Here is a good question that was asked to Isabelle Mercier


Q.I am an online player who is looking to make the jump to live tournaments. What advice can you give me on the transition from online to live play?


A. The best advice I can give you is to work on your concentration. It is very hard to play live tournaments for up to 12 hours a day, several days in a row. It is difficult to keep your focus during every hand. It is easy to get distracted or think about something else during the tournament, and you should never let this happen. The key is to play every single hand the best that you can, stay focused the whole way, and observe your opponents continually even when you are not in the hand.


Poker is a game of information, and live play gives you so many opportunities to gather information on your opponents, information that will help you make the right decisions. Also, I strongly recommended doing physical training on a regular basis to help withstand the fatigue you feel when playing for long
hours.


Best of luck to you at the tables!


Isabelle Mercier

Team PokerStars


To play online click HERE

Isabelle Mercier Eliminated at the WPT Invitational poker tournament.


Allen Kessler doubled through Humberto Brenes, taking Kessler to $95,000, and dropping Humberto to $80,000.


Then Herman Zango was all in with Ac-10c against Lee Watkinson's Ks-2s. The board came Jd-7d-4s-7h-5s, and Zango doubled up to about $90,000, while Watkinson is down to $57,000.


Audrey Kania raises preflop, and Isabelle Mercier moves all in for $97,000 more. Audrey thinks for several minutes before calling with Ah-Jh. Isabelle sighs and shows pocket tens (10c-10h).


The flop comes Kc-Qh-8h, and Isabelle still leads, but Audrey picks up a ton of outs with two overcards, a flush draw, and a gut-shot straight draw. Isabelle no longer wants a ten, because it would give Audrey that straight; Isabelle is rooting for blanks.


The turn card is the 4c, and Isabelle is still ahead. She asks for the two of diamonds on the river.


The time is 10:46 pm, and the river card is the Jc. Audrey makes a pair of jacks on the river to beat Isabelle's pocket tens. Isabelle Mercier is eliminated in 19th place.


Isabelle congratulates Audrey as a few other players at the table jokingly call Audrey the "River Queen." Isabelle drapes her black sweater over her head and slowly walks out of the tournament area.


Audrey Kania picks up a lot of chips, and she now has about $350,000. With 18 players remaining, we are down to the final two tables.



reported by B J Nemeth at Poker Pages

Eight players are left for the money and they will take their seats soon to discover the winner of €480,000 first prize. That player will also receive a €10,000 buy-in into next month's EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. It's a prize worth winning.

Final Table at the European Poker Tour 2006


Ram Vaswani (Eng) 1,191,500

Isabelle Mercier (Can) 428,000
Mark Boudewijn (Hol) 911,500

Kirill Gerasamov (Rus) 215,000
Patric Martensson (Swe) 291,000

Stuart Nash (Eng) 125,500
Theo Jorgensen (Den) 809,500

Mats Iremark (Swe) 397,000


They appear in seat order, with the number by their name their chip count. Ram Vaswani is ahead at the moment, with Stuart Nash the short stack. This is what they are playing for:


1 - €480.000 (plus €10,000 buy-in into EPT Grand final in Monte Carlo)
2 - €259.000

3 - €155.300
4 - €118.500

5 - €97.700
6 - €76.800

7 - €60.800
8 - €43.500



reported by Howard Swain at Pokerstars

The final table for tomorrow's EPT French Open in Deauville will feature the following:


Ram Vaswani (Eng) 1,191,500
Isabelle Mercier (Can) 428,000

Mark Boudewijn (Hol) 911,500
Kirill Gerasimov (Rus) 215,000

Patric Martensson (Swe) 291,000
Stuart Nash (Eng) 125,500

Theo Jorgensen (Den) 809,500
Mats Iremark (Swe) 397,000


They will play for the following money:


1 - €480.000 (plus €10,000 buy-in into EPT Grand final in Monte Carlo)

2 - €259.000
3 - €155.300

4 - €118.500
5 - €97.700

6 - €76.800
7 - €60.800

8 - €43.500




reported by Howard Swain at Pokerstars

Isabelle Mercier knocks out Micky Wernick to make the final eight at the Pokerstars European Poker Tour