The Australian Poker League is a poker league in several states of Australia run by The Australian Poker League Pty Ltd, which is an entertainment company involved in the organizing, development and marketing of a ‘Play for Fun’ poker tournament competition, as well as the licensing and sale of branded products and corporate sponsorships. It is the world's largest tournament poker organisation.

In New South Wales the league offers "professional" games which involve a buy-in. In other states, play is restricted to free games only.

The concept behind the league and competition is to offer an event where participants with different levels of experience, from novices to professionals, can compete in a friendly environment for fun, experience, and often prizes (for the highest ranking players of the night).

In its short history the APL has become the leader in it is industry, a big player in the entertainment Arena. The APL also organizes special tournaments aside from league events such as, celebrity, charity, and corporate tournaments.

The Local Venues

The Australian Poker League or the APL is an association that puts together poker matches in local venues. They have matches in all of the Australian states and territories except the ACT. These local venues could be in various different setting such as taverns, hotels, clubs, and sports bars.

Is it right for you?

It is considered pub and club entertainment. The APL is open to all types of players whether it be professional, or even the least experienced amateur.

How to sign up

Joining the Australian Poker League is free. The only fees that are applicable are the fees for entering certain events. If a potential player wishes to join the poker league they must first go to either a location in which they are hosting an event or online and fill out paperwork to then be given a membership number, which can be used to play at anytime at various venues. To enter an event the player must first present their membership I.D. card and will be given a table number to play at and in most cases get free chips to play with. Prize winning in Western Australia is severely restricted due to local legislation enforced by the Department of Racing Gaming and Liquor.

The APL has announced that they will have a completely new set of events classified under the “Pro-Series” events. These Pro-Series events are however not free. Fees are payable and are in New South Wales only due to gaming laws. In addition, the money and prizes in these events are even greater than those of the other games. In these events, usual benefits are still available, such as gaining points. The only difference is that there are nightly cash prizes in these events.

Point System

In the APL players will be awarded points depending on where they place. The point system that the APL has set up not only rewards good play but also, even rewards those who perform more weakly.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Position
! Points
|-
| 1st
| 125 Bonus
|-
| 2nd
| 100 Bonus
|-
| 3rd
| 75 Bonus
|-
| 4th
| 50 Bonus
|-
| 5th
| 40 Bonus
|-
| 6th
| 30 Bonus
|-
| 7th
| 20 Bonus
|-
| 8th
| 10 Bonus
|-
| 9th-16th
| 1/2 point per player in event
|-
| 17th
| 10 points
|}

APL Rulebook

There are specific rules to keep a specific, consistent level of service and to abide to the government standards. Rulebook

References