Recently in Isabelle Mercier Category

It's rare to see Isabelle Mercier disappear from the World Series. If it happens, it's generally her time to catch some R&R at the Bellagio. She generally reappears within a couple of days, tanned and clutching a cup of coffee. When she vanished a couple of weeks ago, though, she didn't come back in short order.

Isabelle's mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors performed a lumpectomy while the Series played out in Vegas. Mercier rushed home to be by her mother's side. Whether No Mercy would make it back to Vegas in time to play in her favorite event was unclear. Nothing was clear--whether Mercier would see Vegas again this summer, how her mother would come out of the surgery, or what would come next.

"She was so strong," Mercier said.

Isabelle's mother is a buoyant woman. It's not uncommon to see her alongside Isabelle as she strides through casino hallways. It's clear, mother and daughter are best friends. It seemed impossible Isabelle would be able to play in any tournament, let alone the $50,000 HORSE event.

But, Isabelle's mom recovered from her surgery quickly. What's more, she wanted her daughter to play in this important event. A few nights ago, Isabelle's mom entered a HORSE tournament on PokerStars and made the final table.

"She practiced for me," Isabelle said with a small smile.

And so, Isabelle arrived here looking determined as she sat down in the $50,000 HORSE event. Her mother was strong, Isabelle said, and that gave No Mercy strength as well.

The PokerStars family is no stranger to struggles with cancer. By now, few people are unaware of Gavin Griffin's crusade against the disease. His girlfriend is a survivor and they both work to raise money to search for a cure.

Today was supposed to be an important day. Isabelle was waiting to learn from doctors if the cancer had spread any further than the lump. If it had, there was no doubting where Isabelle's mind, and likely her luggage would be.

She finished Day 1 of the HORSE event with a good stack and waited for the call this morning. Her mother eventually told her the appointment had been moved until Monday.

"I didn't believe her," Isabelle said.

See, Monday is the day after the final table of the $50,000 HORSE event. A suspicious person, say a female poker player named Isabelle, might think Isabelle's mom was sheltering her from bad news. Isabelle only believed after her mother handed over the doctor's name and phone number.

Now, Isabelle sits at table #17 with a look so determined, you'd think she was already at the final table. She has a better than average chip-stack and an eye to go deep. Her mother, though, is never far from her mind.

"I am playing this for her, 100%," she said.

For more from Isabelle on this event, check out the video blog below.

Back at the PokerStars.com EPT San Remo Johannes Strassmann scribbled his way through day one, day two and was the last player eliminated on day three in ninth place, a fly’s wing distance from his second final table of season four. The notes, he told me, were because he wants to keep improving on his 23rd here in Monte Carlo last year, his sixth place at EPT Dortmund and ninth in San Remo.

It seems the notes are working then and he’s doing the same here. It’s no piece of scrap paper or back of a napkin. This thing is a leather bound folio... and a nice pen.

Today he sits opposite Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier, fingers loaded with sparkling rings, decked as she is in black clothes and black cap emblazoned with the word “Faith”, blond hair flowing from it.

She’s in a hand when I pass by, a board fully dealt that shows four diamonds. Isabelle made it 2,500 on the turn with the player to her immediate left to act. He called. When a fourth diamond came on the river, she checked and waited, a Blue Gin (the name of the bar at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel) plastic ice cube as her card protector flashing blue lights in front of her.

There’s a bet now from her opponent now, a single 5,000 white chip on the felt. Her foe quietly annouces his bet, putting the focus back on Isabelle. But Isabelle is a top player and knows her options are limited. Her opponent cas committed himself to the pot. She folds, looks up into the rafters for a second and mouths a few words to herself, with 10k or so left in front of her.

A few tables away the words “Ivey’s done “pretty much sum up Phil Ivey’s day. A few minutes earlier he’d been getting a massage, now he was settling the bill, picking up his coat and leaving the tournament room.
Johannes makes a bet pre-flop bet, gets called by the player in seat nine and they see a flop of 7-4-T. Johannes makes it 1,200, called, and both check the king on the turn.

Johannes stays still through all this, each time he places his chips in the pot he leaves his hand there for a while. Then he makes it 2,200 after the river brings a nine. Again no movement and his hand stays in front of him, half in, half out of the pot.

“Call.”

Johannes shows his pocket queens and watches his opponent for some sign of victory or defeat. He knows the longer that takes the more likely this hand to have a happy ending. It does, he back up to 14k and has a few more lines for the notebook.