The PokerStars European Poker Tour has announced the names of the five finalists in the 'Best Performance' category, which is one of seven honors awarded as part of its upcoming EPT Awards ceremony in Barcelona on September 9th. The “Best Performance” category honors the most brilliant individual performance during EPT's Season IV, and each of the five nominees was a champion in one of the EPT Season IV events.

The five nominees are as follows:

- Jason Mercier -- Mercier turned an online qualifier's seat into a EUR 869,000 payday. Mercier topped a formidable lineup, too, with French star Antony Lellouche the runner-up and young Italian force Dario Minieri in third. William Thorson, Dag Palovic and Johannes Strassmann were also seated at one of the best finals of EPT Season IV.

- Julian Thew -- Young British star Julian Thew has been a regular on the European Poker Tour since its inception, and his efforts were rewarded in October, 2007 with a victory at the EPT Baden Classic. Thew's triumphant turn in Austria was worth EUR 670,800 and came over one of the toughest final tables of the entire EPT Season IV.

- Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier -- Former online StarCraft gamer Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier's switch to poker was a financial success long before he captured the USD 2,000,000 first prize in the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, but the win over a talented final table cemented his status as an emerging poker force, and contributed to his being signed to the elite Team PokerStars Pro lineup.

- Glen Chorny -- Canadian Glen Chorny captured the biggest prize of all during the EPT's fourth season when he topped a star-packed field to win the EUR 10,000 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final in April. Chorny topped a final table including Denes Kalo, Isaac Baron and Michael Martin, succeeding Gavin Griffin in this event at the top of the EPT's honor roll.

- Mike McDonald – Canadian online star Mike "timex" McDonald quickly proved that he possessed a level of poker skill far beyond his tender years when he dominated the final table at the EPT German Open in Dortmund. Barely old enough to compete, McDonald emerged from the event EUR 933,600 richer and with the first major live title of what promises to be an outstanding career. McDonald has quickly established himself as a proverbial force to be reckoned with at major EPT events.

The four experts judges are Victoria Cohen, John Caldwell, Lee Jones and John Duthie.