorable experience."

Tamar Yaniv, European Director of Marketing at PokerStars.com, added: "PokerStars.com is passionate about poker in the UK, and the Amateur Poker Association & Tour shares our values in wanting to give their members the best tournament experience possible. Each player has a chance to win a national title and those who do will get the opportunity to fulfil their dream at a PokerStars.com European Poker Tour event or at the World Series Of Poker. We're pleased to sponsor the APAT, and look forward to meeting members in cardrooms across the UK, and online at PokerStars.com."


APAT Membership and Tournament registration can be obtained online at www.apat.com. Individual Membership of the Association will cost £10, while entry to the English Amateur Poker Championship will cost £67.50 with a registration fee of £7.50, subject to availability. Online qualification will be available at PokerStars.com for APAT's international tournaments, starting with the European Amateur Poker Championship during the Easter holiday period, 2007.

For additional information on the Amateur Poker Association & Tour, and an electronic press pack, contact Richard Prew, media@apat.com, or visit the Press section at www.apat.com.

About Amateur Poker Limited:

Amateur Poker Limited is a commercial entity, established by a team of experienced poker and business professionals with a vision to deliver a player focussed proposition, with equal appeal to its members, corporate sponsors and key gaming venues and regulators.

For Further Information:

Media:

Richard Prew
Media Director
Amateur Poker Limited

richard@apat.com


Tony Kendall
Chairman, APAT
Amateur Poker Limited

tony@apat.com


Commercial:

Des Duffy
Managing Director
Amateur Poker Limited

des@apat.com