WSOP - Jason Mercier proposes to girlfriend Natasha Barbour at WSOP

ESPN staff
July 9, 2016

You can't get much closer to the most coveted prize in poker -- a World Series of Poker bracelet -- than getting down to three players in such a tournament.

Going out of the event at that point is a strangely bittersweet and frustrating moment for most. You're typically taking home a significant prize, but it could be a long time until you're in such a position again.



Such was the case for Natasha Barbour on Friday afternoon, as she saw her run in the $5,000 no-limit hold 'em event end in third for a robust $348,374 payday. Her boyfriend Jason Mercier, who has already had the best summer of his life with two bracelet wins and a second, walked up on the stage, seemingly to console her.

As she held Marshmallow, their service dog that's accompanied each of them at their respective final appearances, Mercier dropped to his knee to propose. Barbour set down the dog and let Mercier officially ask her and, well, we'll let you watch how it turned out in front of a crowd of hundreds and a much larger audience on the WSOP's live stream.

A quick note: Between the two, they have two bracelets, five final tables, 17 cashes, more than $1.3 million in tournament earnings (to say nothing of the lofty sum Mercier took in with his bracelet bets) and now an engagement, all over the past six weeks. Not a bad way to spend a summer.

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