A GREAT VICTORY at the Turning Stone summer event saw Rhode Island$B!G(Js Mike Dechaine leap frog Dennis Hatch to put himself in position to grab one of the two automatic qualifying spots on Team USA at the 2012 PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup.
Dechaine is now second, trailing a dominant Shane Van Boening who is a racing certainty to make his sixth Mosconi Cup appearance when the event takes place at the York Hall, London from 10th - 13th December.
Other players in the mix are potential debutants Brandon Shuff (#4) and Stevie Moore (#5). Both had sufficiently high finishes at Turning Stone to propel them into the reckoning.
Further down the ranking at 11th spot, veteran Johnny Archer will need a very big finish at the final event in the series - October$B!G(Js US Open - if he is to maintain his unbroken run of 14 successive Mosconi appearances.
With the top two positions guaranteed, there are still plenty of players in contention and nerves will be frayed at Chesapeake Bay.
Points in the series are allocated as per the BCA Points List and each event is weighted depending on total purse, size of field and number of top-ranked players competing.
Only players finishing in the last 32 of each event will be allocated points and at the conclusion, after the 2012 US Open, the top two players will automatically gain entry to the Mosconi Cup side.
The remaining three players will be Matchroom Sport wildcard picks although the ranking will play a part in this.
The Ranking
1. ( - ) Shane Van Boening 367.5
2. ($B",(J1) Mike Dechaine 342
3. ($B"-(J1) Dennis Hatch 233
4. ($B",(J4) Brandon Shuff 215
5. ($B"-(J1) Stevie Moore 212
6. ($B"-(J1) Rodney Morris 204
7. ( - ) Oscar Dominguez 179.5
8. ($B"-(J2) Mike Davis 174.5
9. ($B",(J10) Shawn Putnam 170
10. ($B"-(J1) Corey Deuel 149
11. ($B",(J2) Johnny Archer 127
12. ($B",(J12) Jeremy Sossei 98.5
T13. ($B",(J13) Hunter Lombardo 88.5
T13. ($B"-(J3) Earl Strickland 88.5
15. ($B"-(J4) Louis Ulrich 85
Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com
Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world$B!G(Js leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,000 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the Mosconi Cup is one of a stable of pool events that include the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters.