A new professional poker league is set to launch in late 2011 and several prominent names in the community have taken significant roles in the organization.
The formation of the yet-to-be-titled poker league was announced this morning by an organization called Federated Sports and Gaming, which was organized last year and is headed by former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, Michael Brodsky, David Goldberg, and Jeffrey Grosman. The latter three were the brains behind Youbet.com, one of the top online horse racing betting sites that was recently purchased by the famed Churchill Downs racetrack.
The league will feature three different tournaments, to be played at the league’s home base at the Palms in Las Vegas, from August to December of this year. Its fourth event, the league’s first Championship, will be held next January. Federated Sports and Gaming is currently in discussions for a television deal for the new poker league, but no firm details have been announced.
The league will bring together 200 of the finest poker players in the world, much like the Professional Golf Association does with its tournaments. The players who will be eligible for participation would be determined by a rankings system that not only looks at current performance, but also takes into account historical background and achievement.
Players will earn a “tour card” with two, three, or five-year eligibility standards and a select number will earn a “lifetime” exemption for their career performance. Although there isn’t word on the new poker league’s buy-ins, Federated Sports and Gaming has stated that the events will be rake-free and will have overlays beyond any prize pool generated.
Federated Sports and Gaming named defending National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke as its Commissioner. “A unified league is something we have been talking about in the industry for years and I’m really looking forward to bringing this vision to life,” the former UB.com pro commented.
Previous attempts at forming a professional poker venture such as this have been difficult at best. In 2005, the World Poker Tour (WPT) attempted to expand its brand through the creation of the Professional Poker Tour (PPT), which had an eligibility format similar to that of the new Federated Sports league. Players earned entry into $225,000 freeroll tournaments through their performance on the felt and by invitation. Many in the poker community met the initial five-tournament schedule with excitement, as the televised broadcasts presented the entire tournament rather than just the final table.
In the five events held on the PPT, John Juanda, Erick Lindgren, Tom McEvoy, Lee Markholt, and Ted Forrest defeated final tables with pros like Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, Hoyt Corkins, and former Main Event champions Dan Harrington and Doyle Brunson. The PPT became a pawn, however, in the battle between WPT Enterprises and the Travel Channel over broadcasting rights and a second season never came to fruition.
The inaugural event for World Team Poker, featuring top professionals competing in a team format for their countries, was held last May and seemed to be highly successful. Team China, with captain Johnny Chan and pros like Chau Giang, David Chiu, and Maria Ho won the first title and buzz immediately began for another event. A second tournament was planned for the end of 2010, but never occurred.
For many in the poker community, the time is long overdue for such a poker league. “It has been a long time coming for a poker league on par with other professional sports,” said Erik Seidel, eight-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and 2010 Hall of Fame inductee. “I am looking forward to true excellence in the game being rewarded.”
Pollack backed up both his new league commissioner Duke and Seidel’s statements: “I’ve long believed that the top professional poker players create enormous value for the industry and are skilled in a way that is worthy of star treatment. Our new league will celebrate poker professionals like never before and provide a tournament experience at the Palms that is first-class at every turn.”