The Star of Our Show

When some people enter a poker room or tournament, to borrow a pro wrestling cliché, their reputation precedes them. Think of famous names such as Ferguson, Hellmuth or Negreanu.

When we walk into a poker room, it's usually the opposite. Unless other players read this blog or have seen us before, they don't know a thing about us. In a way, that can be a good thing - putting the element of surprise and uncertainty into our play.

We play online from time to time at PokerStars - but we do not claim to be one personally. As a follow-up to our last post about "lucky stars" in casinos, here's the "star" we really hope to represent....

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony to the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. - Revelation 22:16

Jesus has many titles, and only a few of them are mentioned here (see verse 13 for more). Why would He call Himself a star? A hint to the answer is hidden in the Old Testament....

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. - Numbers 24:17

Believers looked for that "star" for a long time. Then came an amazing time....

...Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1-2

Bible experts believe the "Magi" (called "wise men" by some) knew astrology/astronomy well. A miraculous star led them to the baby Jesus (verses 8-10). And the Bible indicates Jesus shines like a star now:

...Among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.... His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. - Revelation 1:13, 16

This "Morning Star" will return at the darkest moment of human history, with Earth on the brink of extinction. Several chapters of Revelation describe how that will occur.

So Jesus is the "Star" we follow - the One we try to reflect. And thanks to a current hit Christian song, we have an answer for people who might think we have "lucky stars" to thank for any success in poker. No, it's not that. We're simply thankful for God's love.

Poker and Stars

Some people think poker is all about luck - catching the right cards at the right time. In fact, some casinos make that idea a marketing tool.

During our years playing poker at a Kansas casino, this was our "membership card." Kansas Star Casino has a "Lucky Star" system, where players can gain points for food discounts or enter giveaways. But really now - how lucky are stars, anyway?

You may have heard about people thanking "their lucky stars" for success at poker or other things. One online dictionary indicates the phrase has been in common English use for at least 100 years. Its origins may be in astrology of the middle ages, or from ancient China or Japan.

But the Bible encourages looking beyond the stars - to the One who made them:

God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. - Genesis 1:16

There's one "star" in particular which covets our attention. But it's not really a star anymore....

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! - Isaiah 14:12

The Latin version of the Old Testament translates "morning star" as "Lucifer." As in the devil. Many church groups consider Lucifer a fallen archangel, who tried to take over the throne of God and failed (verses 13-15). Yet Lucifer/Satan still desires our worship today - even tempting Jesus about it:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." - Matthew 4:8-9

Jesus refused to give in to that temptation, replying that God alone should be worshiped and served (verse 10).

In contrast to all of that, the Bible speaks of a better "star" which deserves attention - and even our praise. And no, it's not a "PokerStar". We'll explain that one in an upcoming post.

In the Eye of the Storm

Many poker games are friendly and good-natured - an evening for buddies to get together and have a good time. Many of our tournaments have been that way, even at casinos.

But what we saw in our first tournament at JACK Casino Cincinnati was different. Several of the players were dead serious - barking at each other and accusing them of committing violations worthy of penalties. It was a bit like WWE Monday Night Raw (even though that was not on any of the TV screens in the room).

In fact, a man to our right at the start of the evening seemed ready to draw us into the fuss. When we eliminated a player who went all-in, he bumped our chair with delight - the closest thing he could do to hugging us after a hockey goal. Apparently we'd knocked out one of his main rivals.

What do you do when it feels like you're surrounded by Phil Hellmuths having bad days? We picked up on the mood right away, so here's part of what we did....

1. FOCUS ON THE GAME. Instead of getting caught up in the circus around us, we played our cards (with perhaps one exception) as we normally would. There's a Biblical reminder along those lines....

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:28-30

Peter did something miraculous when he stepped out in faith and looked toward Jesus. When he saw stormy circumstances, trouble happened.

Many people pick on Peter for losing that focus - but consider this. Where were Jesus's other disciples at that moment? They "were terrified" and never left the boat (verse 26). Refusing to play poker until a stormy table calms down could cost you a big opportunity.

2. NOTE VIOLATIONS PEACEFULLY. At least twice during the tournament, a man to our left acted on his cards before we played ours.

"Uhhhhhhh....." we said loudly when it happened. That's all we needed to say; the dealer and others at the table got the message and responded accordingly. And we didn't rub it in to the other man. He had to skip some hands, and that was sufficient.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath.... - Romans 12:18-19

And along those lines....

