News: "I strive to be the number one player right now"

We chat with Jason Mercier about Omaha, being considered the best, being considered lucky, and a $1 million staking downswing.

"I am one of the best PLO tournament players in the world"

PokerStrategy.com: You almost won your third Pot Limit Omaha bracelet last week. Would you say you are particularly good at tournament PLO or is it just variance that your big results happened to be in PLO?

Jason Mercier: I definitely don't think it's variance, I think I am one of the best, if not the best, PLO tournament players in the world. I think I have a very unique approach to the tournament format and it has shown in my results over the last five years.

PokerStrategy.com: Did your 3:1 bracelet bet extend to the WSOPE? Why did you offer such generous odds?

Jason Mercier: No the WSOPE didn't count. I wanted to get a lot of money down on it, I asked some of the top professionals what a fair price was and they said 3:1 was fair. I never want to be considered a hustler, so posting ridiculous odds such as 10:1 is not my style.

I wanted a bet that would be a lot of motivation and I didn't want to argue and negotiate with people.

PokerStrategy.com: You have an EPT and two WSOP titles, would you prefer to win the Triple Crown or be the first double-EPT champion?

Jason Mercier: I used to always say I wanted to win the Triple Crown and that was one of my biggest goals. I won an EPT and my first WSOP bracelet at such a young age, so I wanted to be the youngest person to win the Triple Crown. Now I have a lot more respect for the EPT as a tour than the WPT, it feels like it would be a lot more prestigious to be the first player to win a second EPT, rather than the 5th to win the Triple Crown.

"The WPT is not as prestigious as it used to be"

PokerStrategy.com: Would you say the EPT is the toughest of the three majors?

Jason Mercier: For sure, the EPT events are so big and there are only a few. The WSOP has 60+ events, the WPT has about 20, and both have some smaller fields. The EPT from a pure numbers point of view is the hardest one.

PokerStrategy.com: Do you think the WPT has lost some of the prestige it once had?

Jason Mercier: I definitely think it's not as prestigious as it used to be. If you look at an event like WPT Foxwoods that used to have 600 people every year, last time I played it, it got under 200 players. Look at the $25k WPT Championship, which is no longer at the Bellagio, or $25k, that alone should tell you something.

"I have to be considered one of the best playing right now"

PokerStrategy.com: You have live titles, WCOOP titles, you play cash, and have been a Supernova Elite. Is being good in every discipline of poker your main priority?

Jason Mercier: One of the things I strive to be is the number one player that is playing the game right now.

It's hard to compare me to guys like Ivey, Hellmuth and Negreanu who have been playing for decades now, but when you look at the guys who are around or under 30 years old, I have to be considered one of the best, if not the best, right now.

PokerStrategy.com: Are you more motivated by accolades than just the profit?

Jason Mercier: Poker, when I first got into it, was all about making money, it wasn't about fame or anything like that. The recognition and being the best is something I have always strived to be in anything I have done.

Being a professional poker player and really trying to encompass what that means over the last eight years, I've tried to get better and better to get to the top of the poker world, and staying on top is very challenging and motivating for me.

PokerStrategy.com: You must be one of the most prolific players on the circuit, how do you avoid burnout?

Jason Mercier: I would say it has a lot to do with what I do when I am not playing poker. I spend a lot of time with my family and friends who really keep me grounded, and I try and do a lot of physical activity when I'm not playing - working out, playing basketball and other sports. My body and mind are trained to play poker at a high level, I've played so many 30-40 hour sessions in cash games that playing for 12 hours in a tournament is pretty easy.

PokerStrategy.com: Every top player I have interviewed recently said the same thing, are you seeing that a lot amongst your peers?

Jason Mercier: It has definitely been a recent trend, a lot of the guys that are still in poker today are really realizing how staying in shape and mental sharpness transitions to the poker table.

"At one point I had $1 million in makeup as a backer"

PokerStrategy.com: You have a big reputation for having more than your fair share of "run good". Does it ruin your enjoyment of your success (that people think you are lucky)?

Jason Mercier: Not at all, if anything I embrace it. There have obviously been situations where if the cards didn't fall my way I wouldn't be where I am today. I laugh at it and really embrace the fact people say I'm running so good, if anything that is more positive energy and motivation for me.

PokerStrategy.com: Has early success made it harder to deal with losing spells?

Jason Mercier: I wouldn't say it has, I've had to deal with a lot of downswings in my poker career. Not just in my own game but in backing guys I thought were excellent players and watching them struggle and lose my money. That is something I had to learn to deal with.

Going through those experiences and trying to stay grounded to appreciate the full vision of what I am trying to do, instead of being shortsighted, has helped me develop as a poker player.

PokerStrategy.com: If anything losing money backing players must have been harder than losing it yourself, because you have no control of what happens at the tables.

Jason Mercier: Exactly. At one point I had $1 million of makeup spread across four players and it was hard to keep going, I started to second guess whether or not they were even good at poker. It was like a second job for me when I was coming up.

PokerStrategy.com: Thanks Jason, may you run even better than you have already.

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By Barry Carter l Barry Carter on Twitter