Four years ago next week, PokerStars signed the Brazilian to its roster of elite poker players. The man from Sao Paulo was a representative like few others. He was a family man who had built his roll on free tournaments and dedication. He had no long list of poker wins to justify his signing. His best performance had been back-to-back Bellagio Cup event final tables. That combined with a smile that went on for miles got him his place on Team PokerStars Pro. He went on to take second in a giant World Championship of Online Poker HORSE event for $200,000. Until tonight, that was his biggest win.

This year is one that Akkari will never forget. A few months ago, his father passed away. It had been nearly half a year since Akkari had last cashed in a live tournament. Things didn't get much better in the months following the funeral. Before this week, Akkari had earned less than $10,000 in live 2011 tournament cashes.

That's when the onetime software developer and businessman decided to buy into one of yet another $1,500 WSOP events. It's the type of thing he'd done over and over. The field was 2,800-strong. The prize pool was near four million bucks. He had hundreds of people standing between him and a destiny he'd decided on years ago.

Akkari survived them all.

Last night, Akkari literally wept in the WSOP men's room when he made the final table. The Brazilian poker community rose up in Las Vegas, in the forums, and on Twitter. It was a love that only Brazilians can show. Akkari, a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, broke down. This was his moment. This was his time to prove that everyone who had shown faith in him had been right all along.

The only thing that could stop him was a new WSOP rule that forced play to end at a designated time each night. Akkari was heads up for the bracelet and had to try to sleep before trying to win it. He was down nearly 3-1 in chips and had to dream about it in the restless sun-up hours of a Las Vegas morning. As he went to bed, he told his friends and followers that he was going to have to win it the "the hard way."

And he did.

It took just about four hours in all tonight, but Akkari came back from a big deficit and put away Nachman Berlin to collect the $675,117 and gold WSOP bracelet.

He did it in an environment befitting a Brazilian. Dozens of friends and fans packed the rail and chanted each time Akkari won a pot. The rail grew and grew and exploded when Akkari finally won.

"It was like a soccer match, except the Brazilians didn't have anyone to sing back at them."

That was how a fellow poker blogger (you might have heard of a guy they call Al Can't Hang) put it to me minutes after it happened.

This is how it looked as Akkari waited to see the dealer put out the river (courtesy WSOP's Twitter feed).

Tonight, I can't offer Akkari a handshake, a hug, or a lime tossing re-match (I'm still dining on that night in Punta del Este, Andre). I can only offer him the most sincere of congratulations.

You knew it would happen one day, Mr. Akkari. Today is that day.

Photo courtesy WSOP.com

By Andre Akkari

EPT started in the best way possible to me, and in the city I admire most in all of Europe - Barcelona. Maybe because it is most similar to Brazil, every Brazilian who visits this city falls in love with it. The Barcelona Event is also the one that makes me most eager to play. I love the casino and the hotel where all the qualifiers and Team PokerStars Pros are accommodated is awesome. All this always makes me long for the EPT Barcelona.

This time in particular, I had one of the best seasons in Barcelona at the Main Event itself. I had a wonderful day, playing my best poker at tables that were not so difficult, and getting in the top 10 on Day 1A. On the second day I went further, building my stack in a consistent way. Unfortunately I ended up being busted out very close to the bubble. On the flip side, the biggest harvest of my good run came from the online game.

My start at WCOOP went as well as it could have, and I got in the money at many events, going very deep into the $530 a two-day event with more than 7,000 players. I was eliminated in the 47th position. In the mean time I made the final table of the $530 Second Chance Event, enjoying the company of my Team colleague Noah Boeken.

Apart from the WCOOP events, I also made several final tables of regular tournaments like the $ 100 +R, $55 +R, getting the title at the $ 22+ R. All this is thanks to the wonderful Barcelona air.

Now I will keep playing and getting ready to arrive in London in my best shape, where I hope my performance will be better at the Main Event, at last making my first final table at the European Poker Tour.

Beneath the stage of the $50K HORSE final yesterday was the $2K no limit hold’em event, smaller in stature perhaps but no less significant in terms of there being a bracelet at stake. It featured among others PokerStars sponsored player Kirill Gerasimov but also Alexandre Gomes, the first ever Brazilian winner.

Naturally the Brazilians in town went nuts and the drinks and celebrations began the moment photos had been taken and the cash bagged. The cheering then moved from the Amazon Room, out into the hallways and to the bars.

