The second surprise was inside The Red Barn, as a Thanksgiving spread was on one of the counters. There was turkey, green bean casserole, rolls and apple pie -- all free! "It's Thanksgiving," the Tournament Director explained. So we filled a plate and enjoyed it before the game, buying soda for extra poker chips.
The third surprise came at game time, when an overseer of the tournament came to our table bearing 5,000-chip pieces -- with at least three for everyone! Starting at 23,000 chips inside of the usual 5,000 allowed us a fighting chance against the "power poker" players. And with only 15 players taking part, things looked good. For awhile....
BLINDS: 500/1,000
IN THE POCKET: Q-Q
We've just been moved from a table where we recovered from an early setback with some creative betting (for us). We reached the one-hour break with 25,500 chips, but lost a moderately-sized pot moments before to drop to 21,500.
We settle in "under the gun" at a table of six. Even though the pocket pair is large, we choose to limp in. But the man behind the dealer raises to 5,000. We resist the urge to push right now, joining one other player in calling.
ON THE FLOP: 6-5-2
This flop seems harmless, especially compared to the pre-flop betting. We check to the raiser, who now throws out 10,000. The third player in the pot folds.
We haven't seen this man play before, so we don't know his poker history. But the trend at our local tournaments is for "newcomers" to bet big with hands which are little. So we decide to reach for our chip stack and take a stand.
"I'm all-in," we announce -- adding our last 6,500 chips to the 10,000. Our opponent doesn't hesitate to call. We show our Queens. He doesn't show his cards yet.
ON THE TURN: A
He now turns over.... a Queen. Huh?!
ON THE RIVER: 7 (as best we recall)
And under our opponent's Queen, he reveals.... an Ace.
Ouch! He takes us out quickly and painfully. Yet we doubt this hand could have ended any other way. If we had pushed pre-flop, he doubtless would have called. And when we made the all-in decision, he didn't even have a pair -- simply two overcards.
On a night when the Thanksgiving table was set perfectly for us to make a third consecutive final table, we missed it. Our finish was 12th place -- and if that wasn't enough, our next stop was Wal-Mart, where we simply wanted to buy groceries but wound up trapped in long lines of "Black Friday Eve" shoppers. But that's another story....
MINISTRY MOMENT: That note about Thursday night's tournament was posted on the Facebook group for Big Dog Poker. Trouble is, Big Dog Poker does not run The Red Barn's tournaments -- it's a separate entity.
In the late afternoon, someone overseeing the Big Dog Facebook group removed the first notice and replaced it with one saying the group was for Big Dog posts only. An exchange of comments already had occurred involving the original poster. So we added our own: "If Israel and Hamas can work out a ceasefire...."
By evening, the entire discussion was deleted from the group's Facebook page. But it shows even in an area the size of ours, there's competition between poker "circuits." (As far as we know, The Red Barn's tournaments aren't played at any other locations.)
From what we understand, the two circuits developed due to some kind of disagreement involving Big Dog Poker operators. But to carry it that far on Thanksgiving Day, when Big Dog didn't even have an evening venue, strikes us as something out of a Middle East feud -- and all too common in this world.
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?.... You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. - James 4:1-2It happens between competing poker circuits, poker players, married couples, and even church denominations. Yet here's what God wants us to do....
....Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. - Psalm 34:13-14It's no wonder Jesus Christ is coming again someday as the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) - because humans tend to do a terrible job finding peace between each other.
If there are quarrels and feuds in your life, one suggestion we'd make toward starting a "peace process" is to simply let the other side have his or her say. Let them spill, while you quietly listen. Then switch roles, to start a dialogue. As it happens, Friday is the National Day of Listening - a perfect time to sit down with others, prepared with open ears and minds.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 126 final tables in 365 nights (34.5%) - 20 cashes.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 273 point wins in 1,236 games (22.1%), 84 final tables, 10 wins, 10 cashes. No-River Hold 'em - 19 point wins in 68 games (27.9%), 14 final tables, 1 cash win.
We've had "poker room payoff" finishes in three huge NLOP tournaments in the past week -- among the top one percent, including a 21st-place finish out of 971 players on Monday. But the freeroll tournaments don't award points, which hurts our record. However, we came in seventh out of 60 in a No-River Hold 'em tournament Wednesday.
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,038, down $2,016.
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