Angel Guillen will remember this day for the rest of his life. The Team PokerStars Mexico player had already enjoyed a dream start to his live poker career, which began only at the New Year, and now he has topped it by winning a WSOP bracelet.

The 26-year-old Mexican proved only a few weeks ago he is a no-limit force to be reckoned with when he finished runner-up in the $2,500 No Limit event, cashing $312,800. Now he adds another $530,548 to his rapidly-growing bankroll for winning the $2,000 No Limit event.

Angel Guillen>

At times today he simply ran over the final table, building up a monstrous chip lead when they were three-handed, with around three quarters of the chips in play.

Yet when he got down to heads-up he met with a brick wall in the shape of Mika Paasonen, the player from Finland who seems to routinely qualify for PokerStars EPT events.

They started with Paasonen having the slight chip advantage after he busted Jason Boyes in third place, but slowly but surely Guillen took the lead back and built up a substantial gap, at one point 4:1. Then Paasonen doubled up in fortunate circumstances when his A-5 outran Guillen's A-Q, and once again the Mexican had to wear him down.

Finally, this epic five-hour heads-up match ended when Paasonen raised pre-flop. Call. The flop came [3c][4c][ks], and when Guillen bet out the Fin moved all-in. Call!

Guilen: [3s][3d]
Paasonen: [kd][10d]

Guillen had flopped a set, and[ad] turn and [2c] river changed nothing.

Paasonen leaves with a heavy heart, but also a heavy wallet, now loaded with $326,203 for his second-place finish.

Guillen's bracelet was the first for Team PokerStars players at the WSOP this year. They'd been close on many occasions - Daniel Negreanu and Guillen himself had finished runners-up, while Greg Raymer and today Chad Brown bagged third-place finishes.

We'll be back tomorrow when another collection of Team Pros will be shooting for top finishes, including ElkY, who is deep in the $1,500 No Limit event and hovering around the chip lead.

Will also bring you news tomorrow of today's spectacular PokerStars.net NHL Charity Shootout tournament held at the Rio here in Las Vegas. It was attended by some of the biggest NHL names, Team Pros and some lucky PokerStars qualifiers.

All photos © Stephen Beyer, IMPDI

In what was an extraordinary level after the dinner break, we lost three players to get to heads-up, two of them at the hands of Team PokerStars Mexico player Angel Guillen.

At one point, with just three of them left, he had 5.4 million of the 9.2 million in play, but lost a sizeable pot to Finland's Mika Paasonen, a serial PokerStars EPT qualifier. Paasonen then dispensed with third-place finisher Jason Boyes, making a tremendous call to the all-in player, to regain the chip lead. Just.

Angel Guillen

Five of them came back from dinner, but soon Guillen was in action - he raised into Eric Ladny's big blind, Ladny moved in with [jd][js] and Guillen called with [kc][10c]. The board came [kh][10s][3c][2c][qd] and Ladney passed go and collected $108,883.

Next Steve Kohner raised pre-flop to 120,000, and Guillen moved all-in from the big blind. Call:

Guillen: [ah][kd]
Kohner: [jc][jh]

Guillen had to overtake the jacks again - and the board duly obliged by rattling off [kc][9d][5d][9c][qs]. With that, Kohner took a $150,761 pay day, while Guillen moved into that monster chip lead.

But Paasonen was not to be fazed, he got back more than 800,000 from Guillen, who folded after a frenzied pre-flop raising battle. The Fin then got re-raised twice by Boyes, but the third time was too much.

Boyes raised from the button to 150,000, call. The flop came [8c][6d][9h] and Boyes bet 200,000 - Paasonen made it 600,000. Boyes moved all-in, and then there was a long dwell as the Fin weighed up whether to make the call. He stared at Boyes with his glasses on, he stared at him with them off. "Do you want me to call?" No response. "I call."

What a great call it was, too. Boyes had [10d][8s], Paasonen [ac][8h]. Nothing changed and Boyes left with $214,974.

So now just Guillen (4,300,000) and Paasonen (4,900,000) remain. Let the battle for the bracelet (and $530,548 first prize) commence!

In what may be one of the understatements of the month, Team PokerStars Mexico player Angel Guillen describes his second final table of the WSOP as "good for me".

Good? It's fairly spectacular, given that he has only been playing on the live circuit since January. Runner-up in the $2,500 No Limit event for $312,800, he's now down to the last five in the $2,000 No Limit - and clear chip leader.

"Yes it is good for me and for my career. It feels good to be on the final table again with so many chips," he said.

Angel Guillen

Soon after returning from the dinner break, he took down the biggest pot of the tournament - a 3 million monster, to propel him to the top of the leaderboard.

He had raised to 100,000 pre-flop, and Eric Ladny reraised to 325,000. After only a brief dwell, Guillen announced all in - call. Kings for Guillen, tens for Ladny. For unecessary dramatic effect a king and a ten fell on the flop, but nothing else changed to send the chips the Mexican's way.

