Poker Night 307: Don't Push Me

A poker game can be a bit like "day trading" in the stock market.  As one player at our Lil Kim's Cove table pointed out tonight, a big bet can bring a big reward -- or it could leave you with no chips at all.  We faced that fact not once, but several times....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: J-9 of diamonds

We won the first hand of the night, but then a lost couple with modest betting.  Now we're in the big blind, with no raising ahead of us.  We check and hope.

ON THE FLOP: 3s-7d-3d

It's a flush draw, and we check when our turn comes.  A man to the left offers 100 at the pot.  A man to the right raises to 300.  We're willing to try a moderate chase, so we call.  Four players are still in the hand.

ON THE TURN: Ad

Thank you very much!  We have a flush -- but are those other men betting because they have better cards?  We check again and let them go at it first.  The player to the left throws in 200.  The player to the right raises to 500.  It's tempting to jump over both of them with a big bet, but we decide to be sneaky and call.  Four players remain in.

ON THE RIVER: 4d

Welllll.... that wasn't exactly what we wanted to see.  Four diamonds showing could mean someone with only one high diamond could top us.  So we decide to come out of hiding, betting 500 right off the bat.  A man to our immediate left, who's been doing the same thing we're doing, calls.

But the bettor to the left is next in line, and doesn't slow down: "800 more."  That brings a fold from the raiser to our right -- and a big decision from us.  Only two cards can beat ours.

"I'm going to assume you hit it," we finally say -- and we fold.  The man who called earlier does so again.  Sure enough, they both have diamonds -- but they have the 8 and 10!!  The man at the immediate left takes the pot, and we wind up folding a big winner.

Looking back, we showed the table another example of why some players consider us a pushover.  Given a critical moment, we tend to play it safe.  But we didn't a few minutes later, when A-8 of clubs brought a "nut flush" on the flop.  A man with two pair confidently bet 2,500, only to see us go all in for 3,900 more.  He called suspecting what we had -- but his hopes for a full house missed.

A couple of pushes worked for us in the second hour, but other chances fell short.  We reached the third hour of play and went all-in with K-J and 15,000 chips left -- but the board didn't pair for us, while a man with a huge stack caught a 3 to make a pair.

It was a good run, but we barely missed the final table again.  We finished tenth -- only one spot better than earlier in the day, when we were 11th in an online tournament.  Except the online game had 577 players; Lil Kim's Cove may have had 30-35.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The man who eventually took us out wore a small metal sword on his shirt.  It reminded us of a cable TV commercial, where a man wields a large sword and boasts about watching Season 1 of the series Game of Thrones.


"Do you watch Game of Thrones?" we asked him.

"No," he answered, "but I play God of War.  Do you play God of War?"

Online poker is about as far as we wade, when it comes to video games.  "No," we said.  "I know a God of war, but I don't play it."

Then we turned to the man at our left and added quietly: "When Jesus comes back, He's going to be a God of war."

That man seemed to nod in agreement.  But if you're used to Jesus being called the "Prince of Peace," you might find that surprising.  Let's check the Bible on this:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

This prophecy about Jesus Christ is associated normally with December, thanks to a section of Handel's Messiah.  But Jesus doesn't really control a "government" now.  That's still ahead, when He comes again -- and look at what will happen then....

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.... On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. - Revelation 19:11-16

Read that entire section of Revelation, and you'll find Someone named "the Word of God" is coming down with "armies of heaven."  Yes, the "Prince of Peace" will come as a tough guy - a conquering King who will "strike down the nations," then "rule them with an iron scepter."

Would you want to face such an onslaught when Jesus returns, whenever that is?  Or do you think it's better to make peace with the Prince of Peace now, and stand on the Lord's side?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 307 nights (35.2%) - 17 cashes.

We've now missed 11 in a row.  But in that stretch, we've finished in tenth place twice and 11th place three times - only one or two spots away.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 215 point wins in 895 games (24.0%), 71 final tables, 7 cashes plus 1 other win.  No-River Hold 'em - 5 point wins in 19 games (26.3%), 4 final tables, 1 win.

The Senior Qualifier we won earlier this week didn't pay any money; only the monthly championship does.  So we've had an "other win" to our scoreboard, awkward though it seems.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $77,067, up $2,278.