EPT San Remo Champ Mercier Overcomes Hometown Favorite Minieri

Filed in archive Tournament News on April 7, 2008

I was already for the post title "Super Dario World" in case the formidable Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri had used his final table chip lead of the European Poker Tour San Remo event to nail down his first EPT victory. Despite having no correlation to the lovable Nintendo plumber except the Italian part, Dario worked his chips aggressively to get the lead, and got the big call from eventual champion PokerStars Qualifier Jason Mercier while he led. But, unfortunately Mercier's flush draw with a overcard outdrew Dario's overpair of Queens when a third diamond hit the river sending the hometown favorite to the rail.

As PokerStarBlog writer Stephen Bartley reports of the tournament changing hand:

Dario looked worried. He was ahead but not as far as he'd like to have been, showing pocket queens to Mercier's A-4 of diamonds. There were two diamonds on the flop but also the threat of an ace. The turn added to that, a four of hearts. With the appropriate dramatic pause for television, the crowds and enough tension to bring the players to their knees, the river card was dealt - a three of diamonds and a flush for Mercier. Sudden elimination for Dario Minieri.
The crowd made a noise, kind of the exact opposite of a loud roar. Suspended in disbelief the colour drained from Dario's face as behind him his friend Luca Pagano looked the same. From a sense of jubilee at the start today to a horrid anti-climax, the Italian dream of a home winner was over and it had catapulted Jason Mercier into a position of total domination. The shock of the week, the shock of the season.

Mercier would take his nearly 4:1 chip lead into heads up play versus Antony Lellouche and come out victorious in just two hands after they got in all-in on a coin flip when Mercier's AQ found a lady on the flop and Lellouche's sevens didn't catch back up.

For the recap of the tourney, go check out PokerStarsBlog.com or the EPT website for details on the upcoming Grand Finale in Monte Carlo.