Jason Mercier Wins NAPT Mohegan Sun High Roller Bounty ShootoutThe Team PokerStars pro Takes Home the Top Prize Worth $350,000 and he also claimed Seven Bounties |
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The final table contestants in the PokerStars North American Poker Tour Mohegan Sun $25,000 high roller bounty shootout took their seats at noon EDT today and both the NAPT Live and ESPN cameras were rolling to capture the action. What they saw was one of the most exciting final tables of the year. Team PokerStars pro Jason Mercier (pictured right) dominated play early at the final table, but Sam Stein rose up to challenge him in a heads-up final that lasted four hours. There were three exciting all-in hands played between the final two and in the end Mercier hit hands when he needed to and won the tournament on a fun day of poker in Connecticut.
Here is a look at how much money the players had won in the tournament when the final table began:
Shawn Buchanan, Canada – $80,000 ($60,000 table; $20,000 bounties)
Faraz Jaka, USA – $75,000 ($60,000 table; $15,000 bounties)
Jason Mercier, Team PokerStars USA – $75,000 ($60,000 table; $15,000 bounties)
Sam Stein, USA – $75,000 ($60,000 table; $15,000 bounties)
Luis Vazquez, USA – $70,000 ($50,000 table; $20,000 bounties)
Matt Glantz, USA – $70,000 ($60,000 table; $10,000 bounties)
The final contestants in the event had survived from a field of 35 on the first day. Everyone started from scratch with a chip stack worth 150,000 on day 2 and blinds began at 600-1,200 with a 100 ante. Each player had a $5,000 ante on their head when play began and all of them had an equal opportunity to win the top prize worth $350,000.
As you might have guessed with the impressive group of players that started the day, the quality of play was excellent at the final table. Faraz Jaka bluffed Luis Vazquez early on a Q-J-5-J-6 board when he reraised to 81,000 after Vazquez bet 19,000. Vazquez mucked A-J and Jaka turned over the 3
as he collected the pot.
This gave Jaka an early lead but Mercier later took it off his hands. Mercier four-bet preflop, making it 20,200 and Jaka made the call before their real confrontation took place. A flop of J
6
3 was dealt and Mercier bet 28,400 under the gun. Jaka raised to 50,000 and Mercier reraised all in. Jaka mucked and Mercier grew his stack to 221,400. Jaka was left with 167,100 after the hand.
Vazquez then doubled up through Jaka to extend six-handed play past the two-hour mark. Vazquez wasn’t so lucky the next time he moved all in with 10 5 in the hole on a flop of 10 7 4. Jaka made the call with K 10 and the turn and river brought the 9 and the A. Vazquez was eliminated in sixth place and he won a total of $70,000 in the event.
Shawn Buchanan was the next player to fall in fifth place. He moved all in with the lead, holding Q 10 in the hole on a Q 10 4 flop, but it was short lived. Mercier held K 3 and he hit a fourth club on the river to win the hand. Buchanan left with $80,000 in winnings for the tournament. Matt Glantz picked an unfortunate time to move all in with pocket tens preflop an hour later because Mercier held pocket queens and he made the call. The board changed nothing and Glantz was eliminated in fourth place. He won $70,000 during his run at the tournament. Mercier’s chip lead grew to 420,000 after the hand.
Stein was able to catch up to Mercier a few hands later when he made aces full. Stein bet 9,300 on a flop of A Q 4 and Mercier made the call. The turn fell 4, Stein bet 17,100 and Mercier called again. The river fell 2 and this time Stein fired out 36,700. Mercier made the call and Stein turned over A A
for a full house. Mercier mucked and his stack stood at 369,000 after the hand. Stein collected the pot to grow his stack to 324,000.
Mercier regained his momentum and captured his sixth bounty when he eliminated Faraz Jaka in third place a short time later. Mercier raised to 6,900 preflop from the button and Jaka reraised all in for 71,400 from the small blind. Mercier made the call and they flipped over their cards:
Mercier: A 7
Jaka: A K
Board: J 10 7 9 J
Mercier won the hand with two pair, jacks and sevens, and Jaka exited the field. Jaka earned $80,000 during his stay at the event. Mercier clinched the title of bounty hunter with the elimination and he will get a free seat at the next high roller bounty shootout hosted at a NAPT event.
Heads-Up Chip Counts:
Jason Mercier: 468,300
Sam Stein: 406,700
Things started out even in the heads-up final and they remained that way for the first hour of the match before Mercier started to pull away. That was until Stein moved all in on an 8-6-5-8 board with 9-7 in the hole and Mercier made the call with 7-3. The river brought a 3 and Stein doubled up to 520,000 to take the chip lead. Mercier then spent the next hour pulling back to even and by the time the dinner break rolled around he had accomplished the feat.
Dinner Break Chip Counts:
Jason Mercier: 449,000
Sam Stein: 426,000
Stein caught fire after dinner and played a strong game to jump into the lead. Things then took a peculiar turn as the players played a chopped pot not once but twice before Mercier moved all in preflop with K 10. Stein made the call with A Q and the board ran out A J 2 5 Q. Mercier made a Broadway straight on the final card and he doubled up to survive with 300,000.
Twenty minutes later Mercier was all in once again preflop. This time he pinned his hopes on pocket threes and Stein held A J. The board ran out J 6 2 4 5 and Mercier doubled up once again on a dramatic river card that made him a tournament-saving straight. This time he doubled up to 872,000 and Stein was crippled with just 13,000. Stein was able to double up once, but he was still low in chips and he was forced to call all in with 9 3 in the hole. Mercier had put him all in with 10 6 in the hole and the board was dealt K 8 4 K 2.
Stein was eliminated in second place and he won $75,000 during his deep run in this exciting event. Mercier was the champion and he was awarded the top prize worth $350,000. He won $450,000 in all thanks to his victory in round one and the seven bounties that he claimed during the course of the tournament.
Final-Table Results:
1st: Jason Mercier — $450,000 (7 bounties)
2nd: Sam Stein — $75,000 (3 bounties)
3rd: Faraz Jaka — $80,000 (4 bounties)
4th: Matt Glantz — $70,000 (2 bounties)
5th: Shawn Buchanan — $80,000 (4 bounties)
6th: Luis Vazquez — $70,000 (4 bounties)
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