3. BE SPORTSMANLIKE. When we finally lost at the final table, we walked around the table and shook the hand of the man who eliminated us. We didn't notice many others people doing that, but it's something we've always done.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. - I Thessalonians 5:15

Take those small steps at a poker table - whether the mood is sunny or stormy - and you're likely to stand out as different from the crowd. But it probably will be in a respectful way.

Five Will Cost You Ten

The sign on one table offers "$5 blackjack." But when we sat down to play on our first trip to JACK Casino Cincinnati, we were surprised and disappointed.

You can plunk down $5 for the basic game. BUT you're also required to plunk down $5 more on "TriLux" - what JACK calls a side bet similar to three-card poker. It pays at least five to one if your two cards plus one of the dealer's makes a straight, flush or three of a kind.

At every other place where we've played blackjack, this side bet is optional. To make it mandatory seems at least misleading to us - and maybe more.

The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. - Proverbs 11:1

They don't weigh the chips in a casino - but do you see the principle here? It's about being truthful in conducting business. If you're going to put "$5" on your sign, charge five dollars. The Bible reinforces this:

Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. - Leviticus 19:36

You can look up what an "ephah" and a "hin" are on your own time. Our point is being honest - mentioned four times in this single verse.

While the old phrase, "Honesty is the best policy," is not in the Bible, the concept certainly is. And ultimately, none of us can be dishonest before God. He sees it all (II Chronicles 16:9) - so with that in mind....

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure.... if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think abut such things. - Philippians 4:8

Yes, that means truth at a poker table as well. Betting a bluff is part of the game, but you don't have to lie about your hand with your words. While some casinos may do things along those lines with their promotions, that doesn't mean you have to follow their example.

Oh yes - after Monday night's poker game, we took advantage of a newcomer "free bet" slip at that "$5 blackjack" table. TriLux turned into a diamond flush, and we beat the dealer for $35 on the first hand.

"That happens all the time here," the dealer said. Hopefully he was not offended when we took the money and left.

Poker Night 534: Hungry for Jack

We now can reveal our new poker base, after walking in unannounced for a tournament tonight.

JACK Casino is located at the east edge of downtown Cincinnati. It opened two years ago, and in some ways is unlike any casino we've ever visited. We'll explain some of those ways in upcoming posts. But for now, let's see what happened in our first trip to a poker room in close to two months....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-2 offsuit

A $75 entry fee in the Monday night tournament gets you 15,000 chips, and everyone starts equal. We split an early pot in a blind fight, when we both played two pair and an Ace on the board. Now we're in the Big Blind with about 14,800 chips, and no one has raised. Of course we check. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-2-4

Right on, well, Q! We have two pair. The Small Blind checks, and we're ready to go with a bet of 350. But to our surprise, a young woman to our left (apparently a poker room regular) raises to 1,100. Other players fold, and we're left with a decision. Is she playing a game of "Test the Newbie"? Or does she have something like 4-4, which led to three of a kind? We call to find out.

ON THE TURN: 4

This puts a pair on the table, and compromises our 2. If she has a 4, we've stepped into trouble. We check to be safe. Thankfully, she checks as well.

ON THE RIVER: 6

We're still not sure what our opponent has. Maybe it's pocket Kings?! We check out of caution again - and are delighted when she checks again.

"I have two pair," we say. "Well, I had two pair on the flop. Now I have three pair."

The woman says nothing.... and mucks her cards! Apparently we had her topped all along. In any case, we gain about 1,700 chips.

A big gain came minutes later, when a man went on tilt and all-in after a controversial hand. We had 10-10, dared to call - and won a race against A-Q for an 8,500 chip gain! That gave us a comfortable cushion through a period with few quality cards.

The first break came at the two-hour mark, and our high of about 25,000 chips was down to 16,500. But then we made a timely nut flush (not shown) to regain thousands. Tight play worked again - as other players dropped out, and we survived to the final table with 14,700!

Once there, we went for it all with K-Q of diamonds. But a caller with A-Q gained an Ace on the flop to eliminate us. On a night with 41 players, we finished ninth. That missed the money by three places, but we left the casino satisfied and thankful.

MINISTRY MOMENT: This tournament may go down as the chippiest we've ever played - and that includes some nights in small bars. Several players were penalized for acting out of turn. Several players demanded penalties be imposed on other players. And after one disorganized hand, a man said Jesus Christ's name out loud.

"He's my hope of salvation," we said quickly.

We're not sure he heard us or wanted anything to do with it, as he stood up to stew a bit. But this leads to a reminder of being careful with what we say....

