David Diaz Wins WSOP $1,500 NL Triple Chance

US pro David Diaz has just won the 2011 WSOP $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Triple Chance Event, after overcoming a field of 1,340 players over three days to capture his first WSOP bracelet, and collect the $352,808 top prize.
Following his remarkable victory, Diaz said: “It feels great. It still hasn’t sunk in yet.” Then when asked later whether he anticipated his WSOP success, he replied; “Actually, I expected to win two. I don’t know why, but I just did.”
The triple-chance event is similar to a rebuy tournament, whereby a player starts with 1500 chips and 2 add on chips worth another 1500 chips each, that must be cashed before the end of the 4th level. The player is also able to use up to the full amount during that time.
WSOP Event 12 proved to be a popular choice amongst players, with a whole slew of professionals and amateurs alike creating a prize pool worth $1.8 million.
Some of the big names cashing in at the tournament along the way included David Sklansky (142nd), Ted Forrest (80th),  Carlos Mortensen (40th), J.C. Tran (28th), and Sam Trickett in 16th place for a  $12,952 payday.
Eventually, with just ten players remaining on the final day of play David Diaz was way down the rankings in ninth place. However, through patience and choosing his spots carefully, Diaz then managed to double up holding A-Q to Nicholas Rampone’s pocket sixes.
Later, Diaz with 1 million in chips doubled up again after flopping the nut flush against William Chen ’s second nut flush draw. A few hands later, Diaz then eliminated Chen in 4th place for $100,200.
Before long Diaz, too, sent Andrea Dato (Ah-Kh) to the rail in 3rd ($138,044) after calling his  pre-flop push holding Qc-4s. The board fell 6-4-2-J-3 thus heralding in the heads-up phase of the competition.
Despite being fairly even in chips at the start of heads-up play, Diaz succeeded in decimating Anders Meli’s stack with a barrage of all-in re-raises.
Finally, Meli’s pocket fours push was called by Diaz with A-10, and with the board falling 10-5-3-7-3, Anders Meli was eliminated in 2nd place for $218,183, while David Diaz joined the prestigious ranks of WSOP bracelet winners.
Heaping praise on his final opponent, Diaz commented: “The kid [Meli] I ended up heads-up with played really well. He got there without showing many hands. He played great.”