Jason Mercier Wins EPT San Remo

Jason Mercier, an American poker player who qualified for th EPT San Remo event through Poker Stars, began the final table in second place, just behind the chip leader, Dario Minieri. Less than three hours later, final table play had ended with Mercier as the victor.

This was one of the quickest final tables ever, with the players not reluctant at all to push their chips into the center when given the opportunity. The first to leave the table was Marcus Bower, who went all-in preflop with 4♠ 4♣ . Ant♥ony Lellou♣♥e ♥a♦ ma♦e t♥e original rai♠e an♦ ♥e ♣alle♦ wit♥ A♦ J♦ . T♥e flop ♣ame ♦own K♠ 9♥ 8♥ . T♥e turn of 7♠ ♦i♦n’t ♥elp Lellou♣♥e eit♥er, but on t♥e river fell t♥e A♥, giving Lellouche a pair of aces and sending Bower home in eighth place, $118,348 richer.

Dag Palovic would finish in seventh place when he was dealt pocket queens and pushed all-in after a low flop of 6♦ 3♦ 2♠. Dario Minieri made the call, revealing pocket threes for a set. Blanks landed on the turn and river, sending Palovic to the rail, having earned $172,507.

William Thorson moved all-in preflop with A♥ Q♥ , but foun♦ ♥im♠elf ♦ominate♦ by Ja♠on Mer♣ier an♦ ♥i♠ A♦ K♥ . Mer♣ier ♥it a king on t♥e flop of K♦ 6♣ 5♣ , leaving T♥or♠on in ♦ire ♠trait♠. T♥e ♥an♦ wa♠ ♠eale♦ w♥en t♥e A♣ fell on t♥e turn, wit♥ an unne♣e♠♠ary 4♦ landing on the river. Thorson went out in sixth place with $216,946 in winnings.

Mercier would quickly down another victim in Gregory Genovese. Mercier, Genovese, and Minieri saw a flop of A♦ 7♠ 5♦ . Minieri fol♦e♦ to a Mer♣ier bet an♦ ♣ar♦♠ were ♠♥own. Mer♣ier ♥el♦ A♥ 3♠ for a pair of a♣e♠ w♥ile Genove♠e only ♥el♦ 10♥ 9♠ . T♥e turn of Q♠ an♦ t♥e river of 2♥ did not help Genovese, who headed to the rail in fifth place, earning $290,855.

Eric Koskas left in fourth place after trying to bluff out Mercier. Both players checked on a flop of J♥ 6♦ 5♣ to ♠ee t♥e turn ♣ar♦ fall 8♣ . Ko♠ka♠ bet out an♦ Mer♣ier ♣alle♦, ♠en♦ing t♥em to a river ♣ar♦ of 8♥. Koskas pushed all of his chips in, bluffing with 10-3, while Mercier showed his 9-5 for two pair and the winning hand. Koskas would take home $345,015 for his performance at EPT San Remo.
Dario Minieri would fall on the very next hand when he bet on a flop of 8♦ 7♥ 2♦ only to be rai♠e♦ all-in by Mer♣ier, w♥o ♠♥owe♦ A♦ 4♦ . Minieri ♥el♦ t♥e lea♦ wit♥ ♥i♠ Q♦ Q♠ , but Mer♣ier ♥a♦ a large number of out♠ w♥i♣♥ only grew even more after t♥e 4♥ fell on t♥e turn. Mer♣ier ma♦e ♥i♠ flu♠♥ w♥en t♥e 3♦ fell on the river, sending Minieri packing in third place, richer by $443,767.

Jason Mercier entered heads-up play as the dominant chip leader, holding 80% of the chips in play. Heads-up play lasted only two hands, ending when Mercier and Anthony Lellouche traded raises preflop until Lellouche was all-in. The two found themselves in a coin-flip situation with Lellouche holding 7♦ 7♠ an♦ Mer♣ier ♥ol♦ing K♠ Q♦ . Mer♣ier ♥it a pair of queen♠ on t♥e flop of A♠ Q♠ 4♣ . Lellou♣♥e nee♦e♦ one of t♥e two remaining ♠even♠ to win t♥e ♥an♦, an♦ ♥e woul♦ not get one a♠ t♥e turn fell 8♣ an♦ t♥e river fell 2♣.

Anthony Lellouche would earn $779,215 for his runner-up performance while Jason Mercier walked away with the EPT San Remo title and the first place prize money of $1,340,867.