It didn't come easily, but Brandon Barnette overcame some brutal beats to claim victory in Event #1: $565 Casino Employees' No-Limit Hold'em, topping a field of 688.

Already holding a big chip lead with three players left, Barnette got the all in preflop against the of Greg Seiden and looked poised to take a dominating stack into heads-up play. Instead, Barnette was left in anguish as an run out gave Seiden a straight on the river. Three-handed play continued, and the next level saw Barnette again find a dominating spot, getting the all in on a flop containing three diamonds against Seiden's . The board paired on the turn.

"I had a sinking feeling in my gut," Barnette said.

It proved prescient as the arrived on the river, another devastating beat. Nonetheless, the California-based dual-rate supervisor (he spends half of his time dealing and half as the floor manager) clawed back and claimed the win, worth $75,704 and a gold bracelet in his first WSOP event. He did so under the watchful eyes of about 10 co-workers, who ensured Barnette won't be taking an immediate vacation to enjoy his winnings.

"I was supposed to play the Colossus also, but because of all these people being here, I couldn't get the time off work," he said. "My boss was actually the first one to call me, he gave me tomorrow off."

He added that the winnings would come in handy for supporting his four-month old baby, but being a champion is an old hat for Barnette, who spend four years on the USA national roller hockey team. There, he said he won three world championships and a world games gold medal.

Now, he has more gold to add to the collection.

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