Poker Day 409: Big Risk, Big Reward

Even though it was a rainy Sunday and there was flooding down the street, we were ready to plunk down $20 for a Sunday game at Arrowhead Poker.  But lots of other people had the same idea -- and they showed up with more money.

We'd forgotten the first Sunday of the month is a "big game."  As in $50 to enter, longer blinds and a $1,000 first prize.  So we reluctantly pulled out money from an on-site ATM, and joined about 70 other players in a crowded room.

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: 3-3

We've won a few early pots, and advanced above our starting 20,000 chips.  But we've had a few setbacks as well, so we're not that far above 20,000.  Now we have this small pocket pair in the Small Blind, and decide to simply "lay low" by calling.  No one at the full table raises, and about half the table is in.

ON THE FLOP: 4-3-2

We don't need a "1" for blast-off here.  With three of a kind and a clear straight draw tempting other players, we try a "go away" bet sitting first in the order.  We bet 2,500.  That doesn't work.  A man across from us raises to 10,500.  A player to our right calls.

"I have to call," we say -- and do.  But then a man down the table who had simply called our 2,500 decides to go for it.  He pushes all in for an additional 24,500.

"Twenty-four thousand 500?!?" we ask in disbelief.  That's more than we have -- yet do we have much of a choice here?  If that man is playing 5-6 or A-5, we're clearly sunk.  But some players at this table have been making large bets with little more than speculation.

"I'm going to do it," we finally announce.  About 12,000 more is added by us.

"I have the best hand possible," the man down the table declares.  Except he shows 4-5.  So no, he doesn't.

"Three times three," we say as we show.  That's not what the two all-in players wanted to see.  One is hoping for an open-ended straight draw; the other needs a big miracle (although we forget what he had).

ON THE TURN: K

That's good.  Now one more....

ON THE RIVER: J

It's a massive payday for us, as we eliminate one player and jump up our stack to more than 60,000!

There was more drama as the afternoon unfolded.  We dropped to 28,000, went all-in with pocket Queens and outlasted A-K.  Then we won a couple more big pots.  At one point, our chip stack hit 280,000.  A speculative open-ended straight try failed at the second break, leaving us with 200,000 and two tables left.

The top nine players were paid money at this tournament -- but we didn't quite get that far.  We defended a Big Blind to stay alive at one point, but rising blinds and marginal cards proved too much.  We finally pushed again with 3-3, but other players paired 7's and 9's on the flop to eliminate us.  We missed the final table by finishing 12th.  But in a field with that many players, we felt good about our final result.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We struck up a discussion with a woman sitting to our right about faith matters.  She attends a United Methodist church, and told us about a weekly project her congregation does to feed homeless people in our city.  By doing this, the group seems to do what Jesus recommended....

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink...." - Matthew 25:34-35

But as we consider this parable, we can't stop there.  The people who received the King's blessing had a response to His comment:

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?".... The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:37, 40

Think carefully about this.  Doesn't the church group which helps the homeless every week know it's helping "the least of these" -- especially if it's read this parable first?  Wouldn't the members be able to bring up those actions at Christ's judgment seat, to make an argument for entering God's Kingdom?

Don't misunderstand -- these "good works" projects are nice to do.  But we think there's a deeper message from Jesus here.  What would you guess it is?  Offer a comment, and we'll compare notes in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 142 final tables in 409 games (34.7%) - 23 cashes.