BLINDS: 200/400
IN THE POCKET: Q-Q
Our table has been a bit like the TV series The Office -- a place with a lot of characters. A quiet young woman across the table is playing like a newcomer, but winning large pots. The Tournament Director next to her is having trouble remembering who's dealing -- even when it's her turn. And a man to our immediate right is being what one player calls controlling, with provoking pre-flop and post-flop raises.
Because of him, we've folded a couple of promising hands which would have wound up winners. This time he's at it again, raising pre-flop to 1,400. Then we see our big pocket pair and decide it's time to fight back. Starting this hand with 5,250 chips, we re-raise to 3,000 -- a move which clearly surprises him. He calls; the rest of the table folds.
ON THE FLOP: 10-2-2
This is where it helps to pay attention to what other players are saying. They've hinted our opponent likes to bet big with any Ace. There's none showing here. He checks. So the next step seems only logical.
"I'm all-in for 2,250," we say -- and we feel confident about it. But after a moment, the man quietly calls. Then we show our Queens. He keeps a poker face, and says nothing.
ON THE TURN: 5
Good. One more....
ON THE RIVER: 8
Now our opponent shows his cards -- A-10. Our read was correct, and we double our holdings to 11,000.
History repeated itself a few hands later, when we were dealt Q-Q again. A King came on the flop, and we played it cautiously. But the Queens combined with 7-7 on the board to give up a winning two pair, and a gain to about 30,000.
Like Monday night, those two big wins were enough to get us to the final table -- only on this night, there were only enough players for two tables. Probing bets failed us there, and we wound up going all-in after the two-hour break with 9-9. That "Ace-anything" player caught an Ace on the flop, and wound up eliminating three players in all. We finished tied for seventh (eighth in points).
MINISTRY MOMENT: An Ace on the flop in one early hand was not what one player wanted to see. He folded before the flop, and cried: "Lord, have mercy! JESUS!!"
"Jesus truly is merciful," we told him from across the table.
We suspect he was more focused on the Ace he folded than the advice we gave -- but we meant what we said about Jesus....
For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2:17
Who is this "he"? Someone who became flesh and blood as we are, yet was a minister serving God -- and somehow was able to be our atoning sacrifice through His shed blood. This chapter of the Bible leaves no doubt who this is:
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. - Hebrews 2:9
Jesus's death opened the ways for "bringing many sons to glory" (verse 10) - as in eternal life. Believers no longer are in bondage to "their fear of death" (verse 15). Have you accepted the offer of freedom which Christ provides?
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 136 final tables in 391 nights (34.8%) - 20 cashes.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,375 games (20.6%), 92 final tables, 10 wins, 12 cashes. No-River Hold 'em - 25 point wins in 100 games (25.0%), 20 final tables, 1 win, 2 cashes. One-table Sit-N-Go's - 8-13-10-4-4.
A lot has changed at NLOP in the last week or so, and we need a separate post to explain it all. But the big news is that Wednesday afternoon, we won money in a biweekly No-River Hold 'em Championship tournament! We finished fourth out of 141 players (the top six win money) -- and had big gains along the way when we hit quads on the flop, not once but twice!
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $85,819, down $1,019.
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