$$ Cash 4 Seat $$

While it was a day of great glamour, drama and sportsmanship, and a day that Isabelle Mercier will remember for a long, long time having secured victory, PokerStars’ Ante Up for Africa tournament will go down in the history books for another very good reason - raising more than 250,000 euros for relief efforts in war-torn Darfur, Sudan.

On the eve of the season 5 finale of the European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo, winning money was the last thing on 40 players’ minds. Donating money - each of them the 4,000 euros entry fee - was the name of the game, a figure topped up with 100,000 euros from PokerStars.

While a host of pro players, including a great turn out of Team PokerStars Pros, provided the poker expertise, a fine group of celebrities from the tv screen, to music and sport provided the glitz that ensured this event not only raised a sizeable sum, but also raised awareness for the continuing problems in Darfur.

The field could not have been a more diverse bunch. U.S rapper Nelly sat with French rugby star Sebastian Chabal; Heroes TV star James Kyson Lee sat with Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg; and French rapper Bruno Lopez - aka Kool Shen - shared the felt with Sex in the City star Jason Lewis. And to bring a touch of royalty to the occasion, England rugby international Mike Tindall had a famous supporter on the rail - his partner Zara Phillips, the Queen’s grandaughter.

None of this, however, would take attention away from the real reason they were here to play. Isabelle Mercier, who beat former England and Manchester United footballer Teddy Sheringham heads-up after a super-tough final table, summed it up perfectly: “It was great fun to play, but overall I am very proud to have helped raise so much money.”

The event started with a glittering red carpet for the press to catch their shots of the stars. Once at the tables, they had 10,000 chips but a fast structure with blinds rising every 20 minutes. The action, unsurprisingly, was fast and furious. Among the celebs showing early promise was Liverpool FC and Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina, while Nelly and singer/songwriter The Dream were early fallers. James Kyson Lee was one of those suffering from Isabelle Mercier’s early charge: “Isabelle’s taking everyone’s chips,” he lamented. “Ah, but it’s my job,” came the quick reply.

The actor stayed around until the last two tables before losing the last of his chips to team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri - his K-10 no good against the Italian’s A-7. But he’d enjoyed his time at the tables: “I’ve done well to last this far,” said Lee. “It’s been a great experience for me - you can learn so much by just playing at the same table as these pro players.”

It was a hard lesson for so many of the celebs. Many fell early, but they were in good company - Team PokerStars Pros Joe Hachem, Peter Eastgate and Greg Raymer, all world champions, also found the rail before the business end. Three celebs, however, showed they had the guile to make it through to the final table - Sebastian Chabal, Teddy Sheringham and French sports commentator Patrick Chene found themselves on the lofty televised stage along with Tony G and a gaggle of Team Pro survivors.

Chabal, who has a fearsome reputation on the rugby field - something noted by Daniel Negreanu who could not believe rugby players played without padding - had earlier sounded a word of warning: “I was tight. I was really tight. But it doesn’t work.
I decided to be more aggressive.” And it worked.

The final table looked like this when they sat down:

Seat 1: Dario Minieri, Team PokerStars Pro, 43,400
Seat 2: John Duthie, Team PokerStars Pro, 39,000
Seat 3: Patrick Chene, 20,100
Seat 4: Sebastian Chabal, 20,300
Seat 5: Luca Pagano, Team PokerStars Pro, 41,500
Seat 6: Tony G, 18,200
Seat 7: Daniel Negreanu, Team PokerStars Pro, 151,000
Seat 8: Teddy Sheringham, 44,900
Seat 9: Isabelle Mercier, Team PokerStars Pro, 42,700

Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu had built up a commanding lead, but Sheringham and Minieri in particular were catching fast as Chabal, then John Duthie and Chene busted. Luca Pagano was next to go - increasing Sheringham’s stack in the process - and then Negreanu completed his riches to rags story going out in fifth.

Tony G went next, and then Minieri departed in third, his chips moving to Sheringam in a forlorn 10-10 v Q-Q battle, which left the ex-England football star with a 3-1 chip lead over Mercier heads-up.

It wouldn’t last long, with blinds rising super fast, the all-in move was the only one that seemed appropriate. It was cat-and-mouse stuff, but Mercier clawed back, edged ahead, then finally snatched victory when her [As][2d] held up against Sheringham’s [10s][4h].

While it would be wrong to overlook Isabelle Mercier’s win, the real winners are the charities working so hard to bring relief to Darfur, so ravaged by bloody conflict. Our thanks to all our celebrity players for helping to make the first Ante Up for Africa tournament held in Europe such a success.

We’ll leave you with Heroes star James Kyson Lee…

And if you’d like to catch up with the tournament as it unfolded you can read our Action from the tournament floor, peruse our picture gallery post, our start to the proceedings in Stars take to the tournament stage, or even our scene setter at PokerStars’ Ante Up for Africa reveals poker’s heart of gold.

Until tomorrow - or actually in just a few hours when the EPT Monte Carlo main event begins - goodnight.

by Isabelle Mercier

I’m so excited about the upcoming WCOOP, I cannot wait for this to start! I was amazed when I saw the 2008 schedule, mostly because of the 25K heads-up event, but also for my favorite one, the HORSE that is now 10K buy-in! I did really good in 2006 in the HORSE event. Back then it was 5K buy-in and I made it in 5th place, playing a really solid game, on the balcony of my hotel in Miami Beach. The conditions were perfect, it was the tournament I most wanted to win, and I was super disciplined and patient the whole time. I lost in 5th place when I was actually a favorite in the hand, but still, it was worth over $40,000.

