Jason Mercier wins 2 SCOOP titles in 2 nights
Team PokerStars pro tops small but elite fields in Badugi and NL Draw; races to an early lead in the Player of the Year contest.
Team PokerStars pro Jason Mercier is the latest name in the game able to boast a sick back-to-back brag, having just taken down two Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) events in the space of 24 hours.
First the EPT champion and multiple WSOP bracelet winner conquered a tough field of 56 in SCOOP 5-H, a $2,100 buy-in FL Badugi tournament, on Monday night for a $39,200 pay day.
Then last night he outlasted 43 of the world's finest in SCOOP 8-H, a $2,100 buy-in NL 5 Card Draw event, adding a further $34,400 to his already bulging wallet:
Scooped the 2k badugi #SCOOP event. Got first for 39k and the title... First badugi tournament win of my career (Go figure) ðŸ˜ðŸ’°ðŸ‘
— Jason Mercier (@JasonMercier) May 11, 2015
One scoop two scoop badugi scoop 5card draw scoop ... #SCOOP
— Jason Mercier (@JasonMercier) May 12, 2015
The American now has three SCOOP titles to his name; only George Danzer (four), Calvin 'cal42688' Anderson and Shaun Deeb (five), are able to boast more in the festival's six year history.
POS a one horse race already?
It seems pretty ludicrous to suggest that the Player of the Series competition could be over as a contest just four days into the festival, but Mercier's grip on the leaderboard already looks ominously tight for his competition:
Scarier still for the chasing pack, he will definitely be adding to that tally today as he's already cashed in SCOOP 09-M, a $109 No Limit Hold'em tournament, which is down to less than 200 runners:
Made day 2 of another NL scoop event. Kinda short in 109 NL scoop with 150 players left. 90k ish up top back at it after sleep #Scoop
— Jason Mercier (@JasonMercier) May 12, 2015
However, given that we've already seen it's possible to win as many as four SCOOP titles in one series (Deeb somehow managed that in 2012), nothing can be taken for granted at this stage.
Plus, with the likes of 2014 WCOOP Main Event champion Fedor 'CrownUpGuy' Holz and 2014 Aussie Millions runner up Sorel Mizzi - who both won SCOOP titles this week also - on his tail, Mercier will have to remain at his very best to keep hold of top spot.
