Jason Mercier yesterday looked set for a last table finish in WSOP 2013 Event #44: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em and an opportunity at a 3rd World Series bracelet, but a grim 4.55% outdraw for the chip lead knocked the Team PokerStars Pro out in 16th for $21,773.

Jason Mercier playing on the World Series

Mercier had managed to get it all-in on a 9♣7♣3♠7♥ board with 9♠9♥ against Michael Rocco's A♣A♠. Mercier had just two outs to dodge - and one card to return - to rake in a pot containing approximately a fifth of the chips in play. Unfortunately for the Miamian, an ace dropped at the river to send Mercier to the rail in 16th and propel Rocco onto a third place finish for $229,500. Sandeep Pulusani ended up taking the bracelet for $592,684 beating Scotsman Niall Farrell heads-up.

You can't keep an excellent man down. And also you certainly can't keep an even poker player down in Las Vegas: Mercier omitted to the $111,111 One Drop tournament to chance his arm at that tournament instead. A min-cash there pays $173,723 for a 24th place finish and Mercier holds 160,000 going into Day 2, one of the most shorter stacks of the 108 players that made it through from the 166 that entered.

Read Mercier's blog about Heating as much as win a bracelet here.

Rick Dacey is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog. WSOP photo courtesy of PokerPhotoArchive.

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