Tom Schneider (front) may have been the crowd favorite, but FBT (far table) is still having a better 2009 and shut down Schneider’s hopes for redemption as the DonkeyBomber fan base looks on.

So close … but in the end, Tom missed the final table in the $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout event — losing heads-up in a hard-fought battle to Greg FBT Mueller. So rough, too … he played so well, fought so hard … so much money not won.

(Swear it wasn’t my fault, despite what others are saying.)

NOTE: Tom says things turned on the first dealer error he’s encountered the whole Series (which sounds like a lot of clean cards for a long time, but not really when you go out around dinner break in most of your 19 events).

Tom got dealt 3-3 … Mueller had 7-7 … but one of the 7s got exposed, so his new card was 3s. They were at 8k/16k, and a 3 and two spades came on the flop, giving Tom a set, and FBT a pair with a flush draw. Tom bet, Mueller called. Blank on the turn; Tom bet, Mueller called. Spade on the river = flush for FBT, compliments of his burn-card 3.