For the first quarterly final of the 2011/12 151 players took their seats at Aspers Casino in Northampton.

Prior to the start individual pub winners were presented with certificates and the new design winners glass trophy in the shape of a spade.

Play got underway promptly at 2.00pm and although it took considerably longer than usual we eventually lost our first player, James McLaren of the Talisman, Corby.

As the blinds increased players began to be eliminated more and more frequently, the players from the Two Chimneys, Letchworth went out as a team, finishing 119th, 118th and 117th, not good enough to win the team trophy which was awarded to the Burnt Oak, Milton Keynes whose team was made up of Abby Bowler, Lianne O’Reilly and Matt Reynolds.

Players at the final table were as follows;-
Matt Goober-Bleasdale – Rose & Crown, Hemel Hempstead (20,000)
Kerrison Collier – Apsley Village Club, Hemel Hempstead (135,000)
Adrian Hall – Moulton WMC, Moulton (110,000)
Richard Wilson – White Lion, Hemel Hempstead (55,000)
Wayne Lovelock – Rose & Crown, Hemel Hempstead (50,000)
Richard Taplin – Rileys Q Club, Peterborough (65,000)
Anne Pell – The Dragon, Peterborough (180,000)
Tony Faulkes – Peachcroft Social Club, Abingdon (85,000)
Lisa Greer – Old Punch House, Ware (70,000)
Clive Young – Kennington Sports & Social Club, Oxford (70,000)

The unlucky duo finishing in 10th and 9th places respectively were Wayne Lovelock and Matt Goober-Bleasdale both from the Rose & Crown, unfortunately they both finished out of the cash and the qualifying places for next years National Final.
Two of the final ten, Lisa and Clive, had made the final table for the second consecutive season, Lisa finished in 6th place last season, this season she was 8th . Clive, who missed out on a National Final spot last season when he finished 9th made certain of his seat this time by finishing 6th . Richard Taplin in 7th Adrian 5th Richard Wilson 4th and Tony 3rd all followed before we reached a see-saw heads up battle between Anne and Kerrison which was eventually won by Kerrison when his Kc, Qd defeated Anne (8s, 3s) with a flop of 9h, Qh, Jh, the turn Ad and finally Kh on the river.

Cash Prize Winners
1. Kerrison Collier – Apsley Village Club, Hemel Hempstead
2. Anne Pell – The Dragon, Peterborough
3. Tony Faulkes – Peachcroft Social Club, Abingdon
4. Richard Wilson – White Lion, Hemel Hempstead
5. Adrian Hall – Moulton WMC, Moulton
6. Clive Young – Kennington Sports & Social Club, Oxford
7. Richard Taplin – Rileys Q Club, Peterborough
8. Lisa Greer – Old Punch House, Ware

National Final Qualifiers
Kerrison Collier
Anne Pell
Tony Faulkes
Richard Wilson
Adrian Hall
Clive Young
Richard Taplin
Lisa Greer

Team Winners
Burnt Oak, Milton Keynes