Part of that celebratory crowd was Team PokerStars Pro and native Brazilian Andre Akkari, who as a professional could appreciate just how much of a momentous occasion this was.

But unlike his compatriots it was not the late night you’d expect for Andre, who plays today in the $1,500 no limit hold’em. Instead, he went for dinner to toast the victory and then headed back to the hotel to be with his wife and two children for some vital R&R before playing today. And there was I thinking the dark glasses were to hide the effects of the night before.

It’s something that has changed his game this year, having his family close by, making the World Series less of an ordeal. Seven weeks is long enough, but spending those away from your nearest and dearest can make a long day even worse. So with them back at the hotel and there for him when the cards turn nasty, the whole experience has been more positive.

Akkari’s introduction to poker is a story of modest legend. Working on a software project in his native Brazil he began playing online poker as part of the research for the job. He then took advantage of the freerolls on PokerStars, soon winning them, and before too long was playing cash games with similar results – without ever having made a deposit.

Andre has the full poker player’s gear – the cap, sunglasses, a day’s stubble, headphones, working a lollipop as he plays. I tried to spot any convenient link between the angle of the lollipop stick and the hands he was playing – up for a good hand perhaps, down for bad, side to side when there’s thinking to be done. But there was nothing.

Now he’s into the last 900 players in level five of the latest $1,500 no limit hold’em event to fill the Amazon Room wall to wall. Steady progress in an event that started with 2,693.

First biggest congrats go to Kongsgaard for winning this week's Sunday Million and more than $158,000 (Sunday Million final table wrap-up). We should also congratulate last year's PokerStars TLB winner, shaundeeb, for his final table finish in the $215 rebuy event, a finish that will no doubt help his quest for a two-time yearly TLB win. Finally, we can't end without mentioning Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari's performance this weekend. Akkari made three final tables in the Sunday majors, including a third place finish in the Sunday Second Chance event.

Congratulations to everybody who cashed in on Sunday. Full final table results for all the major Sunday tournaments are below.

PokerStars Sunday Million Final Table Results

1. Kongsgaard (Denmark) $158,554.50
2. swishes2000 (United States) $105,927.90
3. flylice (United States) $74,217.00
4. Terken89 (Norway) $60,723.00
5. zman2224 (United States) $47,229.00
6. gyndok (United States) $33,735.00
7. Wizard0f0dd5 (United States) $23,614.50
8. farquad72 (United States) $15,518.10
9. Djorgo (Sweden) $10,525.32

PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up Final Table Results

1. targhan (Sweden) $83,072.00
2. Akademnuk (Russian Federation) $59,136.00
3. Bushman (Canada) $41,676.80
4. MANinTHEmQQN (United Kingdom) $30,976.00
5. looshle (United States) $25,344.00
6. belly420 (Canada) $19,712.00
7. PlzBelieveMe (United States) $14,080.00
8. H_mailman (France) $9,011.20
9. shaniac (United States) $5,463.04

PokerStars Sunday Hundred Grand Final Table Results

1. tolaip (France) $18,691.01
2. irongoat 9Denmark) $9,345.51
3. suecurley (United States) $6,541.86
4. _MikeyKlubs (United States) $4,672.76
5. gjubii (Denmark) $2,803.66
6. jack3316 (France) $1,869.11
7. stevielarson (Canada) $1,495.29
8. TROFEL169 (France) $1,214.92
9. LoadtheToad (United States) $934.56

PokerStars $215 Weekly PL Omaha Final Table Results
Based on finishing order and three-way deal

1. HN Kakaroto (Uruguay) $3,348.00
2. soundjata (Guadeloupe) $3,348.00
3. SixthSenSe19 (Uruguay) $3,348.00
4. DonQuijote3 (Spain) $1,620.00
5. jdubbb (United States) $1,296.00
6. elipse (Canada) $1,053.00
7. A-laursen (Denmark) $891.00
8. RADLAH (United States) $729.00
9. Bugggger (Denmark) $567.00

PokerStars $215 FL Omaha Hi/Lo Final Table Results

1. zep1 (United States) $5,888.00
2. $hip It (United States) $4,096.00
3. bottsky (United States) $3,110.40
4. Iteopepe88 (Germany) $2,304.00
5. IgorFederal (Brazil) $1,536.00
6. HelloImNew (United States) $1,280.00
7. aakkari (Brazil) $1,024.00
8. Wishbear (United States) $768.00
9. G.C. King (United States) $640.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly FL Hold'em Final Table Results

