Remember As You Play....

James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. -- Galatians 2:9

The Contemporary English Version translates this verse as Paul receiving "a friendly handshake." Of course, some people don't enter a poker tournament with a "friendly" mindset. They want to win -- period.

We went 2-2 in a Saturday night heads-up tournament, and were surprised by how our second win ended. We offered a handshake to our female opponent, and she declined -- saying something about "not shaking hands."

Here's the thing: she shook hands with us when the game began. It's not like we needed sanitizer after more than a dozen hands -- was it?

This made two times in four heads-up tournaments that a loser refused to shake our hand. And sadly, we think that reflects badly on them. It's a matter of simple courtesy -- and in this case, the realization that poker is merely a game.

Even pro hockey players traditionally shake hands after a playoff series -- and hockey is about as rough-and-tumble as a game can be. If they can calm down and act sportsmanlike, we think you can as well. It's a small way to show etiquette, and even walk the Christian walk.