Bad beats happen in poker. Top players talked about their most painful losses today, during the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship. Then we saw one, as Jason Mercier caught a 5 on the river to eliminate Phil Laak.
Mercier had pocket 5's, and only two outs. Laak decided to be playful, and put Mercier's cards on either side of the spot where the river card would come. Shame on him -- it was tic-tac-toe.
But shame on NBC's Craig Hummer for declaring Laak "tempted the poker gods." Why do we say that? Let's look at some simple statements....
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." - Deuteronomy 6:4
"I am the Lord your God.... You shall have no other gods before me." - Deuteronomy 5:6-7
"For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." - I Chronicles 16:26
We believe there are no "poker gods" -- only the one true God, presented in John 1 as a Father and a Son named Jesus Christ.
Yet Hummer was right in one sense. Jesus said during a moment of trial, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Matthew 4:7, KJV)
Laak might have been better off doing what Chris Moneymaker did as he was eliminated -- simply turn away from the table, and be pleasantly surprised if a blessing comes.
P.S. We could go after NBC colleague Ali Nejad as well, for comparing Laak's attitude to Zen and Oprah Winfrey -- but not this itme.
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