New Professional Poker League Unveils Membership

The newly formed Federated Sports and Gaming (FS&G) released the list of 218 players eligible for the inaugural season of its professional poker league Tuesday, along with the detailed criteria for selection.  The league is slated to launch in early August and will feature four rake-free Main Events plus a championship to be held in February 2012.

Unlike most invitational poker competitions, there is no subjective selection process for the Federated poker league.  All players are selected based on a pre-established formula.  The criteria include the number of live tournament cashes and money earned since 2008, the number of major poker titles a player has won, and a player’s “lifetime adjusted earnings” in qualifying tournaments.

In a press release, the league’s Commissioner, Annie Duke, said, “Our goal in setting the objective qualifying criteria was to capture the best live tournament players – not a certain set of personalities.  Keeping the league membership small not only ensures the highest quality of tournament play, but also allows FS&G to provide a superior playing experience and outstanding service levels to our members.”

In a March interview with Poker News Daily, Duke discussed part of the importance of specific qualification criteria, explaining, “Let’s say a committee votes in a player who does not meet the objective qualifying criteria. Now, someone else with the exact same achievements as the player who was voted in will ask why they weren’t qualified. You get into a matter of opinion.”

“Once you decide on your criteria,” she added, “you can set their levels to get around the number of people you want.”

Qualifiers will receive a card reflecting one of four levels of membership.  The levels correspond to the number of years in which the player is guaranteed membership.  At the end of those years, the player will be up for re-evaluation against the qualification criteria.  The membership levels are as follows:

5-Year Card

• At least $4 million in adjusted lifetime tournament earnings, with a maximum of $2 million counting from any single tournament.
• At least three major lifetime titles.
• At least nine cashes since January 1, 2008 for a total of least $600,000.

3-Year Card

• At least $2.5 million in adjusted lifetime tournament earnings, with a maximum of $1.5 million counting from any single tournament.
• At least one major lifetime title.
• At least nine cashes since January 1, 2008 for a total of least $500,000.

2-Year Card Category A

• At least $2 million in adjusted lifetime tournament earnings, with a maximum of $1 million counting from any single tournament.
• At least one major lifetime title.
• At least six cashes since January 1, 2008 for a total of least $300,000.

2-Year Card Category B

• At least $1.25 million in adjusted lifetime tournament earnings, with a maximum of $750,000 counting from any single tournament.
• At least nine cashes since January 1, 2008 for a total of least $600,000.

Qualifying tournaments must be open to the public and must have a buy-in of at least $1,500, be announced at least 30 days in advance, and field at least 21 players.

Adjusted lifetime earnings simply meanings that lifetime tournament earnings may be reduced if winnings from a single tournament exceed the cap listed for the applicable card level.

“Major” titles include:

• WSOP Las Vegas and WSOP Europe open event with a buy-in of $1,500 or more
• WSOP Circuit Main Event with a buy-in of $5,000 or more
• WPT Main Event
• NAPT Main Event
• EPT Main Event
• Aussie Millions Main Event
• British Columbia Poker Open
• European Poker Championships
• Any tournament held in 2001 or later with a buy-in of $10,000 or more and a field of 100 or more
• Any tournament held in 2000 or earlier with a buy-in of $5,000 or more and a field of 100 or more
• Any FS&G Main Event

