We mentioned in our last post how poker is a game fraught with temptations. Take the player who bets big ahead of you, when you have a "gut shot" straight draw. Do you call that bet, in hopes the one missing card comes?
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap," warns I Timothy 6:9. This is the sad with many compulsive gamblers. They keep spending money, thinking the cards or numbers are bound to "come their way" sooner or later -- only to wind up destitute.
So what should you do about temptations at the table? You might not believe what we're going to recommend -- but you should pray in advance for wisdom. "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves," Jesus said in Matthew 10:16 (KJV).
I Corinthians 10:13 adds: "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." There's a word for that in poker -- folding. :-)
We should note the atmosphere at many live poker tournaments can also be tempting. They're often held in bars, where alcohol and tobacco are everywhere. If those issues are problems for you, perhaps you'd be better off sticking to online games. As Jesus said when He faced a great temptation, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." (Matthew 4:7; see also Deuteronomy 6:16)
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