Calen McNeil Wins Event #20 $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low 8-or-better ($277,274)
It took an extra day than scheduled, but at the end of four days of split pots, scooped pots, and wheels, Calen McNeil has emerged as the victor, taking home his first gold bracelet, and $277,274 for first place. McNeil and the runner up, Can Kim Hua, ended play heads-up last night, and returned today to battle it out for the bracelet.
Hua started the day with just five and a half big bets, but he quickly won a handful of pots to take a 2:1 chip lead over McNeil. From there, the two exchanged the lead multiple times for the near three hours of Day 4 play, until McNeil was finally able to pull away from Hua. On the last hand of the day, Calen McNeil raised it up, and Can Kim Hua made the call. The flop came 
, and Hua bet right out. McNeil raised it up, and Hua called. The turn brought the 
, and the rest of the money got in the middle.
Hua: 
McNeil: 
McNeil celebrated a bit prematurely when he saw the cards, thinking that Hua was drawing dead. However, he could still catch a six or a jack on the river for a straight. McNeil was able to fade the river, the 
, and him and his rail erupted in celebration.
Congratulations again to McNeil, who beat out a stacked final table that included Todd Brunson, Stephen Chidwick, John Monnette, and Tony Ma, amongst others. McNeil has no plans to relax or celebrate however, as he has said that he will be hopping right into the 5 PM $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Event and try to go for back-to-back bracelets. We will keep track of his progress there. Thanks for tuning in, and make sure to check out all the other events going on today!