The Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT) heads to Leeds on June 14 for the 2024 edition of the APAT UK Championship. APAT will call Grosvenor Leeds Westgate home from June 14-16, where someone will become the UK amateur champion.
The APAT UK Championship kicks off with Day 1a of its £120 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event at 6:00 p.m. BST on June 14. Main Event players sit down with a war chest of 100,000 chips and play to 25-minute levels where the blinds start at 200/500 and a big blind ante of 500.
Late registration is open until the start of the ninth level, around 9:35 p.m. BST, and each of the two flights is played as a freezeout. However, if you play Day 1a, you can jump into Day 1b at 3:00 p.m. BST on June 15 and take another bite at the cherry.
Day 1s continue until only 15% of the field remains, which is usually around the 16th level. Surviving players progress to Day 2 at 1:00 p.m. BST on June 16 with a min-cash in tow. Blinds increase every 40 minutes on Day 2, reducing to 20 minutes once the final table is three-handed.
APAT UK Championship Main Event Blind Levels Until Late Registration Ends
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | BB Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 | 500 | 500 |
| 2 | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 3 | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| 4 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 5 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 6 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| 7 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| 8 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 9 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
The blinds are rolled back on Day 2 so that they are either the level of the earliest Day 1 completion or a guaranteed minimum of 33 big blind average stack, giving more play when players need it the most.
In addition to prize money, the top three finishers receive a coveted APAT Bronze, Silver, or Gold medal to commemorate their achievements. The APAT community lives for winning medals, so you will not easily get your hands on one!
Nicolai Cravciuc is the 2024 APAT European Champion of Amateur Poker
Side Event Action in Leeds
If the APAT UK Championship Main Event doesn’t go to plan, you have the chance to get involves in a trio of side events over the weekend. On June 15 at 8:00 p.m., there will be a £70 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em side event.
On June 16 at 2:00 p.m. BST, a £120 buy-in UK Amateur Poker ROE Championship takes place. It sees players fight it out in a No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha mixed event, with the two popular games rotating after each round.
At 5:00 p.m. BST on June 16, just as the Main Event will be heading towards its final table, another £70 No-Limit Hold’em side events runs.
Everything points toward the Leeds Main Event and Side Events being well attended. These tournaments are always popular with APAT members, and similar-sized tournaments that run at Leeds usually see upwards of 100 runners. As APAT events are open to everyone, the APAT UK Championship could see some rather impressive payouts.
