Good -- that's in a way what we wanted. With a Tuesday night off from work, we were able to drive to the casino (despite its ice-coated parking lot), to play in the weekly Deep Stack Tournament. We're told it normally fills up with 70 players. On this night, only 37 showed up -- but still leaving a first-place prize of more than $1,100.
People at our local poker room describe the casino players as top-level. So we wanted to see how we'd measure up:
BLINDS: 25/25
IN THE POCKET: 4-Q of clubs
It's the first few minutes of play, and our table seems to be playing on the tight side. A man to our left raises modestly to 75, and we decide to call with suited cards. About four players out of nine are in.
ON THE FLOP: 5c-7c-7s
Close to a flush, but not quite. The man to our left makes a continuation bet of 75, and we see no reason to be scared of it. We call; as we remember it, three players remain in.
ON THE TURN: 8s
No flush yet -- but now a straight draw has emerged. Yet that man to the left turns up the heat, by betting 175. We have too many chances to hit it big (12, to be precise), so we stand committed to this pot. We call, as does the player between us.
ON THE RIVER: 4d
Like some gifts in December, that's not what we really wanted -- but it might be OK, anyway. We check, and are a bit reassured when the other players check as well.
"I caught two pair on the river," we announce. No one else caught anything! We win the wild goose chase, and pick up several hundred chips.
We won several pots along the way, including a semi-bluff bet on the river with an Ace in our hand and nothing more. Our stack went up and down, but we never had the breakthrough hand for a big gain -- not even when we were dealt pocket Aces.
We hung around more than three hours, as the blinds increased slowly. But at the semifinal table, we were forced to push our last 3,500 chips with A-10. The board didn't pair for us, and a man to our right paired an 8 to get us eliminated. We shook his hand as we left -- and come to think of it, we don't recall anyone else doing that as they left the table.
Our final result: 14th place -- a finish in the top half. That's good, but not great. A final table was our real goal -- not to mention the money, with the payoff positions shrunk from 7 to 4.
"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked the man at our immediate left with several other players listening. "Is He your savior?"
"Well, I don't know," he answered. "There have been so many bad things going on in the world.... so many catastrophes."
We certainly can't dispute that. This year has brought everything from bombings at marathons to school shootings and devastating typhoons. Yet Jesus knew such things would happen....
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now -- and never to be equaled again. - Matthew 24:21
Many churches use the King James Version of this verse, and refer to a "great tribulation."
If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. - Matthew 24:22
Jesus promises a potential "end of the world" will be avoided -- and for the sake of "elect" people, which many understand to mean believers in God. And here's the even better news:
Immediately after the distress of those days.... At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. - Matthew 24:29-30
Jesus (the "Son of Man") will be returning -- but the nation will be mourning. Why? Perhaps because they'll finally realize the Bible was right all along. Jesus will show He meant what He said.
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. - Matthew 24:31
Perhaps you're celebrating the birth of Jesus on this day. These verses remind us Jesus plans to come again - to save the world from destruction, and gather His followers together. You can be among those who mourn that moment. Or you can begin to believe and practice what Jesus and the Bible say -- becoming "elect" who reign with Him forever.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 145 final tables in 416 games (34.9%) - 24 cashes. It appears our final total for Kansas tournaments in 2013 will be 7 final tables in 14 games with three cashes. A 50-percent success rate is truly a blessing!
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