SIMON WHITLOCK picked up a third successive victory on the DPA circuit with triumph in New Zealand on Sunday.
Whitlock was a double-winner at the Goulburn Workers Club Open last week, and followed that up at the Clubs NZ Viva Las Vegas event.
Whitlock trailed Phil Hazell 4-1 in the final before winning six of the next seven legs to take victory, earning himself $1,000 as well as his expenses for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic.
Hazell will also head to the Mandalay Bay resort in June to try and qualify alongside Whitlock for the televised stages of the Desert Classic, which is played from July 1-5.
Clubs NZ Viva Las Vegas
Last 16
Steve Gooch 4-2 Sam Bryant
Phil Hazell 4-2 Greg West
Craig Caldwell def Lou Tai
Bill Aitken 4-3 Steve MacArthur
Koha Kokiri 4-3 Preston Ridd
Shane Tichowitsch 4-0 Kimbo Puketapu
Jon Sinclair 4-0 Monty Tuhua
Simon Whitlock 4-2 Graham McElroy
Losers $60
Quarter-Finals
Phil Hazell 5-3 Steve Gooch
Bill Aitken 5-3 Craig Caldwell
Shane Tichowitsch 5-3 Koha Kokiri
Simon Whitlock 5-0 Jon Sinclair
Losers $125
Semi-Finals
Phil Hazell 6-4 Bill Aitken
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Shane Tichowitsch
Losers $250
Final
Simon Whitlock 7-5 Phil Hazell
Winner $1,000 (also receives return airfare & accommodation at Las Vegas Desert Classic)
Runner-Up $500