It was with feverish anticipation that amateur players from across the country gathered in Aspers Casino, Newcastle, for the UK Amateur Poker Championship on December 2-3. While the first tournament in September was decided by a ballot and limited to 120 seats, the latest event had room for 210 players, all of whom snapped up the seats within 29 minutes of them going on sale.

Like last time, the £75 buy-in gives players the best value tournament around, with chip stacks of 10,000, 40-minute blind levels and a juiced pot, courtesy of tour sponsor PokerStars, which would see the winner get £3,750 and a $12,000 package to the 2007 WSOP Main Event.