Poker Night 537: Triple-A Benefits?

Three final tables in three tournaments - quite a start to poker in our new home area! But could we make it four-for-four? We drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana Wednesday night to find out....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: A-9

Things were more challenging right off the bat, compared with last week. Enough players showed up for two tables, and they disrupted our plans often. For instance, slow-played pocket Kings ran into an Ace on the flop. We were ready to accept an early exit - but then came a surprise straight and triple-7's. We ended Hour 1 where we started, at 12,000 chips.

Now in Hour 2, a couple more pots have pushed us to a high of 17,000. We can get in for the minimum with these cards, but a woman raises to 1,600. We decide to take her on; about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-3h-Ah

Marvelous! Three Aces, and we're already laying low. We check, and the woman down the table makes a continuation bet of 1,600. We smooth-call, as they say on TV; a third player calls as well.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This card seems meaningless. We check to the raiser again, hoping for more gains - but this time she checks.

ON THE RIVER: Qh

The third player in the hand is actually first to act - and now he offers 2,100. Uh-oh. With three hearts showing, did he make something big? Or does he have the missing Ace, and has been thinking what we're thinking? We have to call to find out. So we do - and the woman who fueled the fire folds.

The man turns over.... 8-3 of hearts! Indeed, he made a flush on the river. Our effort to drain the aggressive woman allowed a relatively passive man to come from behind and win a big pot. That'll teach us to bet early with draws showing, to ensure some gains - although, of course, that man may have kept calling, anyway.

We never recovered from that big loss. Minutes later, we went all-in with K-Q of diamonds after a an across the table pushed. We thought he had less. In fact, he had A-Q. An Ace on the river meant the end of the night for us: no final table, and 17th place out of 21 contestants.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We won back some of our $70 entry fee at a blackjack table - and heard an unusual statement from the dealer when he lost a hand: "Just doing the Lord's work, buddy."

Well, what do you know! We're trying to do the same thing, and told the dealer so. Except, "The Lord's work is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation for all, through Jesus Christ!"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." - John 6:29

A woman at the far end of the table looked at us with what seemed to be a large amount of skepticism. She didn't comment, but clearly she wasn't expecting this when she sat down to play cards. Yet we pray that we did accomplish God's work in that moment....

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

The "good works" prepared by God can take many forms. Within His church, they can be works of loving service. As Jesus put it....

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.... Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. - Matthew 25:35-36, 40

Doing it for a Christian brother is as good as doing it for Jesus Himself! Then when it comes to going outside the church....

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

Jesus calls on His followers to "witness" for Him. We wait for the right moment to do that in poker rooms, and sometimes at other parts of casinos. But the Lord noted we need the Holy Spirit's help to do that properly.

Some church groups will celebrate the Holy Spirit's coming this weekend, with special services to mark the festival of Pentecost (called the "Feast of Weeks" in the Old Testament). This video explains the event, as well as what the Holy Spirit can do in your life. Will you allow God to do His work in you, through His Spirit?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 195 final tables in 537 games (36.3%) - 40 cashes.