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Isabelle Mercier: A Constant Search for Self-Improvement

by Conrad Brunner |  Published: Sep 01, 2006

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When Isabelle Mercier made the final table of the $5,000 no-limit hold'em event at the World Series of Poker, I gave PokerStars marketing director Rich Korbin a call. I wanted to congratulate him on the smart piece of talent-spotting he'd made two years ago. In 2004, Rich was at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, where his friend Sharon Goldman was among the contestants in the World Poker Tour Ladies Night event.



"There were some good players at the table, including Sharon, Clonie Gowen, Cyndy Violette, and Wendeen Eolis. I don't want to say anything against those ladies," said Rich, picking his words carefully, "but Isabelle Mercier just went right through that table. I'm telling you, she made it look easy. She steamrollered it. It was one of those games where you had to see the TV show afterward, because you could just swear that Isabelle was holding aces or kings every hand. That was the way she played."



Rich never mentioned how great she looked, her Canadian/European appeal, or her excellent reputation as the cardroom manager at the Aviation Club in Paris. All he wanted to talk about was the way she played poker. And as the winner of a WSOP bracelet in 2001, Rich knows a class act when he sees one.



Rich introduced himself to Isabelle afterward and gave her his card, an encounter that eventually led to the Canadian signing a sponsorship deal with PokerStars. "Believe me, I got lucky. I could see she was a poker player, but I had no idea what a strong personality she had, or quite how much attention she would attract. There are plenty of good players out there, but Isabelle's communication skills are world-class. She has never been the kind of sponsored player who just wears the logo and plays poker."



The only concern Rich had was her name. He worried that "Isabelle" sounded a bit odd, a bit old-fashioned, a bit European. But after two years, her name is no longer an issue. After the three world champions, she is the most sought after PokerStar personality, the subject of countless media requests, magazine profiles, and glossy front covers. There's no question, Isabelle sells. The talent and the looks are obvious attractions, but there is a sense of authenticity to her that the press finds rather fresh and inspiring. This is the girl who quit her job, sold all of her possessions, and decided to live the suitcase/room-service life of a touring pro.



Why? Because she is absorbed by poker, constantly practicing, studying, and honing her skills. She is refreshingly self-critical about her own play, and continues to study actively, seeking advice from top pros such as Gus Hansen. She doesn't play superaggressive poker just to put one over on the boys, but because she is following a carefully thought-out route to tournament success. With her mental focus on the game, her burning desire to win, and her constant search for self-improvement, her total commitment to poker can make Phil Hellmuth look like a dilettante.



What's the dark side of Isabelle Mercier? At the table, she can be sharp, brusque, and downright mean. She trades insults with the best of them, and the "No Mercy" Mercier soubriquet is well-earned. Sometimes she is so consumed with winning that, when the cards go against her, she lacks the ability to detach herself from her poker performance. When, for example, Greg Raymer gets knocked out of a tournament, he rises from his seat as if he's going to fetch another soda, pausing perhaps to sign an autograph or do a TV interview. Isabelle, in contrast, typically storms away from the table with a face like thunder.



As someone who has worked with her on several occasions, I can say that these moods are fleeting. Over the course of countless photo shoots, filming sessions, and press interviews, she's been terrifically good company. She doesn't consider the duties of a sponsored player to be an outrageous imposition on her private time, but instead sees them as an important aspect of her professional life. If she is needed for any kind of media event, she'll be there, she'll be on time, and she'll give it her all.



If she sometimes allows the inevitable downswings to get to her, there have not, happily, been too many of them this year. Her table manner has lightened up as her results have improved – or is it the other way around? Isabelle made the final table at the Deauville EPT in the spring, and stormed through her heat while representing Canada at the World Cup of Poker in June. Canada finished third overall, and might have won with a couple more Isabelles on the team.



Coming so close to winning a WSOP bracelet – she eventually came in fifth at a final table featuring Marcel Luske and Phil Hellmuth – she firmly established herself in the higher rank of tournament pros and certainly gave herself more satisfaction than anything else she's achieved at the poker table. And I know that Rich got a kick out of it, too.



Conrad Brunner is head of communications, Europe at PokerStars.