After the numbers were crunched, here are the 218 players who have been granted membership cards for the 2011-2012 season of the FS&G poker league:
James Akenhead – 2 Year B
Daniel Alaei – 5 Year
Patrik Antonius – 2 Year A
Josh Arieh – 3 Year
David Bach – 2 Year A
David Baker – 2 Year B
David Baker – 2 Year B
Eric Baldwin – 3 Year
Praz Bansi – 2 Year A
Jose Ignacio Barbero – 2 Year B
Allen Bari – 2 Year B
Isaac Baron – 2 Year B
Christopher Bell – 3 Year
David Benyamine – 3 Year
Steve Billirakis – 2 Year B
Mike Binger – 3 Year
Nick Binger – 2 Year B
Chris Bjorin – 3 Year
Andy Bloch – 2 Year B
Salvatore Bonavena – 2 Year B
Justin Bonomo – 2 Year A
Dutch Boyd – 2 Year B
Matthew Brady – 2 Year B
Steve Brecher – 2 Year A
Humberto Brenes – 2 Year A
Chad Brown – 2 Year B
Doyle Brunson – 2 Year A
Shawn Buchanan – 3 Year
Eric Buchman – 3 Year
Olivier    Busquet – 2 Year A
Erik Cajelais – 2 Year A
Brandon Cantu – 3 Year
John Cernuto – 3 Year
Johnny Chan – 5 Year
Neil Channing     – 2 Year B
Andrew Chen – 2 Year B
David Chiu – 5 Year
Cornel Cimpan – 3 Year
Scott Clements – 5 Year
Hoyt Corkins – 5 Year
Allen Cunningham – 5 Year
David Daneshgar – 2 Year A
Roland De Wolfe – 5 Year
Kassem (Freddy) Deeb – 5 Year
Ivan Demidov – 2 Year B
Jason DeWitt – 2 Year B
Quinn Do – 2 Year A
Annie Duke – 2 Year A
Tom Dwan – 2 Year B
Peter Eastgate – 3 Year
Mike Ellis – 2 Year B
Antonio Esfandiari – 3 Year
Chris Ferguson – 5 Year
Amnon Filippi – 2 Year B
Layne Flack – 3 Year
Randall Flowers – 2 Year B
Ted Forrest – 2 Year A
Jimmy Fricke – 2 Year B
Eric Froehlich – 2 Year B
Chau Giang – 3 Year
Matthew Glantz – 2 Year B
Alexandre Gomes – 3 Year
Matthew Graham – 2 Year B
Barry Greenstein – 5 Year
Gavin Griffin – 2 Year A
Dmitry Gromov – 2 Year B
Bertrand Grospellier – 3 Year
Antanas (Tony) Guoga – 3 Year
Hasan Habib – 3 Year
Joe Hachem – 3 Year
Roger Hairabedian – 2 Year A
Dean Hamrick – 2 Year B
Gus Hansen – 2 Year A
Christian Harder – 2 Year B
Jennifer Harman – 2 Year A
Isaac Haxton – 2 Year B
Dan Heimiller – 2 Year A
Phil Hellmuth – 5 Year
Juha Helppi – 2 Year B
Rob Hollink – 3 Year
Alessio Isaia – 2 Year B
Phil Ivey – 5 Year
Alex Jacob – 2 Year A
Fernando Jacobo – 2 Year B
Martin Per Jacobson – 2 Year B
Faraz Jaka – 2 Year B
Sirous Jamshidi – 2 Year B
Peter Jetten – 2 Year B
Marco    Johnson – 2 Year B
Theo Jørgensen – 2 Year A
John Juanda – 5 Year
John Kabbaj – 2 Year B
Mclean Karr – 2 Year B
Frank Kassela – 2 Year A
Eugene Katchalov – 3 Year
Matt Keikoan – 2 Year B
Bryn Kenney – 2 Year B
Allen Kessler – 2 Year B
Hafiz Khan – 2 Year B
Hevad Khan – 2 Year A
Davidi Kitai – 2 Year B
Chris Klodnicki – 2 Year B
Alexander Kostritsin – 3 Year
Moritz    Kranich – 2 Year A
Andreas Krause – 2 Year B
Alexander Kravchenko – 3 Year
Valdemar Kwaysser – 2 Year B
Ludovic Lacay – 2 Year B
Florian Langmann – 2 Year B
Ted Lawson – 2 Year A
Howard Lederer – 5 Year
Antony Lellouche – 2 Year B
Toto Leonidas – 3 Year
Jason Lester – 2 Year A
Adam Levy – 2 Year B
Andrew Lichtenberger – 2 Year B
Kathy Liebert – 3 Year
Erick Lindgren – 5 Year
