According to the Global Poker Index that is updated weekly Jason Mercier was placed on top at position #1 in August and as of September has held ground at position #2. At 24 years of age this poker Pro has 12 first place finishings including 2 World Series of Poker bracelets, a European Poker Tour Title, and a WCOOP bracelet.In 2009 Mercier was named Player of the Year by Bluff Magazine.

This Israeli semi professional poker player made his name abruptly in 2005 when he won his first World Series of Poker bracelet. Relatively unknown at this time he made it into the headlines of USA Today.

What made some sparks in that World Series of Poker Tournament was his penalty for swearing at the table. He was the first player to ever incur a penalty for swearing at a WSOP final and had to sit out for 10 minutes watching nearly $200,000 of his chips get swiped away by Vinn Vinh.

Unfortunately this talent led the university to revoke his scholarship whereupon he began attending a local college, coaching kids’ sports, substitute teaching and polishing his skills in the world of Poker. Las Vegas Poker Tournaments

Interestingly he traditionally kept to the live Cash games, especially the WSOP where he has won 8 cashes besides the two bracelets. Just in 2006 he cashed in six events. Most of his winnings have been at the Omaha events. Nevertheless his 2007 World Series of Poker bracelet was won at a 2 - 7 Triple - Draw Lowball event. Recently he has proved skill on online playing as he hasn’t won any live titles for 4 years but is the biggest winner of 2011 so far.

Coming from a close-knit family in Israel he once expressed in a USA Today article how his poker playing was not well accepted saying that poker playing in Israel was like drug dealing. Since he has proven himself successful at the table and wasn’t throwing his money away as his family originally feared they now see him a a businessman at the tables.

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