Poker Night 520: Ladies' Night

They were playing Omaha Hi-Lo at Five-Star Billiards tonight. Well, sort of. The Kansas Jayhawks did - and it wasn't poker. College basketball was on one of the TV screens. It wasn't much of a game. We wanted ours to be every bit as successful, but we knew it would be more competitive....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We started the night with a 1,000-chip disadvantage. Everyone in WPT League receives 10,000, but "platinum" members (including everyone else at our table) get an extra 1,000 before the first hand. But we made up for that on the first hand - dealing ourselves A-J which won a nice pot when the Ace paired. That also earned us a "bounty chip," worth 5,000 only if we reach the final table.

Now it's hand two, and we have potentially better cards. No one raises at the table of eight, so we do - to 700. Three men across from us call.

ON THE FLOP: A-J-J

"Where's your Ace-Jack now?" a scoffer out of the hand asks us. Admittedly, that would look brilliant. But as it stands, this flop is quite discomforting. Our opponents could have an Ace for a higher two pair, or a Jack for three of a kind.

The Big Blind doesn't wait on us, betting 500.  The other two men call. "I can bet 500," we say - and do.

ON THE TURN: Q

Ahhhh - now that's better! We have a full house. And for unknown reasons, the men across from us slow down and check. No thank you - we bet 1,000. The Big Blind folds, while a man in a wheelchair calls. We're now heads-up, and feeling very good.

ON THE RIVER: 6

A non-essential. Our opponent checks. We look for the right amount to bet for a maximum payoff.

"1,300," we decide. "Nice round number." Good decision, as he calls.

"I've got the ladies," we declare. The opponent folds showing a bit of disgust, but not his cards. We gain more than 5,000 chips, plus a 5,000-chip on-the-spot bonus for the highest hand so far.

That was a big two-hand start - but wins were hard to come by after that. Pocket Jacks gained a pot when we raised pre-flop, and no one called. Then we hit it big with A-J, which topped three players with two pair on the board and took a man out of the game.

Our chip stack at one point reaches about 27,000, and stood at 20,900 at the one-hour break. Then promising cards, as the blinds kept climbing. We survived to the semifinal table, winning an all-in bet with A-9 when a 9 came on the river.

But with nine players left, we felt compelled to push in our last 8,000 with A-8. A man to our left called.... and this time, he had the pocket Queens. They turned into quad Queens on the river, and we were through. Our best showing in WPT League in more than a month still missed the final table by one - and the bounty went elsewhere.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You've got to put some faith in the dealer," the man who eliminated us said at one point. He was dealing the cards, of course.

But no, we couldn't agree. "I put my faith in God," we said.

We think he acknowledged that with a gesture, but said nothing more. We'd ask you: where is your faith these days - as in where you put it?

....If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. - Isaiah 7:9b

God offered these words through the prophet Isaiah when two kings (including the king of Israel) threatened to conquer Judah's capital, Jerusalem (verse 1). The Lord dared Judah's king to ask for a sign. King Ahaz declined to do so (verses 10-12) - and that led to this famous verse:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14

Many churches cite that verse at this time of year, as a prediction of Jesus's birth to Mary. The New Testament shows that prediction came true. But have you considered the story behind that sign?

Our NIV Study Bible notes Jesus may have been the second fulfillment of that prophecy. The first one may have occurred during Isaiah's time....

Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." - Isaiah 8:3

Perhaps this is why some Jews do not consider Jesus the Messiah. That long name means, "Quick to the plunder; swift to the spoil." Jesus was anything but that when He walked on Earth. But Isaiah later adds....

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.... Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53:11-12

These verses indicate because Jesus sacrificed His life to redeem us from our sins, He will be rewarded greatly. We think that will happen in the ultimate sense when Jesus returns. If you've been thinking about the Lord's first coming, do you have faith to believe there will be a second?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 188 final tables in 520 games (36.2%) - 38 cashes.