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"I started in just friendly games, started playing online, and I loved the game," Gomes said. "The results came up and that's it, it was my decision to become a poker player."

Gomes had no live tournament results to speak of before entering Event #48, but he outlasted 2,309 players and arrived at the final table with a healthy stack of just over 1 million chips, good for 4th place on the leaderboard.

The chip leader coming into the final table was Marco Johnson, a 22-year-old prolific online pro with over $350,000 in live tournament earnings, including two cashes at the 2008 WSOP. Also sitting in the top half of the leaderboard were Gabe Costner and Russian pro Kirill Gerasimov, making his second final table appearance of the 2008 WSOP. Both had a rough first few levels at the final table and Costner and Gerasimov were eliminated in 8th and 6th place, respectively.

Gomes got his first lucky break of the day when play was five-handed. Facing a pre-flop raise from chip leader Alan Cutler, Gomes moved all-in over the top and Cutler called with A-Q. Gomes turned over 7-6 and the flop of A-Q-J had Gomes with one foot out the door. Gomes needed running spades or running sixes or sevens to stay alive, and his large crowd of Brazilian supporters erupted when the turn and river came 6-6 to double up Gomes and rob Cutler of the elimination.

Cutler was eliminated the next hand on another bad beat, this time at the hands of Johnson. Cutler got his money in good with Q-Q against Johnson's pocket fives, but a five spiked on the flop and Cutler headed to the cage to collect his $223,497 fifth place prize.

As play continued 22-year-old poker pro Ryan D'Angelo emerged as a force at the final table. D'Angelo began the day as one of the short stacks but won a few big pots early and went on to bust four players on his way to three-handed play with Johnson and Gomes.

Gomes won a big pot off D'Angelo after calling all the way on a 2-2-Q-2-A board and then calling an all-in bet on the river. Gomes turned over A-10 for deuces full of aces and D'Angelo let him know he'd gotten lucky on the river. Gomes took the chip lead with that hand and later busted D'Angelo when his pair held up against two overcards in a pre-flop race.

Gomes had 6.7 million chips to Johnson's 2.5 million when heads-up play commenced, but the Brazilian said that after playing against Johnson on both Day 1 and 2, he was not looking forward to the heads-up match.

"I was very worried about [Johnson]," Gomes said.

True to his aggressive reputation, Johnson was very active and grinded back before doubling up with pocket jacks vs. A-Q to take the lead. Johnson was overpowering Gomes during most of the heads-up match and just when it looked like Johnson was poised to claim the bracelet, the deck bailed out Gomes when he cracked pocket aces with A-10 after getting all-in before the flop.

The first ten came on the flop and a second ten on the turn sent the Brazilian contingent into hysterics that could be heard throughout the Amazon Room.The match ended shortly after when Johnson bet it all with Q-J and Gomes called with A-K. The board offered no help to Johnson and he was eliminated in second place for a $491,273 payday.

Gomes becomes the first World Series of Poker bracelet winner from Brazil and pockets $770,540.

Surrounded by his friends and supporters, draped in a Brazilian flag, Gomes said of the bracelet and the money, "It's very good. I don't know how to explain it." Gomes said he plans to throw a big party when he gets back to Brazil.

Event #48 results can be viewed at the WSOP results page.