This is the time of year when people express disbelief over my interest in the NCAA basketball tournament. “I didn’t know you you were a sports fan,” they exclaim. Correction: I am not a sports fan; I am a fan of money.

Since I was a little girl, I’ve played in a bracket pool. Dad used to run a large pool comprised mainly of school district employees, and I have fond memories of him shuffling through the stack of photocopied brackets as he tallied the points by hand. The mantle has passed from Dad to someone else and the pool is maintained online now, but I still see the familiar names of teachers who knew me as a redheaded sprite with pigtails. (And then I relish obliterating them. Mwah-ha-ha!)

When I was younger, I would pencil in teams based on the appeal of their mascots or an unsubstantiated hunch. I progressed to following the higher seeds, throwing in some requisite upsets for good measure. My bracket-picking technique has now been refined somewhat. I spend the days leading up to March Madness cruising the sports websites, armed with a notebook in which I tally up the various experts’ opinions. It works for me- my finish is always respectable, and (most importantly) always ahead of my husband (who is a sports fan).

This year was a bit dicey. Since we were in Vegas when the bracket was released, I didn’t have time to do my usual amount of research, so I did an rushed job of it on the night the entries closed. I was resigned to not placing, so imagine my surprise when I saw this on Sunday:

(That’s me in second place, under someone who picked Ohio State to win.)

If Florida wins tonight, I am going to be over $400 richer. I will also be able to do a gloating “Winner!” dance around Kyle, and that is always a good thing.

If I lose… well, at least I can still do the “Winner!” dance around Kyle.