1. TheForeigner (Sweden) $3,780.00
2. Jdruck1 (United States) $2,520.00
3. kev19 (Canada) $1,512.00
4. EnzC (Canada) $1,260.00
5. murobiba (United Kingdom) $1,008.00
6. smurfen22 (Norway) $819.00
7. sunpharm (United States) $693.00
8. briaann1 (United States) $567.00
9. smurf0 (United Kingdom) $441.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly Stud Hi/Lo Final Table Results

1. redhookesb (United States) $2,560.00
2. knrooster (United States) $1,536.00
3. pokerhahntas (United States) $1,024.00
4. nevpete (United States) $768.00
5. Gamesmaster (United Kingdom) $512.00

PokerStars $215 Weekly HORSE Final Table Results

1. Little Kraut (United States) $7,668.00
2. brobo111 (United States) $5,083.60
3. grindnitout (United States) $3,464.80
4. Cardinal7 (United States) $2,470.80
5. MattyDaCobra (United States) $1,902.80
6. Pokerccini (Germany) $1,476.80
7. afcboy (United Kingdom) $1,164.40
8. simmsux (United States) $852.00

PokerStars Sunday Second Chance Final Table Results

1. WiCane (United States) $45,700.20
2. gravesen11 (United States) $33,852.00
3. aakkari (Brazil) $26,040.00
4. chubb10 (United Kingdom) $19,530.00
5. MIB727 (Canada) $13,671.00
6. thugmoneymkr (United States) $11,067.00
7. ScrewPool (United States) $8,463.00
8. spectrefax (United States) $5,859.00
9. barbar31 (Austria) $3,645.60

PokerStars Sunday $5,200 Freezeout Results

1. Boykee (Canada) $50,000.00

PokerStars $215+R NLHE Final Table Results

1. Kenny Rap (United States) $46,350.00
2. TheCronic420 (United States) $32,960.00
3. shaundeeb (United States) $22,660.00
4. Stammdogg (United States) $16,480.00
5. Pokerccini (Germany) $12,360.00
6. Michnak (United States) $10,300.00
7. aakkari (Brazil) $8,240.00
8. sam2price (United Kingdom) $6,180.00
9. trplthrt (United States) $4,120.00

Akkari started with a bankroll of exactly nothing.

At first, he was a struggling businessman in Brazil. His time was short and his bank account was shorter. One his clients needed some work done for a poker site and Akkari's interest was piqued. He started teaching himself a little about the game. Then, he started looking for freeroll tournaments online. Before long, he'd hung pieces of paper all over his office to remind him when he could play for free and still have a chance to win some money. Before long, he'd built a modest bankroll and developed an unrelenting fascination with the game.

A few years ago, Akkari knew he had some soul-searching to do. Though he'd had some success online in freeroll and small buy-in events, he knew his talent had yet to be truly tested. He had $2,000 in his pocket and a bunch of Brazilian buddies in tow. He did what seemed simultaneously natural and frightening.

He went to Vegas.

Akkari had barely stepped off the plane at McCarran International when he found himself on Fremont Street. Binion's called him into the poker room. Before he went to bed, he'd made the final table of a small tournament and won nearly $500, a mini-fortune for a small-stakes player.

Akkari wasn't ready to go home, but he didn't want to blow his just-earned cash. He was at a loss for what to do. The next day, Binion's was hosting a $450 buy-in event. His friends begged him to play, but Akkari was unsure. He called his wife back in Brazil. Her response was southern comfort.

"You just won $500. Consider it a freeroll."

A freeroll. It was exactly what Akkari needed and exactly what he did. The result? Victory in the form of $22,000 cash.

From there, Akkari was free of the freerolls. Bills paid and a bankroll built, Akkari went to work. In 2006, he made the final table of two $1,000 Bellagio Cup events. In 2007, he made the final table of a Venetian Deep Stack event. Just a few days later, Akkari signed on to Team PokerStars Pro.

These days, Akkari is on the poker road and on television as an ESPN poker commentator in Brazil. A couple of months ago, he cashed in the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Now, the one-time freeroll junkie is playing in Europe for the first time. The setting is all he ever dreamed back in the day when he had no money at all. He sits today with the Monte Carlo Bay just outside the window and a stack of chips he hopes to take to the final table of the biggest poker tournament in Europe.