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Vitaly Lunkin took event 27, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, at the World Series of Poker at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The 37-year-old Muscovite was the last man standing from a whopping entry of 2706 to pick up the $628,417 winner's cheque.

It was the Russian's first World Series of Poker bracelet and also his first appearance at a final table even though this was his seventh trip to Nevada for the biggest event in the game.

17 players were still in the running entering day three and it took four hours before the nine-man final table was finalised.

Sweden's Philip Yeh was the first to be eliminated by Lunkin and after Robert Brown fell foul of Trevor Donaldson, Bobby Firestone polished off Barry Schultz, Richard Alm and Donaldson.

The tournament three-handed when the board offered no improvement to Kenneth Terrell's Ace, Jack and Lunkin held firm with his pocket jacks. And the heads-up was decided when the Russian landed a straight on the river to polish off Firestone in third place for $277,026.

The heads-up match began with Texan Brett Kimes enjoying a slight chip lead, after winning a monster hand from Firestone, and he extended that advatange by landing a winning flush via diamonds on both the river and turn.

But Lunkin gradually edged his way back and 11 hours after the day began became the second Russian to win a bracelet after Alex Kravchenko's victory last year. Kimes raised All-In pre-river but with a pair of eights and was instantly called by the champ who had a pair of Jacks and the river was a King to seal the deal.

Results:

1.Vitaly Lunkin $628,417

2.Brett Kimes $387,837

3.Robert Firestone $277,026

4.Kenneth 'drama llama' Terrell $232,702

5.Trevor Donaldson $190,225

6.Richard Alm $149,594

7.Barry Schultz $112,657

8.Robert Brown $84,954

9.Philip Yeh $57,990

10.Anthony Gargano $36,567

11.Jordan Smith $36,567

12.Bashar Ramahi $36,567

13.Carlton Jerome $29,180

14.Jeff Brown $29,180

15.Deb Blair $29,180

16.Frank Simpson $21,792

17.Deric Fitzgerald $21,792

18.Jason Duffy $21,793

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