<s>
LearnedLeague	B-Application
is	O
a	O
web-based	O
,	O
invitation-only	O
global	O
quiz	O
league	O
operated	O
by	O
Seattle-based	O
software	O
engineer	O
Shayne	O
Bushfield	O
under	O
the	O
pseudonym	O
"	O
Thorsten	O
A	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
top	O
players	O
in	O
each	O
league	O
compete	O
annually	O
for	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
LearnedLeague	B-Application
Champion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiday	O
competitions	O
,	O
called	O
"	O
MiniLeagues	O
"	O
,	O
are	O
run	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
manner	O
to	O
regular	O
LearnedLeague	B-Application
seasons	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
lieu	O
of	O
rundles	O
,	O
players	O
are	O
assigned	O
to	O
ad	O
hoc	O
groups	O
of	O
12	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
LearnedLeague	B-Application
Championship	O
is	O
an	O
annual	O
competition	O
between	O
the	O
top	O
competitors	O
of	O
each	O
league	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
regular	O
LearnedLeague	B-Application
gameplay	O
,	O
the	O
championship	O
sets	O
are	O
proctored	O
on	O
a	O
web	O
communication	O
platform	O
such	O
as	O
Google	B-Protocol
Meet	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
have	O
a	O
shorter	O
timeframe	O
to	O
answer	O
and	O
money	O
the	O
questions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
LearnedLeague	B-Application
players	O
are	O
prohibited	O
by	O
an	O
honor	O
code	O
from	O
looking	O
up	O
answers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
cheating	O
and	O
repeated	O
forfeiting	O
are	O
grounds	O
for	O
expulsion	O
from	O
LearnedLeague	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
players	O
can	O
join	O
LearnedLeague	B-Application
only	O
if	O
they	O
are	O
referred	O
by	O
current	O
members	O
in	O
good	O
standing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
champion	O
and	O
host	O
Ken	O
Jennings	O
,	O
Game	B-Application
of	I-Application
Thrones	I-Application
showrunner	O
David	O
Benioff	O
,	O
musician	O
Jackie	O
Fox	O
,	O
actor	O
Guy	O
Branum	O
,	O
Rotisserie	O
League	O
Baseball	O
inventor	O
Daniel	O
Okrent	O
,	O
writer	O
Anna	O
Quindlen	O
,	O
politician	O
and	O
former	O
White	O
House	O
Chief	O
of	O
Staff	O
Mick	O
Mulvaney	O
,	O
economist	O
Steven	O
Levitt	O
,	O
and	O
journalist	O
Dylan	O
Matthews	O
.	O
</s>
