Jason Mercier defeated Mike Watson in heads-up action to win Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw during the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP). This is a milestone win for the 36-year-old player from Florida, United States, as it marks his sixth gold bracelet. The professional poker player bagged a $151,276 first-place prize.
Interestingly, this showdown was a rematch of the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Championship of the 2016 WSOP. During the event, Mercier defeated Watson to win his fourth WSOP trophy.
The recent competition attracted 548 professional poker players, aiming for a share of the $731,580 prize fund. Of course, Mercier pocketed the biggest part of the prize pool, whereas Watson received $93,495 as a reward for coming in second.
Below are the top seven finishers in the $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw final table:
Before the epic victory at Horseshoe and Paris, a regulated casino in Las Vegas, Mercier discussed the repeat showdown between him and Watson. He bragged about beating Watson in all their four matchups at major poker events. However, he remained skeptical this time, terming it a “déjà vu” because Watson had managed second and third finishes in their meetings.
He continued:
“You know, going into heads up, I was a little worried that he was finally going to get me. But luckily, I ran hot and was able to beat him again.”
Mercier entered the professional poker scene in 2000, bagging at least $1 million in earnings until 2017. He was ranked number 11 on the cash leaderboard then, with five WSOP bracelets. Surprisingly, he decided to put his family first and take a break from playing video poker.
After raising three children, Mercier returned to the competition in 2022 and was still looking sharp despite the 5-year absence. He placed sixth in the $50,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha competition at the 2022 WSOP and sixteenth in the $10,000 Razz Championship. Earlier this year, he won the PokerGO $25,000 10-Game Championship.
