Poker Day 431: Run, Hide or Fight?

Our vacation didn't have poker stops every day.  But it ended today practically where it began - with a Friday midday tournament at Arrowhead Poker offering $400 in guaranteed money.  Only two tables full of players showed up, which increased our chances of success.  But would that make the competition that much tougher?

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-8 of spades

We won an early pot by hitting a flush on the river.  Now we have the Dealer button at a full table, with two promising cars.  Another player raises to 1,200, and we're not afraid to call.  About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 6-7-8 (no spades)

We have top pair and top kicker.  But that combination of cards is loaded with trouble.  A man to our left bets 1,500.  A man across from us raises to 5,000.  Did he hit three of a kind?  Perhaps a straight already?  We think it over for a moment.  It's a big dare to call.

"I'll fold," we reluctantly decide.  Another player calls.

ON THE TURN: A

Ugh.  That would have been two pair.  Interestingly, both players in the hand slow down and check.

ON THE RIVER: A

Ouch!!!  Running Aces would have given us a full house -- but the odds of that happening are huge.

The remaining two players check again, and the man across from us showing 9-9.  He missed a straight draw, but his two pair wins the pot -- and leaves us stinging a bit.

We took a chance later with K-Q when both cards paired on the flop.  But no full house came while four clubs did.  A man to our right had clubs, while we did not -- and that combination cost us about 9,000 chips.

We went all-in at last with another K-Q combo -- but that didn't work, either.  Cards on the board were mid-range, and a 6-to-10 straight from another all-in player eliminated us in 16th place.  We wind up the week 0-for-3 in tournaments, and honestly not faring well in any of them.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "That's a God-fearing man, there," a man two seats to our right said to someone else.  He was gesturing in our direction.  And he's the man we talked with a couple of weeks ago about our towelette at the table.

There's one part of that discussion we haven't mentioned yet - how he responded to our question about Jesus as his Savior.  "I've been sober for a couple of years."  Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a medallion for Cocaine Anonymous.

That recovery program for drug addicts openly admits it follows the 12-step recovery method made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous.  Five of those 12 steps refer to "God" or a "Power greater than ourselves".  An ancient promise from the God of the Bible remains available today:

He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." - Exodus 15:26

Pray for God to heal your difficulties -- whether gambling addiction, drug addiction or physical illnesses.  Look to Him in faith, as you walk in obedience to His commands each day.  You may find amazing change occurs, as it did with that man at the poker table.

So how did we answer the comment about being "God-fearing"?  We responded by saying, "Everyone should fear God."

That man seemed surprised by that statement.  "Why should I fear my Savior?" he asked.

How would you answer him?  Offer a comment if you'd like, and we'll reveal our answer in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 151 final tables in 431 games (35.0%) - 25 cashes.