Natasha Mercier’s WSOP Paradise $25K Super Main Event Ends After Brutal River

On Thursday, the ultimate desk of the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Paradise $25,000 Tremendous Major Occasion acquired underway, and one of many favorites on the desk was Natasha Mercier, who sat down with the third-largest stack.

Mercier had household and mates readily available, together with her husband, future Poker Corridor of Famer Jason Mercier, as she entered her fourth profession WSOP last desk. Her run was paying homage to Liv Boeree’s fourth-place in final 12 months’s WSOP Paradise Tremendous Major Occasion, and Mercier had the possibility to eclipse that mark.

Sadly for Mercier, she fell two spots wanting tying Boeree when she bowed out in sixth place after shedding back-to-back arms, together with one to a brutal river card. She obtained $1.8M for her deep run.

“The previous 5 days have been full of feelings,” Mercier instructed PokerNews afterward. “Day 1 was fairly uneventful, however as the times glided by, the sector was getting harder on daily basis and the stakes larger. First you’re grinding $10k pay jumps and subsequent factor you realize it’s $100k, after which it’s one million.”

Mercier’s fast downfall was initially reported by PokerNews’ Josh Noy.

Within the first hand, it was Degree 36 (3,000,000/6,000,000/6,000,000) when Terrance Reid opened to 12,000,000 on the button, and Mercier moved all in for 110,000,000 within the huge blind. Reid made the decision for all of his chips, and the arms have been turned up.

Terrance Reid: A♦J♠Natasha Mercier: A♥8♣

Reid’s jack kicker held by way of the A♣4♣7♥Q♥3♣ runout, doubling his stack whereas leaving Mercier with simply three huge blinds.

Within the very subsequent hand, Reid opened to 12,000,000 within the cutoff, and Mercier moved her quick stack of 17,000,000 into the center from the small blind. Jean-Noel Thorel took a while earlier than three-betting to 50,000,000 within the huge blind.

Reid acquired out of the way in which, and the playing cards have been turned up.

Natasha Mercier: A♥Q♠Jean-Noel Thorel: Ok♦8♦

Each gamers missed the ten♣2♥9♣ flop, whereas Mercier related with the Q♣ flip. The group gasped as Thorel spiked the Ok♣ river, ending Mercier’s run in sixth place.

Balancing poker with motherhood has grow to be a defining a part of Mercier’s profession, and she or he admitted the size of elite tournaments nonetheless takes an emotional toll. “I all the time wish to play,” she mentioned. “However tournaments this good are so lengthy, and it hurts me to be away from my little boys each time. Poker comes second.”

“My eight-year-old, who by no means needs me to go away city, all of a sudden had a coronary heart assault realizing I deliberate to purchase in late,” she mentioned. “He principally begged me to go away Sunday morning and instructed me I needed to play this event on time. I don’t know the way it works, however one thing utterly unexplainable occurred.”

Mercier additionally gave a brief post-elimination interview with Jeff Platt through which she shared that she was anxious to get residence to her youngsters, which she’ll be doing $1.8 million richer.

Right here’s a take a look at the remaining payouts within the event:

PR & Media Supervisor for PokerNews, host of each the PokerNews Podcast & MPST Podcast Introduced By PokerNews, and 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.