"At the final table, you're never comfortable," we responded. Indeed, even reaching that point had some stressful moments....
BLINDS: 2,000/4,000
IN THE POCKET: 5-6 of spades
The blinds are this big because we're in the third hour of play. It's had highs and lows, but gone well for us so far. After about 45 minutes of action with 11 players out of 24, we finally and patiently reached the last ten with 30,800 chips.
Now we're in the Big Blind with low suited connectors. A lot of players are pushing to force the action, but no one does here. We can check, and we're heads-up with the Small Blind.
ON THE FLOP: 7c-8s-Qs
Three cards with a lot of potential for us - an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw. The Small Blind to our right offers 6,000. We start this hand with about 28,900, so any bet is steep. Yet we call in hope.
ON THE TURN: 10d (perhaps not precise)
We missed - and our opponent raises the stakes to 8,000. Now it's time for some quick math:
- Nine missing spades would make a flush.
- The other three 4's or 9's (other than spades) would give us a straight.
- TOTAL OUTS: 15, out of 46 unknown cards. The odds are almost one in three.
Would you take a risk like this? We'll be in serious trouble if we miss. But we've made the final table, so we decide to call.
ON THE RIVER: 2s
Victory! Or is it? The Small Blind ponders for a moment, then bets 8,000 more.
"I'm all-in," we say - with 8,900 left. The Small Blind calls.
"Did you hit the flush?" we ask. "Because I did."
We show it to prove it. The Small Blind turns over.... K-K! He fought for his big pocket pair, but our stubbornness gains us a double-up to more than 52,000 chips!
"Big risk," a man to our left says. Indeed, it was - but this time it worked.
Yet on the very next hand, we lost with our own big pocket pair - as Q-Q fell to A-Q when an Ace came on the turn. We survived to the three-hour break at 21,500. But with seven players remaining, we called an all-in bet with A-7 and 12,900 chips left. Our opponent's 6-6 held up, and we left in seventh place. (Only three were paid money.)
MINISTRY MOMENT: "You gave those chips right back," the man to our left said after we lost that Q-Q hand.
"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord," we told him.
That man didn't seem to acknowledge that famous quote. Do you know who said it? It's a Biblical quote, of course. From a modern translation...
He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" - Job 1:21 (NLT)
Read the first chapter of this Old Testament book, and you'll see Job lost a lot. Due to a challenge from Satan to God, Job lost his farm animals, farmhands, shepherds, camels, servants.... and all ten of his children.
If you lost even one-tenth of this, could you say what Job said? For many people, it might seem impossible. Yet in that moment, Job worshiped God (verse 20). How did he do that?
There once was a man named Job who.... was blameless - a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. - Job 1:1 (NLT)
Job worshiped God through it all, because he "feared God." Note his words above about nakedness. He realized God was the source of all he had, and God would be his hope through it all.
If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed life will I wait, till my change come. - Job 14:14 (KJV)
While the entire book of Job reveals he was not a perfect man, he truly was strong in faith. And we can understand the "change" that's coming is a change from human flesh to eternal life for believers in God.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13 (NLT)
Jesus said those words. Then He did them. He's now the resurrected Son of God in heaven, and the Bible indicates He'll soon come back to resurrect faithful believers as well. Is that the source of your faith? If not, what is - and do you really think it's any better?
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 215 final tables in 567 games (37.9%) - 46 cashes. That's five final tables in our last six live tournaments.
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