Poker Night 383: Alphabet Soup

You can learn the most amazing things online.  For instance, this day is "National Beer Can Appreciation Day."  But that was hard to celebrate at Lil Kim's Cove tonight, since all the beer we saw at the poker tables was inside glass bottles.  We didn't even buy a soda can for extra chips....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: A-7 offsuit

We began the evening with a healthy 15,000 chips thanks to an "on-time bonus" and the purchase of a grilled cheese sandwich for $2.14, including tax.  (Since food is rewarded more than drink in bonus poker chips, we may keep doing that.)  After winning a modest early pot, we're now in the Big Blind.  No one has raised and most of the table is in, so we're comfortable checking.

ON THE FLOP: K-A-Q

A potentially not-too-comfortable flop for many players.  People with all sorts of combinations could smell victory from this.  But we do have top pair - so when the Small Blind checks, we offer 500 to see who's serious.  As we recall, two players call; the rest fold.

ON THE TURN: 4

We doubt that card matters at this point.  But could our opponents be sitting on something large, such as two pair?  We try to find out by checking.  Our opponents also check.

ON THE RIVER: K

Uh-oh.  Now someone holding a King has us topped.  But we don't want to look fearful in lead position.  So we make a "middle of the road" bet of 700.  When both opponents call, we're concerned.

"I have an Ace," we say as we show.  And we're thankful to find that's good enough!  A man across from us shows a Queen, explaining he was actually on a flush draw.  But it missed, and our stack jumped to nearly 19,000.

Some small setbacks followed, leaving us with 14,200 at the one-hour break.  But we won the first two pots of the second hour, including a "Big Blind Special" when 5-6 turned into a straight.  We even scored a surprising pot win with A-2, when a 2 came on the flop.

We built a large enough stack to make the semifinal table, then the final one.  Once there, 7-10 in the blinds turned into another straight, and a split pot with another man.

But higher blinds put weak stacks out, and eventually we were forced to go all-in with 7-8.  An opponent had K-Q, and found a King on the flop along with an 8 for us.  He won the race, but we won back a bit of confidence about our poker skills -- finishing fifth, for our best live poker outcome since early December.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We're not the only ones who bring religious messages to the poker table.  At the semifinal table, we sat next to a woman with a silver medallion for a card protector.

"It says, 'Where will you spend eternity?'" the woman told us.  It also referred to this Bible verse:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. - John 3:36

The woman told us an uncle who lived practically next door to her died this week.  She admitted she's not taking the loss easily, and is using poker trips to get her mind off the grief.  But she expressed faith her uncle will be resurrected someday -- and even indicated he's not merely resting in his grave right now.

We realized this was no time to get into a religious dispute.  So we let her express her thoughts, and offered our hope for a future resurrection.  In fact, Jesus also mentioned that in the book of John....

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out -- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. - John 5:28-29

But with all due respect to this woman in mourning, we'd note the phrase "a time is coming."  It hasn't happened yet.  Even though some people arose from their graves and walked around the "holy land" when Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:52-53), the gospels tell us:

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. - Luke 24:50-51

Jesus went to heaven on what some church groups call "Ascension Day."  But we know of no Bible verse indicating anyone went with Him.  Instead we're told....

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. - I Thessalonians 4:16

Despite her grief, that woman named Celina joined us at the final table tonight.  She was eliminated in ninth place - and as she left, we promised to pray for her.  Will you join us in doing that?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 132 final tables in 383 nights (34.5%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 281 point wins in 1,333 games (21.1%), 90 final tables, 11 cashes, 10 wins.  No-River Hold 'em - 22 point wins in 89 games (24.7%), 17 final tables, 1 cash win.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $87,018, up $614.