The World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League

WPT Amateur Poker League The World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League, formed in early 2004, hosts free and live Texas Hold'em Tournaments at your favorite locations throughout the world allowing you to learn the game, test your poker skills against others in your area, sharpen the skills you have already mastered, and enjoy the "Poker Night" food and drink specials at participating WPTAPL™ Venues.

WPT and the WPTAPL

Now "run" by the World Poker Tour, the renamed WPTAPL (World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League) is unique among poker tournament systems -- there is no money changing hands, at least not as condoned by the organization. Made up of a system of tournaments which feed towards a National Tournament (the top prize for which is a seat at a major WPT or WSOP event), the Amateur Poker League stands out as an anomaly in a money-crazed world.

WPTAPL Sponsors

That isn't to say there isn't some kind of financial give and take. For instance, Anheuser-Busch (specicially Budweiser) is listed as "sponsor" of the event, a name which never comes for free, and there are magazines and bulletins and all sorts of epehemera related to this "amateur league", all or most of which must require the exchange of money. I'm not saying the league exists in a financial vacuum, merely pointing out that the actual No Limit Texas Hold 'em play is not accompanied by cash.

Chips equal points, points can and often do equal certain rewards, and most importantly the points propel players towards semi-regional, regional, and finally a national tournament. This is the tournament for poker purists, or those of us with two or three day jobs who love to play Hold 'em competitively. We can't all be Chris Moneymaker... then again, Moneymaker himself has been a guest of the Amateur Poker League, making a major endorsement of this little league that could. Other guests have included Doyle Brunson, Cowboy Kenna James, and Jamie Gold.

Bluff Magazine on the Amateur Poker League

In the past, Bluff magazine reported heavily on the Amateur Poker League, but with the rise of their own mini tournament system and the takeover by the WPT, there is little to be found there about this truly intriguing league of poker players.

The current champion is a guy from my neck of the woods, E. Randall Spears. With little aplomb, this guy earned more points than hundreds of thousands of other amateur players. Part of the appeal of this league is its makeup -- amateur poker players quite literally come from all walks of life, all races, both genders, all ages. The World Series of Poker and other major events get publicitity every time an "unknown" wins at the final table -- so why not recognize the Amateur Poker Tour winners with something a bit grander? E. Randall Spears ought to be garnering the same attention as your Chris Moneymakers and your Joe Hachems.

WPTAPL Event Venues

The venues hosting the WPTAPL events are well-known establishments that inspire confidence: big name area bars and restaurants are standard locations. This means you can choose smoking- or non- (depending on your local statute) and in general the League seems to be making access to points and good poker play easier for all players. Personally, I enjoy the Friday night league events the most, where the APL has two sessions locally at 7:00pm and 10:00pm. The employees I've spoken with at the headquarters in Wichita, Kansas have been fast and friendly, and as I have had an unfortunate run-in with a manager at an Amateur Poker League event, my experience with the administration of the league as a whole is that these are all considerate poker lovers, like me.

Local Amateur Poker League

It is important that you support your local amateur venues by purchasing their food and drinks -- actually, this helps all of us. The local economy and by association the national economy, etc. If you must have a "staycation" this summer, consider a tour of Amateur Poker League venues close to your home.

My local Amateur Poker League tournaments can be found on an almost daily basis. If I'm willing to drive say five miles in any direction, I could play in a WPTAPL event 5 or 6 days a week. While my area may be saturated (it is densely populated and full of poker history) this is a good sign. The Amateur Poker League is as strong as ever, and resisting whatever factors led to the demise of several poker organizations in recent years.

WPTAPL Buy In

The Amateur Poker League may not pay its final table winners -- but a buy-in to the WPT main-event (the prize offered) is valued at $10,000. This is nothing to sniff at, especially for amateur players, many of whom don't even have the kind of cash to play online. In this way, the WPTAPL is the People's Poker league. Their website, amateurpokerleague.com, is full of info on past tournaments, future tournaments, region-specific events pages, press releases, and stats. In fact, it is one of the better-stocked poker league sites, especially when one considers the fact of its Amateur status. How much this has to do with the WPT's ownership one can only speculate.

The Amateur Poker League is place to play if you have a sharp eye for poker and a day job. Those unlucky masses of us that can't play poker for a living will have to settle for competing for points and bragging rights -- who knows? The next E. Randall Spears could be on his way to a venue near you, dreams of suited K-J almost literally floating over his head. Good luck.

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