WSOP 2013: Canada's “Big Wheel McNeil” Wins $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #20)

Canada’s Calen McNeil has won the WSOP $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #20), after defeating a field of 1,014 players over three days to capture a bracelet, and collect the $277,274 first place prize.
Known to his friends as “Big Wheel McNeil,” the restaurant owner from Victoria, British Columbia now becomes the 6th Canadian at this year’s WSOP to win a gold bracelet. However, not wanting to rest on his laurels long, soon after his impressive victory, Calen McNeil tweeted:
“So I had a dream, that turned into a thought which became a mission and now is a reality..#08forlife..Thanks everyone, I really felt I was going to win for sometime now. I am overjoyed but like any good player I’m playing my rush $5k08starts now.”
The $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo event attracted a bumper field to create a prize pool worth $1,368,900. Amongst the notable names cashing in at the tournament but falling short of a final table appearance included Barry Greenstein in 90th ($3,066), Scott Fischman in 70th ($3,832), Andy Frankenberger in 61st ($4,366), Brian Hastings in 37th ($5,913), John Racener in 24th ($8,377), and Jennifer Harman in 22nd ($8,377).
Calen McNeil then bested a tough final table, which included Todd Brunson, to eventually overcome Vietnamese American pro Can Kim Hua heads-up to claim his first WSOP bracelet, as well as $277,274 top prize. With his victory at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Calen McNeil now takes his live earnings to $417,697.
The final table payouts were as follows:
1 Calen McNeil    $277,274
2 Can Kim Hua    $171,577
3 Todd Brunson    $107,349
4 Joe Ford    $77,917
5 Tony Ma    $57,521
6 Stephen Chidwick $43,120
7 John Monnette    $32,798
8 Won Goag    $25,283
9 Dao Bac    $19,753