He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.'" - Luke 11:2

Jesus wanted the name of God the Father to be hallowed. That word might remind you of Halloween, but it really means to "make holy, sanctify, consecrate.... honor as holy." In other words, treat the name of a great God with great respect. And since Jesus is God (John 1:1), His name should receive respect as well.

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. - Matthew 12:36-37

What have you said about God and Jesus lately? Are you in a habit of saying those names in an angry way - as a curse at a poker table, or elsewhere? If so, please see the need to repent of that sort of language. Even if children aren't around to hear it, God is. And He may take it more personally than you expect.


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 193 final tables in 534 games (36.1%) - 40 cashes. So far in 2018, we have four final tables in 12 tries.

Dream Works

A recent post focused on a poker-related dream we had while we slept. But there's another side to "dreams."

Maybe you've dreamed in your mind about becoming a "Poker Star." You want to turn pro and make a lot of money doing it.

That thought has crossed our mind as well in recent years. Based on our own experience, here are some things you need to consider before making a commitment:

1. WORK ON YOUR GAME. Athletes in (ahem) real sports practice a lot. That's a good idea for poker players, too - and online games make it easy to do for free.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. - Proverbs 14:23

But we'd add a caveat to that....

2. DON'T BECOME ADDICTED. Stay balanced in your life. If you have family responsibilities, don't neglect them. And always put God first....

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." - Matthew 22:37-38

3. YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL. We doubt there's a poker player alive who's made every final table they've ever entered (unless they only entered once). If they did, more people would be playing.

Losses and setbacks will happen. They even happened to Jesus, after He said some challenging words:

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. - John 6:66-67

Most of the 12 main disciples stayed loyal to Jesus, even beyond His death and resurrection. They became founding figures of the church.

We've had a lot of career dreams over the years, including a poker route. Most of those have fallen short. In fact, statistics show most business start-ups fail. We suspect that's true in poker as well. So keep these things in mind, and plan carefully.

(Do any poker pros reading this have advice they'd like to add?)

Flop Friday Funny

As seen recently on Facebook....

Poker Deep After Dark

The flop was a dream come true for us - 9-Q-9. That's because we held pocket Queens.

So to borrow the lead of what other people around the table had done, we got out of our seat, stomped around a bit in celebration - then went all-in.

The "cards" were unusual, too. They were really torn-up slips, as someone apparently wrote all 52 cards in a deck on sheets of paper.

And then, before other players replied.... we woke up. That's because the dream hand was in fact a dream. It happened as we slept, at around 3:45 this morning.

Have you ever had a dream involving poker? They're rare during sleep time for us. But if you have one, how should you react to it? Is it a message from God? From the devil? Or, as some ministers have put it.... did you simply eat the wrong things at dinner last night?

There are times when God has spoken to people through dreams. They happened at dramatic Biblical moments, such as Joseph warning Egypt's Pharaoh about an upcoming famine (Genesis 41:25-27) or Daniel explaining a vision to save many lives....

Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...." - Daniel 2:27-28

The same thing is supposed to happen in our "New Testament" age.... but not necessarily to everyone:

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." - Acts 2:17

In some church groups, testifying about dreams is a big deal. In others, it's downplayed as something which only happened in the early years of the church. We take Acts 2 to mean God will give significant dreams and visions to people who have His Holy Spirit - and you can receive that Spirit today.

Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

We should note Joseph and Daniel were able to interpret what they had dreamed, with God's help - and the interpretation turned out to be accurate. If you have poker-related dreams, a trusted friend (preferably someone wise in spiritual matters) can help you interpret it properly.

There's a second aspect to having a "poker dream." An upcoming post will get into that. But in the meantime, we welcome your comments. Have you had sleep-time dreams about poker? What's the most unusual one you've ever had? (Keep them clean, please.)

Not Playing.... Yet

The count is now at six weeks since our last live poker tournament. So does that mean we're dropping out?

No, it doesn't. The very fact that we're posting about this should be a clue of that. We've simply been in a slow-moving process of moving.

The moving truck reached our new home only today - more than a month after the process began.
We have a lot to unpack. In fact, we haven't found our decks of playing cards yet amidst all the boxes. We've also been busy with activities on the spring religious calendar. A couple of messages we heard over the weekend actually apply to what the future holds for us:

And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." - Exodus 14:15 (NKJV)

God and Moses had brought Israel to the edge of the Red Sea, after coming out of Egypt. But the Egyptian army was in hot pursuit (verse 10). Moses told the people to "stand firm" and "be still" (verses 13-14) - but God wanted action.

