Isabelle Mercier

Name: Isabelle Mercier
Nickname: No Mercy
DOB: 8/5/1975

Isabelle Mercier was born and grew up in Victoriaville, Quebec, and attended undergraduate law studies at Montreal University. During her time in college she became employed as a blackjack dealer at Casino de Montreal. This she enjoyed the job, and it served to wet her appetite for the casino venue, and lead to her later position in France as a poker dealer. As she continued to pursue her masters in law, she was working at the Aviation Club de France. Upon graduation she became employed full time as a poker room manager. The promotion kept her busy, and eventually won her the award for casino staff person of the year at the European Poker Awards. She would go on to win the same award once again before she left the venue to pursue life on the other side of the felt. In 2002 she entered a small poker tournament event and found a yearning for the professional tournament side of poker. Settling on the choice in 2004 she literally hit the road with what she could carry in a suitcase, and moved all in to professional poker.
Supporting her choice, she received her first major tournament victory in 2004. In September she engaged in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Ladies Invitational, where she not only reached the final table, but won the entire event. After watching her aggressive nature and focused poker style, commentator Mike Sexton saw fit to deem her the epitome of aggressive play when he nicked named her No Mercy. It has followed her through her career. She continued through the next year to follow the poker circuit through Holland and back to France. Along the way she cashed many times, and reached several final tables in the minor poker tournament venues. She continues to play on all levels of competition, however in the European Poker Tour, Monte Carlo event, she finished 10th, proving the nickname fit. After finishing so close to the final table in the No Limit Texas Holdem event, she entered a smaller buy in event, a few days later, and won. To date she has reached numerous final tables and deep cashes on the WPT and the EPT seasonal events, but her highest cash came in 2006 at the World Series of Poker. She entered the 5000 dollar No Limit Hold’em event. She would finish in 5th place and bring home from that event more than 175 thousand dollars.
Since that day in 2004 when she sold off her possessions and hit the road with only her suitcase, she has enjoyed a free lifestyle, putting down no roots. She continues to enjoy playing the game she loves every where she goes. She intensely gravitates to poker tournaments over cash games due to the higher and more intensive poker competition, coupled with the set time limits. For the last 5 years she has proven that her choice in game, tournament format and timing leads to success, providing her with her free spirit lifestyle.
After her 2004 WPT victory, she became a member of Team Poker Stars. During that time she has relayed her perception and belief that as a woman, she is more naturally able to empathize with and thereby read her opposition. It is not uncommon for her to stare intently across the felt at the player behind the cards she is squared off against. Some have commented on the intimidating side effect of her focused desire to read them. Playing against Isabelle is not for the light hearted poker newbie.
Her growth has branched into writing an autobiography titled “Profession: Bluffeuse.”