Poker Night 380: Big or Little?

We took an unscheduled break from blogging over the last few days, because our computer required it.  Our late (as in dead) computer.  We plunked down a sizable amount for a new amount Monday night, then went to The Red Barn and hoped to win our money back.  Well, except computers cost a lot more than a free poker jackpot....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

We won a couple of pots in the first hour, but bet a bit too much on the turn and river to make a big profit from it.  Now we're at the semifinal table, watching our one-hour break stack of 9,000 chips drain away.  We start this hand with 4,000, and two big cards.  But regular readers know we've had trouble with A-K lately, so we play carefully and call.  No one raises.

ON THE FLOP: 2-3-4

One player talks about hitting a straight, but we don't really believe him.  We also don't believe anyone made a big hand with that.  We check in hope.  No one bets.

ON THE TURN: K

That's more like it!  And when the play checks to us, we strike -- going all-in for our last 3,000, since we have top pair and top kicker.  A couple of players call.  A wide range of cards could help us here.  An Ace, another King, even a 5 for a straight....

ON THE RIVER: Q

Since the King is still top pair, that card doesn't concern us.  The players who can still bet check, and we feel good.

"I have two pair," a woman to our left declares.  Huh?!  Does she have K-Q or something?

She shows the "something."  She went into the hand with 3-2!

So much for that wireless phone commercial about bigger being better.  In poker, one of the smallest starting hands sometimes can take down one of the biggest.  It happened to us.  All we could do is shake her hand, shake our head -- and after finishing in 15th place, we can stick around and watch our alma mater be a big winner on the basketball court.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Bars are not known for playing the most wholesome music.  We went to the counter for soda, and watched two women ham it up to the rock classic Highway to Hell.

"They shouldn't want to go there," we told the young woman behind the bar. "They should want to go in the other direction."  Then without mentioning its source, we recommended a better road -- the one Jesus mentioned:

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. - Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)

Open question: what does a "small gate" and a "narrow way" mean to you?  Leave a comment with your thoughts; we'll share ours in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 131 final tables in 380 nights (34.5%) - 20 cashes.