Poker Night 256: Feeling Well?

"He's one of the best Texas Hold 'em players in Columbus," a man said about us over lunch today. Thank you for that -- but we haven't won money in a live local tournament in almost a year. Tonight brought another opportunity at Lil Kim's Cove, but also another challenge.

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Q-9 offsuit

This is normally a hand we would discard -- but something is telling us to give these cards a try. Since we've already won a couple of small pots, we can afford to do it. Most of the table calls, with no raising.

ON THE FLOP: 9-4-4

The play checks to us, and we feel pretty confident betting 350 with two pair. But three other players call.

ON THE TURN: Q

Now the player to our immediate right takes charge by betting 2,000. But we have top two pair, and this smells like a scare tactic to us. So we call, as does one other player.

ON THE RIVER: K

The man to our right bets 2,000 again. This table has been playing fairly tight, and we still don't think he has the goods. If he has a Queen, our 9 gives us a better two pair.

"I may regret this," we say, "but I'll call." A woman across the table does as well.

"I've got trips," the man announces. Ouch -- he has a 4, and he has a huge pot. Our "feelings" were wrong, and they got hurt.

That slashed our chip stack to about 2,600, and we never really recovered. We survived an all-in "big blind special" in the second hour when our 5-4 brought two pair, and that gain from 1,500 to 6,000 lasted until the semifinal table. But rising blinds forced another all-in bet with 9-10 of clubs, and the board didn't pair for us. We weren't good enough on this night, finishing 12th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Two men noticed our "Lord's Supper" card protector tonight. "I have the Lord's Supper on my wall," a soldier told us.

"What's God been doing in your life?" we asked.

"He guides me as I walk through the day," he answered. And as a military man, he probably knows one verse about walking very well....

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - Psalm 23:4

Even if you're not in the armed forces, not every road in life is easy. God can guide you "beside quiet waters.... in paths of righteousness" (verses 2-3). And in the tough times, believers in Jesus Christ have the hope of an eternal life beyond this one. Have you trusted your life to Jesus, so that hope can be in you?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 98 final tables in 256 nights (38.3%) - 15 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 153 point wins in 697 games (22.0%), 54 final tables, 7 cashes. UFC three-card knockout - 2 final tables in 9 games (22.2%), 1 cash.

Money came our way Tuesday night, in NLOP's biggest daily all-comers tournament! We finished fourth out of 730 players, to earn $10 (first place pays $50).

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $47,078, up $80. (This is an accurate revised total; we apparently misfigured at some point in recent weeks.)