A lesser man wouldn't post this...

Remember that when you're reading and shaking your head at what a disaster I am.

The FTOPS main event was yesterday...in FTOPS IV, I qualified for the ME and went deep without cashing and it has haunted me ever since. This time around, with $2 million at stake, I was just convinced it was my turn. But as astute readers of this drivel will know, my account was empty. SOOOOO...after saving a little cash this week, I dropped $75 in the account to take a run at the satellite on Saturday night.

I truthfully cannot even tell you how I busted. I was never engaged, never really got a hand...and yet I still outlasted over 500 of the 1,200 entrants. Says more about them than it does about me. The only thing I can say is that I played with scared money. I knew that this was my chance and played very cautiously. With A-K, I flopped a K on a somewhat ragged board, but with four other people in the pot, I worried about trips. I played small-ball poker to the river when runner-runner spades completed a possible flush. With three of us left in, original bettor tossed 300 at a 1,200 pot. I just called. Third player popped it another 1,100. With 2,000 left, I talked myself into the fact that he had backed into a flush and folded. He showed KQ. I NEVER lay that down ordinarily. I would have gone back through the hand and the story just wouldn't add up...so I make the call. But playing with scared money ...

The only thing worse is playing with STUPID money and that's what I did on Sunday. I signed-on with a plethora of $24 +2 satellites going on. I only had $20. So I jumped into a PL Omaha table hoping to run it up. After getting up to $24, I got knocked down to $9 and got it all-in with a pair and a straight draw after a big pot developed and I just hoped to get a piece...knowing full well I was WAAAAAAY behind. Understatement. Bayne_s had a full boat. As LJ said, "That's what you get for playing with Bayne." Touche.

FTOPS V comes and goes with my participating in a measly one event (HORSE) and 0 cashes. That makes three total FTOPS events for me, one cash. Next time around, I will have a bankroll and take FTOPS by storm. Mark my words.

But congratulations to cmitch who took this main event by storm with a finish around 80 and a several thousand dollar payday. I know he's slightly disappointed he didn't go deeper, but that's quite a performance if you ask me. And a begrudging congratulations to jbaggs who finished sixth in the ME for a five figure score. This SOB is the one who ran the KQ bluff on me in the satellite.

Ugh.