Poker Night 142: Small as in All

We've heard pro poker player Vanessa Rousso say she likes to play "small ball" -- building chips through a series of small pots instead of one big one. We tend to do the same sort of thing. But tonight at Lil Kim's Cove (yes, we DID play there after all), another player forced a strategic shift....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-7 offsuit

It's early in the evening, and a couple of hopeful hands haven't turned out well. So we somewhat reluctantly bet the minimum -- until a man to our left raises to 300. We call, as do a few other players.

The man who raised is notorious at local tables for making big bets with almost anything. We've caught him doing this before, and took him for 28,000 chips. History could repeat, you know....

ON THE FLOP: Ad-9d-Ac

....like maybe right here. A player ahead of us checks, and we decide to go small -- a bet of 150, to lure people in.

"He's got an Ace," the big bettor quietly says. We say nothing. "I'll call for you," he says. A couple of other players call as well.

ON THE TURN: 5c

Now two diamonds and two clubs are showing -- but there's no flush yet. So we bet 250. Mr. Big Bettor calls, as does a woman across the table from us. No one else remains.

ON THE RIVER: 7c

Uh-oh -- someone could have hit a flush with that third club. At least we want our opponents to think that's what we're thinking. So we bet on the small side again, at 600.

"I'm all-in," the big bettor declares.

"Call," we say -- forgetting that other woman is still in the hand. But she folds, and we're certainly still calling.

"Do you have a boat?" our remaining opponent asks.

"Did you hit the flush?" we ask in response. Yup, he did -- with K-10 of clubs. But yup, we did. It's a popular win around the table.

"And that will cost you," we say politely as we count our stack, "6,325." After he paid, we thanked him.

That big gain was followed later by another with pocket Aces and a win with pocket Kings -- which led us back to the final table! But the good cards stopped there, and we finished the evening in seventh place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Several of them came tonight, but the most unusual came after we sat down at a semifinal table. Serious haggling was underway at the other table, involving big bets which put two players all-in. So we had a little fun at their expense.

"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" we sang -- and we clapped. No one else at the table did.

"What is this, vacation Bible school?" a man to our right asked. "Weak punch," he remembered.

"....And duplex cookies," we piped up. Then we quietly added, "But we learned about Jesus, too...." A woman across from us nodded, indicating that was a good thing.

But here's the rather sad thing: thinking back to vacation Bible school of our youth, we remember the duplex cookies and "Red Rover" games on the lawn -- but don't remember any of the lessons about Jesus. What about you? Is there a way to make those stories memorable, perhaps for a lifetime?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 58 final tables in 142 nights (40.8%) - 11 cashes. Still no online play, due to a busy season -- and no guarantee of live tournaments next week, either.