...and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. - Exodus 14:22

The Egyptian army tried to follow, but was swept away when the sea was restored (verse 27).

Maybe your poker games have hit a rough stretch. It could be time to reassess whether God wants you playing at all, to save money - or God might want you to go forward, putting faith in Him for eventual success.

We plan to follow the "go forward" strategy in coming weeks, after we settle down from the move. We're doing it because there's a message to share in poker rooms - a message some players may have never heard before. As Jesus put it....

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matthew 9:37-38

There may be others who take a faith message into poker rooms. We're sure the number is small. But we wish them well - in the games they play as well as the messages they share. We plan to rejoin them shortly. The fact that we found a little bag of "card protectors" during our unpacking today is a step in that direction.

Who's Afraid of the Big Banned Bluff?

It's one thing for towns, states or countries to ban poker games. It's another for a specific ad promoting poker to be banned.... and not because it's X-rated.

Courtesy Casino.org

Yet that's happened in Britain to a TV commercial for PokerStars (where we've played for years for free). It shows a man going all-in and winning a pot with 8-3. Britain has a government branch which monitors advertising, and it ruled the ad "could lead to financial harm."

The Advertising Authority explained some viewers (apparently poker newbies) might conclude all you have to do to win in poker is outbluff everybody else. A statement from PokerStars contended bluffing is a regular part of poker, and "not a reckless act in itself."

After thinking it over, we've concluded an absurd example (this ad) is being taken to an absurd extreme (this ban). What should PokerStars show instead? Pocket Aces? They get cracked online on a regular basis. A big winner wheeling around town in a Ferrari? That's equally as unlikely to happen as an 8-3 push.

 Of course, people should use wisdom when they play poker - especially if they dare to risk losing money in it. That's true away from the poker table as well....

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

The people at a poker table may seem as friendly as can be. But in a cash game, make no mistake - they're hungry wolves seeking a profit. And in a tournament, it's safe to assume most of them are playing to win. So whether you bet, bluff or fold, careful play matters. And away from the table....

So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. - Ephesians 5:15 (NLT)

That means not taking absurd poker commercials too literally. But it also can mean not being played as a fool by others who might go bluffing all-in themselves, hoping to scare you out of a good hand. Learning the balance takes time and experience - in poker and in life.

Let's open this up for your comments. If this PokerStars ad is out of bounds, have you seen other poker commercials that were even more misleading?

No Skills Required?

It's a classic debate in the world of poker. Does success in the game require skill? Or is it all "dumb luck"?

It's a debate that's gone to courts more than once. Now the latest ruling has come - and skill is a big loser.

A court in India ruled Friday that the head of Spartan Poker was guilty of violating gambling laws by holding an apartment game in 2016. Nasir Patel argued the skill involved in successfully playing poker made him exempt from those laws. But the court ruled:

“How can poker be a game of skill? You simply get the cards and open it, and if chance be, you will win.”.

We've played poker long enough to know that's only true to a certain extent. If you're dealt pocket Aces, you're admittedly far more likely to win a pot than if you're dealt 2-3 offsuit. But the hands in between are where the "skill" comes in. Players set traps, make big bluffs or try various other stunts to claim as many chips as they can.

Other walks of life require a great deal of skill. For instance, if we need brain surgery, we'd rather have a surgeon who knows what he or she is doing. That takes years of study and training. But when it comes to the things of God, you might be surprised....

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? - Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT)

The more we learn about our solar system, the more we see how predictable and orderly it is. Astronomers knew when the sun would rise this morning, and when the full moon would occur this weekend. They can calculate to the minute when the next eclipse will happen. If there's macro-evolution, shouldn't these things all come as a surprise?

It took a genius God to arrange all that - with no chance or luck involved at all. Yet you don't have to be a genius to accept these things, and have a relationship with God:

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. - I Corinthians 1:27-28 (NLT)

If you believe in God and Jesus Christ, many "smart" people will scoff at you. Yet the late Stephen Hawking, who was considered a genius of our time and called an atheist by some, is being buried on church grounds - and near Sir Isaac Newton, who not only was expert in science but wrote a Bible commentary.

And does it take skill to start a relationship with God and Jesus Christ? Not really....

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9 (NLT)

As someone once put it: Are you just dumb enough to believe God, and do what He says? Even if that means admitting God has more skills than you'll ever have?