Latest chip counts:

Angel Guillen, Team PokerStars Mexico, 3,150,000
Mika Passonen, 2,725,000
Jason Boyes, 1,785,000
Steve Kohner, 1,300,000
Eric Ladny 550,000

STOP PRESS: Guillen has just knocked out two players in successive hands to take a dominant chip lead. With just three left he has 5.4 million - and there are only 9.2 million in play.

Could this be the gold bracelet we've been waiting for? Actually we have two shouts, as Chad Brown is now chip leader in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em with seven left!

We have a second PokerStars player on a final table: Team PokerStars Mexico Angel Guillen has made the last nine of the $2,000 No Limit, and is already guaranteed a $55,279 pay day.

He sat eighth out of nine in chips as the table gets under way - one that also features Finland's Mika Paasonen, who has qualified for many EPT events on PokerStars. But he was soon raking in the pots to take him up to 1,100,000, mid way through the pack chasing chip leader Jason Boyesm pn 1,947,000.

Angel Guillen

The man is on a hot streak right now - this will be Guillen's second major cash of the Series - way back in the event #13 he finished runner-up in the $2,500 No Limit event, earning $312,800.

We'll report on his final table progress a little later, but in the meantime, here are the latest chip counts, followed by a little background on the man who has had a fantastic start to his live career...

Jason Boyesm, 1,947,000
Eric Ladny, 1,750,000
Mika Paasonen, 1,360,000
Angel Guillen, Team PokerStars Mexico Pro, 1,100,000
Daniel Makowsky, 1,100,000
Chris Macneil, 950,000
Steve Kohner, 620,000
Antoine Amourette, 323,000

The 26-year-old from Mexico's City was studying economics at college when he first tried out online poker at PokerStars, as well as chess. At the beginning of this year he joined Team PokerStars Mexico Pro and his first big live poker experience was when he joined us at the PCA, where he finished 51st.

He then finished third in the LAPT Punta de Este event, before that runner-up place earlier this WSOP.

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Meanwhile over on our other final table today, Chad Brown has tumbled down the leaderboard and is now officially one of the short stacks, albeit with 300,000 chips.

Current chip counts there:

Daniel Alaei, 1,200,000
Matt Hawrilenko, 910,000
Greg Mueller, 650,000
Soheil Shamseddin, 620,000
Pat Pezzin, 575,000
Michiel Brummelhuis, 480,000
Matt Glantz, 450,000
Chad Brown, Team PokerStars Pro, 300,000
Kenny Hsiung, 236,000
Mark Klecan, Busted

Six months ago Angel Guillen played in his first ever live tournament and cashed. He went much better at the PokerStars LAPT Punta del Este tournament by finishing first - and tonight he so nearly capped it all with a coveted WSOP bracelet.

Team PokerStars Mexico Pro Guillen had shot through a 1,088 field in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em event, enjoying watching his chips moving north at every level.

Angel Guillen

"I'm feeling pretty good with lots of confidence," he said before play got under way a little earlier. "I'm hoping to do some good work today."

That was with 20 players left, and do good he did, first securing a final table place, and then getting down to heads-up play at what seemed like a record-breaking pace.

All that stood between him and the bracelet (and the bigger $506,786 prize) was Keven Stammen, but it proved a step too far. Stammen had the dominant chip lead at the start of heads-up, and never looked like giving it up.

The final hand saw Stammen raise to 150,000 and Guillen call. The flop came [9s][8h][2h]. Guillen checked, Stammen bet 225,000, the Mexican re-raised to 775,000, all in, call!

Guillen: [jh][9h]
Stammen: [jc][js]

Guillen had a bucket full of outs, but missed them all as the turn and river came [10s] and [2c].

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Heads-up play is still going on between Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu and Brock Parker in the $2,500 Six-handed Limit. They're currently neck and neck.

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Maridu Mayrinck is all-a-quiver. The Team PokerStars Pro from Brazil, playing in today's $1,000 Ladies Event, has just made a player with only 4,000 left lay down a set. "I had [jh][9h] and missed the flop completely," she said. "I think I need a table change now."

Angel Guillen is having a dream year. He played his first ever live tournament at the PCA in January and finished 51st, in March he came third in the PokerStars LAPT Punta del Este event, winning, $100,000, and he cashed again at the EPT Monte Carlo event last month.

Now the young member of Team PokerStars Mexico Pro is second in chips in day three of the WSOP $2,500 No Limit event, and looking for at least a decent final table finish. For someone so new to the live scene - although he is a prolific online player - it's a nice start to say the least.

Angel Guillen

No wonder he's confident: "I'm feeling pretty good with lots of confidence," he said before play got under way.

"I'm hoping to do some good work today. I'm feeling fresh, rested and I ate a good breakfast and now I'm ready to go.

"Luckily I have been steadily rising in chips throughout the event, and never had any major problems or been at risk - let's hope that continues today!"

All the remaining 20 players were left waiting around for a few minutes for the tournament to get under way again because their chips were nowhere in sight. Eventually the tournament staff wheeled them in on a huge trolley: "Found them!" said the tournament director to chuckles all round.