Five years ago, longtime PocketFiver Jason treysfull21 Mercier (pictured) took home a World Series of Poker bracelet in a $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event and cashed for $237,000. In 2011, he added a second piece of hardware in a $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Six-Max event for $619,000. Now, Mercier will be looking to add to his $2 million in career WSOP earnings starting later this month at the Rio in Las Vegas.

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Mercier told PocketFives that his tentative plans are to play all of the higher buy-in events at the WSOP, and by “higher buy-in,” we mean $5,000 and up. “I’m looking forward to the new $10K events,” Mercier said. “Generally, those fields are tougher, but I like the smaller field, bigger buy-in events with higher prize money and a better chance to win a bracelet.”

Mercier is eyeing two $10K disciplines in particular: Triple Draw and Razz. “I have only ever played a $2,500 or $3,000 event in those disciplines,” Mercier admitted. “They are two of my favorite games and it’s rare you get to play a tournament in that form, let alone a $10K event.” The Floridian has 38 WSOP cashes to his name.

Speaking of non-Hold’em games, Mercier began diversifying from the quintessential poker game in 2004 and started dabbling in Mixed Games in 2010.

On what kind of group he foresees showing up for $10K Razz and Triple Draw events, Mercier commented, “I would imagine the Razz event will get 150-ish people. The Triple Draw event will probably get 100 people or so. Generally, they will be pretty tough fields with a lot of the regular Mixed Game players and the atmosphere will be pretty electric when I win one of them,” he said with a smile.

If Mercier manages to get a third bracelet, he’d become one of only 63 players ever to accomplish that feat. “Winning a third one would mean a lot to me,” Mercier told us. “There aren’t that many guys who have three bracelets, and to get to three when I’m still in my 20s would definitely be a cool accomplishment. I missed out on winning one in 2012 and 2013 and definitely don’t want to go a third year in a row without winning one. I’m hungry to win a bracelet this summer.”

Mercier earned $1.4 million one year ago after taking second in the EPT Grand Final Super High Roller in Monaco and has booked a pair of $200,000 live scores since then, one of which came in the WPT Alpha8stop in South Africa in February. “Going to South Africa was pretty incredible,” Mercier relayed. “It was definitely unlike anywhere else I had been before and I’m looking forward to going back there eventually.”

One of his foes at the Alpha8 event was none other than Dan Cates (pictured), who won the tournament for $500,000. “Dan Cates played well in South Africa. I also played against him in the $100K in Monaco,” Mercier said. “He has gotten a lot better since he first started playing live.” Last week, Cates took second in the EPT Grand Final Super High Roller for $1.7 million and is #5 on the 2014 money list thus far, according to the Hendon Mob; Mercier is #48.

Online, Mercier won a PokerStars WCOOP event for nearly a half-million dollars in 2010, one of three WCOOP titles he has amassed over the years. He has $1.5 million in tracked scores total and is a sponsored pro at PokerStars, the largest online poker site on the face of the Earth.

The 2014 WSOP begins on May 27 with the annual Casino Employees Event as well as a $25,000 Mixed-Max No Limit Hold’em tournament. The Main Event starts on July 5 with the first of three Day 1s and the winner of that tournament will pocket at least $10 million. Players in New Jersey and Nevada can qualify for $1,500 events and the Main Event at WSOP.com. Click here for WSOP.com Nevadaand click here for WSOP.com New Jersey.

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