April 14 2011, Mickey Doft

The 2011 PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour Mohegan Sun High Roller Bounty Shootout concluded on Thursday and much like the Main Event on Wednesday, it was déjà vu all over again. Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier, last year’s NAPT Mohegan Sun Bounty Shootout champion, was back at it. Having watched Vanessa Selbst repeat as Main Event Champion the day before, there was no doubt that Mercier looked to do the same. He would have to get through an impressive bunch to do so, though.

Here is how the seating assignments looked for the final table.

Bounties were kicked up to $10,000 at the final table, having been $2,000 each at the first flight of tables. Also up for grabs was an additional $20,000 and automatic entry into the next NAPT bounty shootout for the player who won the most bounties. Aside from that, a first-place prize of $142,600 was on the line.

The first to drop at the final table was Joe Sweeney, shoving with on a board and running smack into Eugene Katchalov’s . Sweeney did not find the miracle suckout and exited in ninth place. Micah Raskin hit the rail next after his fell to Jonathan Jaffe’s . Scott Blackman busted in seventh place after losing in a three-way pot with against Jimmie Guinther’s and Michael Pesek’s . The board ran out as Pesek hit the river to cripple Guinther and end Blackman’s tournament. A short-stacked Guinther, with , was finished off by Pesek’s pocket deuces a few hands later and took sixth place.

The cruelest hand of the final table occurred with five left as Taylor von Kriegenbergh held and looked to eliminate Eugene Katchalov and his . The flop was harmless, but von Kriegenbergh spiked the lead when the turn left Katchalov two outs to survive. On cue, the popped off and left von Kriegenbergh short stacked, busting a few hands later at the hands of Michael Pesek. Jonathan Jaffe was the next to go when his ran into Jason Mercier’s . A clean board for Mercier ended Jaffe’s day with a fourth-place finish.

Michael Pesek fell in third place after his failed to hold against Eugene Katchalov’s when the board came down . The heads-up play chip counts between the two Team PokerStars Pros began as follows:

Mercier: 269,600
Katchalov: 180,400

It did not take long for the chips to get in. On a board, Mercier held for top pair and an open-ended straight draw while Katchalov tabled for bottom two pair. The turn brought the and kept Katchalov in the lead, but the river delivered the knockout blow in the form of the to give Mercier a better two pair to take it down. For his runner-up showing, Katchalov earned $66,000.

Final Table Results

What more can you say about Jason Mercier? Having won six bounties at his first table and another three at the final table to win the most bounties, Mercier collected a cool $246,600 for his performance in the 2011 NAPT Mohegan Sun Bounty Shootout. More impressive, though, is his repeat performance as champion, capping off an amazing week here at the Mohegan Sun as both major events were won by last year’s respective champions.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today!