An Apology from "Jesus"

The online poker crackdown happened seven years ago. An explanation about it from a poker legend took less than 45 seconds - and may raise more questions than it answers.

Chris "Jesus" Ferguson posted a very short video this week about the "Black Friday" federal intervention. Ferguson reportedly was Chairman of the Board of Full Tilt Poker when it happened. He may have paid millions to the government to settle a civil case while repaying people with frozen bankrolls.

The transcript of Ferguson's video, posted by CardPlayer.com, includes this:

I deeply regret not being able to prevent Black Friday from happening. After Black Friday, I worked relentlessly to ensure that all players got paid back. And, I sincerely apologize that it took as long as it did.

That's not enough for some poker players, including Daniel Negreanu who mockingly called it "so heartfelt." Others are left wondering why Ferguson brought out the apology now - whether it has anything to do with the renewed hopes for state-run poker websites.

We're not going to judge Ferguson's motives. Instead, we're thinking about the real Jesus - the One who was sinless, and never had to apologize to anyone for anything....

So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. - Luke 17:3

There are three parts to Jesus's instruction in this verse. We need to watch ourselves and our conduct, especially as events move toward Jesus's return:

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:36

Second: rebuke a "brother" who sins. We were challenged by a preacher last weekend to dare to say the word "sin" again, as many think it's improper now. But we should start with close friends (in church or outside) who may be wandering from a godly way:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. - Galatians 6:1

Third: forgive the brother who repents - even if you have to do it over and over:

If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, "I repent," forgive him. - Luke 17:4

We'd note Ferguson did not use the word "repent" - a word that implies admitting doing something wrong, and turning in the opposite direction from it. Time will tell if he actually does that; he'd probably have to return to poker site management to have that opportunity.

Follow the poker "Jesus," and you may run into some regrets. Follow the Jesus of the Bible, and you never will.

Poker Night 515: Dealer's Choice

A "Million Dollar Cash Game" was on tonight at Five-Star Billiards. Not at our poker tables, but on the TV screens. "Fury TV" was showing a contest with some of poker's most famous names. We are certainly not famous - but there was one hand which became very expensive....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

We've won a few pots, including one with pocket Aces we never showed. Two hands before this one, K-3 led to three Kings at the turn and a Big Blind win. Now we've dealt ourselves more nice cards at a table of seven. A couple of people have called, but no one has raised.

"I'll raise to 3,000," we announce. We're hopeful of a big gain before the one-hour break. But there's trouble across the table - the man who is disabled and confined to a wheelchair.

"I'm all-in," he says in his mumbling voice. His re-raise is for more than 11,000. Our decision is obvious.

"You've got me covered," we say after a count. "I have 10,200.... and I have the lead." Our opponent shows A-J of clubs.

"Jack," the man says quietly.

ON THE FLOP: Q-J-7

Aaargh! We gave him exactly what he wanted! An Ace doesn't help us now.

"A 10 would be good," we say as we keep dealing....

ON THE TURN: 9

Close, but not quite a straight. Now a King or a 10 will save the day.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Ouch! We got all-in with the best hand, but the cards were against us - even though we dealt them. It's a lowly finish of about 23rd place. But if we're going to lose like that, it's better to do it on Monday night when the game is practically free.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We went to the bar after we went bust, and found Chris Ferguson was leading in "profit/loss" at the Million Dollar Cash Game.

"Jesus first," we said to a man next to us. We explained that's the nickname Ferguson has gained over the years, based on his appearance.

"I try to put Jesus first all the time - and I don't mean Ferguson," we added.

Before we could say more, a hand developed on TV where two players had pocket Aces. That changed the discussion. But we would ask you - is Jesus first in your life?

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

Some people say Jesus was talking strictly about His Father God at this point. We agree with that - but think a moment. Jesus is "God" as well....

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.... - John 1:1, 14

Jesus Christ was that "Word." Thus He was, and is, God. And thus we should love Him, as we love the Father.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. - Revelation 22:13

If you have a "red-letter Bible," this should be in red - because the resurrected Jesus said it. He declared Himself "First." So we see no harm in putting Him first in our lives - certainly far above us. Where does He rank with you?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 188 final tables in 515 games (36.5%) - 38 cashes.

Poker Day 499: Good or Bad?

"As far as I'm concerned, they're all good." We borrowed a "Good Friday" line we heard years ago on an Atlanta radio station as we sat down to play poker at Kansas Star Casino. It was our first live poker tournament in about two months, due to a busy schedule. But three recent top-100 finishes in online events with more than 1,000 players gave us some hope....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

The game got off to a good start for us, as A-K allowed us to win a big pot with a pair of Kings over a couple of chasers. We were above 5,300 at that point. But then the cards went dry, and hopeful pairs hit bad flops.

We now come back from the first break with 3,400 chips. Sitting two seats from the button at a table of nine, we see these cards and raise to 600. The man in the dealer's seat calls. So does one of the blinds. Everyone else says no.

