Poker Night 168: The Power of Ten

He looks more like a "Babyface" than a tough guy. But the man sitting to our left at Lil Kim's Cove tonight acted like a poker bully from the start. Before he even sat down for his first hand, he raised 1,000 pre-flop. He did it again and again -- raising with anything. Yet he won several big pots, so he built a huge stack. What's a cautious-minded player to do?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-J

We sit two chairs ahead of the "bully," and have tried and failed twice already. In one case, A-8 in the pocket didn't pair on the flop -- and his post-flop bet of 2,000 forced us to fold. Realizing what he might do now, we call the blind.

Then, of course, he raises -- and for the second hand in a row, he goes up 2,000. A man across from him goes all-in with 6,150. "I can't call an all-in," the bully says -- only we remember he's spouted lies before during the evening.

A man to our immediate right thinks it over for awhile, then folds. "I'll try it," we announce -- but all we have left after calling the 2,000 is 2,350. The bully actually means what he says, and folds. We're left to go heads-up against a bigger pusher. We turn over the Jacks. He waits.

ON THE FLOP: 8-K-2

We miss. Our opponent shows a King. Uh-oh.

ON THE TURN: 10

The dealing comes non-stop....

ON THE RIVER: 7

"I've got two pair," our opponent says. K-10, in fact. He takes us out -- about the fourth player to be eliminated from the table.

"Good time to fold big slick," the man to our immediate right says. He pondered A-K, but folded.

"And what did you have?" we ask the bully.

"I had 2-4." Assuming he's telling the truth, he probably would have bet on the flop with bottom pair. But his approach to the game succeeded in throwing others off theirs -- including us.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You have your lucky charm?!" a man asked us at the bar after we were eliminated.

"I don't even eat Lucky Charms," we told him -- as in cereal.

But the man knew we bring unusual card protectors. Tonight, it was a small "Thank you" card distributed by a bank years ago. "It's a reminder to me to be thankful," we explained. "What are you thankful for today?"

"Getting up in the morning."

"You should thank God for that every day," we said to encourage him. And we encourage you the same way. Thanksgiving shouldn't simply be a November thing -- be thankful to God for every blessing he gives. And oh yes: thank you for visiting this blog.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 68 final tables in 168 nights (40.5%) - 11 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: One-table sit-n-goes: 4-9-4-2-1. Full tournaments - 51 point wins in 282 games (18.1%), 22 final tables, 1 cash.

We gained points three afternoons in a row this week, including a fifth-place finish Monday out of 160 players.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games -- $11,033, down $380.