It was a really happy day for me, because when I arrived in Miami, I went around and visit a few hotels, before I could find one that would be “conformable” enough for me to elect home and sit for 12 hours every day playing the WCOOP. When I saw suite 2001 at the Shore Club, on the last floor of the hotel, over two stories with a kilometer long balcony overlooking the ocean, not to mention the steam shower room and Olympic Jacuzzi to go along with it, I knew I had found my place. But it was so, so expensive that I was hesitant. Then after a quick thinking, I decided that I needed these optimal conditions to play my best game, and I was sure I would win back the money invested to book the room for two weeks while playing the WCOOP, which was the reason why I was there in the first place. And I did, on that last weekend of events, finishing in 5th place paid for my hotel suite and much more!

Now that I am no longer homeless, I’ll be in my home in Monaco to play most of the WCOOP. Some of them I’ll have to play in Macau with a crazy time difference and some I’ll have to play in Barcelona, but after that I’ll be relaxing home on my balcony now overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and ready to take down the big HORSE this year!

WCOOP starts Friday September 5 on PokerStars.com. Isabelle Mercier is a member of Team PokerStars Pro.

It’s rare to see Isabelle Mercier disappear from the World Series. If it happens, it’s generally her time to catch some R&R at the Bellagio. She generally reappears within a couple of days, tanned and clutching a cup of coffee. When she vanished a couple of weeks ago, though, she didn’t come back in short order.

Isabelle’s mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors performed a lumpectomy while the Series played out in Vegas. Mercier rushed home to be by her mother’s side. Whether No Mercy would make it back to Vegas in time to play in her favorite event was unclear. Nothing was clear–whether Mercier would see Vegas again this summer, how her mother would come out of the surgery, or what would come next.

“She was so strong,” Mercier said.

Isabelle’s mother is a buoyant woman. It’s not uncommon to see her alongside Isabelle as she strides through casino hallways. It’s clear, mother and daughter are best friends. It seemed impossible Isabelle would be able to play in any tournament, let alone the $50,000 HORSE event.

But, Isabelle’s mom recovered from her surgery quickly. What’s more, she wanted her daughter to play in this important event. A few nights ago, Isabelle’s mom entered a HORSE tournament on PokerStars and made the final table.

“She practiced for me,” Isabelle said with a small smile.

And so, Isabelle arrived here looking determined as she sat down in the $50,000 HORSE event. Her mother was strong, Isabelle said, and that gave No Mercy strength as well.

The PokerStars family is no stranger to struggles with cancer. By now, few people are unaware of Gavin Griffin’s crusade against the disease. His girlfriend is a survivor and they both work to raise money to search for a cure.

Today was supposed to be an important day. Isabelle was waiting to learn from doctors if the cancer had spread any further than the lump. If it had, there was no doubting where Isabelle’s mind, and likely her luggage would be.

She finished Day 1 of the HORSE event with a good stack and waited for the call this morning. Her mother eventually told her the appointment had been moved until Monday.

“I didn’t believe her,” Isabelle said.

See, Monday is the day after the final table of the $50,000 HORSE event. A suspicious person, say a female poker player named Isabelle, might think Isabelle’s mom was sheltering her from bad news. Isabelle only believed after her mother handed over the doctor’s name and phone number.

Now, Isabelle sits at table #17 with a look so determined, you’d think she was already at the final table. She has a better than average chip-stack and an eye to go deep. Her mother, though, is never far from her mind.

“I am playing this for her, 100%,” she said.

For more from Isabelle on this event, check out the video blog below.

Back at the PokerStars.com EPT San Remo Johannes Strassmann scribbled his way through day one, day two and was the last player eliminated on day three in ninth place, a fly’s wing distance from his second final table of season four. The notes, he told me, were because he wants to keep improving on his 23rd here in Monte Carlo last year, his sixth place at EPT Dortmund and ninth in San Remo.

It seems the notes are working then and he’s doing the same here. It’s no piece of scrap paper or back of a napkin. This thing is a leather bound folio… and a nice pen.

Today he sits opposite Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier, fingers loaded with sparkling rings, decked as she is in black clothes and black cap emblazoned with the word “Faith”, blond hair flowing from it.

She’s in a hand when I pass by, a board fully dealt that shows four diamonds. Isabelle made it 2,500 on the turn with the player to her immediate left to act. He called. When a fourth diamond came on the river, she checked and waited, a Blue Gin (the name of the bar at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel) plastic ice cube as her card protector flashing blue lights in front of her.

There’s a bet now from her opponent now, a single 5,000 white chip on the felt. Her foe quietly annouces his bet, putting the focus back on Isabelle. But Isabelle is a top player and knows her options are limited. Her opponent cas committed himself to the pot. She folds, looks up into the rafters for a second and mouths a few words to herself, with 10k or so left in front of her.

A few tables away the words “Ivey’s done “pretty much sum up Phil Ivey’s day. A few minutes earlier he’d been getting a massage, now he was settling the bill, picking up his coat and leaving the tournament room.
Johannes makes a bet pre-flop bet, gets called by the player in seat nine and they see a flop of 7-4-T. Johannes makes it 1,200, called, and both check the king on the turn.

Johannes stays still through all this, each time he places his chips in the pot he leaves his hand there for a while. Then he makes it 2,200 after the river brings a nine. Again no movement and his hand stays in front of him, half in, half out of the pot.

“Call.”

Johannes shows his pocket queens and watches his opponent for some sign of victory or defeat. He knows the longer that takes the more likely this hand to have a happy ending. It does, he back up to 14k and has a few more lines for the notebook.