Jeff Lisandro – 5 Year
Jonathan Little – 3 Year
Vitaly Lunkin – 3 Year
James Mackey – 2 Year B
Jeff Madsen – 3 Year
Ayaz Mahmood – 2 Year B
Amit Makhija – 2 Year B
Mihai Manole – 2 Year B
Matt Marafioti – 2 Year B
Thomas Marchese – 2 Year A
Lee Markholt – 2 Year A
Michael Martin – 2 Year A
Matt Matros – 2 Year B
Arnaud Mattern – 2 Year B
Mike Matusow – 5 Year
Mike McDonald – 3 Year
Nenad Medic – 3 Year
Jason Mercier – 3 Year
Dario Minieri – 2 Year B
Michael Mizrachi – 5 Year
Robert Mizrachi – 3 Year
Sorel Mizzi – 2 Year B
Will Molson – 2 Year B
Scott Montgomery – 2 Year B
Chris Moore – 2 Year B
Carlos Mortensen – 5 Year
Greg Mueller – 2 Year B
Daniel Negreanu – 5 Year
Men Nguyen – 5 Year
Scotty Nguyen – 5 Year
Annette Obrestad – 3 Year
Luca Pagano – 2 Year B
Jeffrey Papola – 2 Year B
John Brock Parker – 2 Year B
Jean-Paul Pasqualini – 2 Year B
Ralph Perry – 3 Year
Max Pescatori – 2 Year A
David Pham – 3 Year
Thang Pham – 2 Year A
John Phan – 5 Year
Carter Phillips – 2 Year B
Dwyte Pilgrim – 2 Year B
John Racener – 3 Year
Vivek Rajkumar – 3 Year
Annand (Victor) Ramdin – 3 Year
Greg Raymer – 2 Year A
Tobias Reinkemeier – 2 Year B
David (Chino)    Rheem – 3 Year
Claudio Rinaldi – 2 Year B
Andrew Robl – 2 Year B
Blair Rodman – 2 Year A
Roberto Romanello – 2 Year B
Farzad Rouhani – 2 Year B
Vanessa Rousso – 2 Year B
Sebastian Ruthenberg – 3 Year
Nichlas Saarisilta – 2 Year B
Nick Schulman – 3 Year
Noah Schwartz – 2 Year B
Huck Seed – 5 Year
Erik Seidel – 5 Year
Scott Seiver – 2 Year A
Vanessa Selbst – 5 year
Daniel Shak – 2 Year B
Soheil Shamseddin – 2 Year B
Shannon Shorr – 3 Year
Barry Shulman – 3 Year
David Singer – 3 Year
Gavin Smith – 3 Year
Jordan Smith – 2 Year B
Justin Smith – 2 Year B
Marty Smyth – 2 Year A
Fabrice Soulier – 2 Year B
Mike Sowers – 2 Year B
David Steicke – 2 Year B
Samuel Stein – 2 Year B
Johan Storakers – 2 Year B
Surinder Sunar – 3 Year
Steve Sung – 2 Year B
Joe Tehan – 3 Year
Mark Teltscher – 2 Year A
Todd Terry – 2 Year B
Julian Thew – 2 Year B
Nam Thien Le – 3 Year
William Thorson – 2 Year B
Yevgeniy Timoshenko – 3 Year
Alec Torelli – 2 Year B
JC Tran – 5 Year
Sam Trickett – 2 Year B
Michael Tureniec – 2 Year A
Dave Ulliott – 3 Year
James Van Alstyne – 3 Year
Tommy Vedes – 2 Year B
Ville Wahlbeck – 2 Year B
Lee Watkinson – 3 Year
Michael Watson – 3 Year
Mike Wattel – 2 Year B
Timothy West – 2 Year B
David Williams – 3 Year
Justin Young – 2 Year B
Ryan Young – 2 Year B

Each Main event will feature a $400,000 guaranteed prize pool and the the Championship event will feature a $1 million prize pool.  The four Main Events will run August 9-12, September 6-9, December 14-18, and February 9-12.  Each will be preceded during the week by a Pro-Am tournament and a Charity event.  The Championship will take place February 13-14.

In addition to Annie Duke, FS&G’s leadership includes former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack as Chairman as well as former top brass of YouBet.com David Goldberg, Michael Brodsky, Jeffrey Grosman, and Eric Faulkner.