If you think the APL is a shady, illegal organization that launders money for drug cartels in Panama, think again. The APL is the Amateur Poker League. It is an organization created by and for amateur poker players in the United States. At any given time during the season, players may join the Amateur Poker League. There is no need for frees or buy-ins. Amateur Poker League tours follow a three-tiered monthly venue championship, a semi-annual regional championship, and a national championship. No Limit Texas Hold'em is played in all Amateur Poker League events. Players are given chips worth 3,650 points. In each game, a player's score is determined by cross-referencing the player's finishing position with that of the game's total number of players. For example, in a game with less than 32 players, a player who finishes third earns 180 points. For the same finish but this time in a tournament with 33 or more participants, the same player will get 256.8 points. The Amateur Poker League has its own point award structure and any player that finishes below the APL regular season tournament does not receive any point. Now, how does a player qualify for Amateur Poker League championships?

At the monthly venue level, a player may qualify by coming in first at any event held at the venue. Another way for a player to qualify is by finishing as one of the top ten percent point earners. In semi-annual regional championships, a player may qualify by placing first or second at any monthly venue championships, provided that they do so during the qualifying six-month period. Players may be part of semi-annual regional points championships if they are among the top five percent of players with the highest regional rankings. Point leaders of the region may choose to skip the semi-annual point leader championship and advance directly to the national championships. So, how does a player qualify for the national championship? There are three way, the first of which is by being at the final table of a semi-annual regional championship. The second is by finishing at the top five percent of a semi-annual regional points championship. The last is by coming in first place in a region's point ranking for the qualifying six-month period. The grand prize of the Amateur Poker League national championship is a whooping buy-in for a World Series of Poker event or a top World Poker Tour. In any of the above-mentioned championships, a top point ranking system is used to determine which extra players will be invited, should such prove necessary. Tournaments may be held daily, weekly, monthly, and during special occasions. Amateur Poker League players may also opt to play at Doyle's Room. This is an online poker website run in association with APL's spokesperson, Doyle Brunson. Amateur Poker League tournaments have a huge following. This explains why such events are featured in television and are sponsored not only by poker magazines but also by many major companies.