LAS VEGAS Paul Wasicka beat a field of 64 competitors to win the NBC National Heads-Up poker championship late last night.

The win nets the 26-year-old Colorado native 500-thousand dollars and adds to his lifetime winnings of nearly 7.4 (M) million dollars.

Most of that money was made last year when he came second in the World Series of Poker's main event, losing at the final table to Jamie Gold to take home 6.1 (M) million dollars.

At the no-limit hold-em tournament over the weekend which gathered mostly professionals, Wasicka flopped a straight on the last hand holding a queen and jack.

That was enough to beat opponent Chad Brown who had a pair of kings.

The series is to be broadcast on NBC on consecutive Sundays starting April 8th.