Poker Players Prepare For Apt Gold Coast 17-21 March

The Australian Poker Tour is back, and poker players cannot wait. The year of the pandemic (2020) prohibited live poker tournaments for so long that the players are stoked to return to the tables. APT participants were always an enthusiastic group but absence makes the heart grow even fonder.

The APT did everything it could to return, complete with all possible pandemic protocols in place. In mid-2020, the APT planned for a Gold Coast series but had to cancel due to a new wave of Covid-19 cases in that area. But the tour set out for Brisbane in October and found success.

Over a 14-event series, APT Brisbane in October 2020 attracted 4,555 entries from 972 unique players and awarded $749,405 in prize pool cash.

With that, the APT set another Brisbane series for January 2021. That one delivered massive crowds for the 24 tournaments and awarded $1,537,420 in prize money.

Next stop: Southport Sharks for APT Gold Coast this month.

Stoked and Ready

Southport Sharks has been working closely with the Australian Poker Tour and the local government to ensure that the event is in compliance with all Covid-19 regulations.

The setup of tables will adhere to the guidelines of one person per two square metres. Tables will play a maximum of nine-handed. And there is a maximum seating capability per tournament. Arriving early will be key to ensuring a seat in each event. In fact, players can buy tickets online via the APT app on Facebook to secure seats and avoid the queues at the venue.

Action will kick off on Wednesday, 17 March, and play will run through Sunday, 21 March. There are 21 events on the schedule, and the APT estimates it will award at least $900K.

APT Gold Coast Schedule

Without further delay, the schedule is as follows:

• Event 1 on 17 March: $120 buy-in NLHE Opening Event (2 reentries, $20K estimated prize pool)
• Event 2 on 17-19 March: $2,500 NLHE Goliath (1 reentry, $250K estimate)
• Event 3 on 17 March: $80 Short Deck (antes only, $5K estimate, 110-player allocation)
• Event 4 on 17 March: $80 NLHE Deepstack (freezeout, 50K stack, $10K estimate, 250 players)
• Event 5 on 17 March: $660 Hartshorn Distillery NLHE 6-Max (1 reentry, 30-second clock)
• Event 6 on 18 March: $120 NLHE Mix-Max (8-max, 6-max at 36, heads-up at 8, $10K estimate)
• Event 7 on 18-19 March: $1K Dracakis Players Championship (freezeout, $100K estimate)
• Event 8 on 18-21 March: $200 NLHE Main Event (repechage, 4 flights, $150K estimate, 250-player allocation on 1A, 250 on 1B, 300 on 1C, 300 on 1D)
• Event 9 on 18 March: $80 JDL Sports 6-Max Shootout (1 reentry, $7,500 estimate, 144 players)
• Event 10 on 19-20 March: $1,200 BPU Grind (unlimited reentries, $150K estimate)
• Event 11 on 19 March: $80 Pineapple (2 reentries, $7,500 estimate, 150 players)
• Event 12 on 19 March: $80 NLHE Ladies Championship (1 reentry, $4K estimate, 110 players)
• Event 13 on 19 March: $100 Thrifty Rentals Big Bounty ($50 bounties, $10K estimate, 200 players)
• Event 14 on 20 March: $350 Enlighten Home Loans National Teams (5-player teams, $10K estimate, 60-team allocation)
• Event 15 on 20 March: $120 Poker Shop 120 (2 reentries, $20K estimate, 250 players)
• Event 16 on 20-21 March: $1,200 Andrews Airport Parking Big PLO (1 reentry, $30K estimate)
• Event 17 on 20 March: $120 JDub Poker 6-Max Championship ($10K estimate, 150 players)
• Event 18 on 21 March: $450 MTA Accountants High Roller (2 reentries, $75K estimate, 250 players)
• Event 19 on 21 March: $60 King Playing Cards Megastack (freezeout, 60K stacks, $7,500 estimate, 200 players)
• Event 20 on 21 March: $800 Charge Buddy PLO/NLHE High Roller (1 reentry, $30K estimate)
• Event 21 on 21 March: $60 PLO Frenzy (unlimited reentries, $5K estimate)

Note that the player estimates and allocations listed above are guidelines for allocated seating capacity. This may change for a number of reasons, so the availability of seating could increase each day. It is best to check with the tournament staff closer to the start date/time.)

Also, check the official schedule for start times and satellite information. There are big satellites listed for some of the major events, some even with seat guarantees.

Tournament of Champions Still in Play

Due to the pandemic schedule reorganizations, the upcoming APT Tournament of Champions is combining events from Seasons 3-4.

The list of TOC qualifiers contains 53 names thus far. They qualified via the two 2020 Brisbane events and the one in January 2021. Two more series must run to qualify the remainder of players – this March Gold Coast series and the next series, which has yet to be announced.

All qualifiers will then play a play in a freeroll containing approximately $25K in the prize pool.