ON THE FLOP: J-9-5

The man in the blind checks, so we can have a bit of fun. "I'm making a classic continuation bet," we say. It's 700.

"I'm all-in," the button man says in response.

The blind folds. Yet we don't feel very worried. We bluff-bet this opponent out of a hand to win a modest pot when we had the button two hands earlier. And this is a table where some people have been betting big with relatively little all day. So we quickly conclude this man hit Jack-something - maybe Jack-Ace. And we have him topped.

"I have to call," we say. After all, 1,300 of our 3,400 already is committed.

Then it happens. Our "dealer" turns over J-J! He hit the Jack-pot on the flop. "I need some help," we admit.

ON THE TURN: 8

"A 10 would be good," we say hopefully. A straight would be quite an escape.

ON THE RIVER: 4

No escape. Only a trip to the rail, finishing 54th out of 89 players. Perhaps we were overconfident?!

MINISTRY MOMENT: Noting what day it was, we took our "Lord's Supper" card protector and showed it to a man who called himself a poker rookie. (He lasted longer than we did.)

"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked him. He clearly did not expect that sort of question in a poker room.

"You mean Chris Ferguson?!" he answered, straining for some humor.

No.... not the poker champ who's been given the nickname "Jesus" because some people think he looks like the Savior (at least the way He's been depicted since the Renaissance). The real Jesus.

"I grew up in a town full of Catholics," the man admitted. In fact, we checked and found that small town of around 600 people was founded by a Catholic priest. But the man at the table said little more than that about our question.

Here's the good news for him, and even for you. You don't have to be Roman Catholic to be a Christian. In fact, the word "Catholic" isn't in the Bible at all. Here's a bit of how it really works....

Peter and the other apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men!.... We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." - Acts 5:29, 32

There's obedience involved in being a Christian - and some simply some nebulous "god."

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth.... - John 14:15-17

These are words of Jesus Christ. While countless churches might give you differing set of rules about how to serve God, the real Jesus said you should obey what He commands. That means reading the Bible carefully, beginning with the four "gospels" which begin the New Testament. Among them....

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." - Mark 16:15

That's what we try to do in poker rooms. We start small, simply by bringing up Jesus and God the Father. Where it goes from there is up to God. Just as big things can happen in a poker tournament, we believe God can make big things happen in your life. Will you obey the real Jesus, to open the door for it?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 182 final tables in 499 games (36.5%) - 36 cashes. We're not sure yet when tournament #500 will happen.

The Defense of "Jesus"

The big poker headline of this past week was the U.S. government's contention that Full Tilt Poker was operated as a "Ponzi" scheme by owners including world-famous poker pro Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.

Since then, Ferguson's attorney has issued a denial of the charge. Well, at least a denial that the arrangement fits the U.S. government's definition of "Ponzi."

Far be it from us to "judge Jesus." We'll leave the legal points to attorneys and scholars. But we'd like to make a couple of points related to this case. For one thing, the much better-known Jesus was put on trial and sentenced to death -- on charges which were far-fetched at best.

Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'" Yet even then their testimony did not agree. - Mark 14:57-59

What Jesus actually said was quite different....

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days".... But the temple he had spoken of was his body. - John 2:19, 21

Yet Jesus allowed Himself to be put to death on those charges, to pay the penalty of our sins. And Christ was resurrected three days later, that we might have eternal life in Him.

Here's one more verse, which is much more down-to-earth in terms of this case:

Abstain from all appearance of evil. - I Thessalonians 5:22, KJV

Trying to run a casino-style online poker operation in the U.S. was playing fast and loose with federal laws in the first place. The Justice Department cracked down on several such sites in April, and none of them have resurfaced.

How do you run your life, though? Are you living within the laws of man - or more importantly, the laws of God? Check the list of commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 (for starters), and examine where your life stands.

And you thought he was "Jesus"?

Now Chris "Jesus" Ferguson stands accused by the feds of running a "Ponzi scheme."

We're open for your thoughts. Ours will come soon.

Heads-Up Week 1: When Moses Met Jesus

"He's known as Jesus. I'm Moses." So comedian Gabe Kaplan declared Sunday, on the opening week of NBC National Heads-Up Poker action.

And in what some might call an upset, Moses prevailed -- eliminating defending champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. And of all the days for NBC to show this: the middle of "Passover season" for Jews, and resurrection Sunday for many Christians.

Both names are Biblical figures, of course. But did you realize Moses isn't listed in the genealogy of Jesus?

Moses came from the tribe of Levi, according to Exodus 2. But Jesus came from a different tribe of Israel -- the tribe of Judah (Mt. 1:2-16).

Some religious groups have debated for centuries which line is better. But if Moses was alive today, we think he'd tell you Jesus is superior.

I Corinthians 10:2 says the Israelites "were all baptized into Moses" as they came out of Egypt. But they had a "spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (verse 4).

Moses won at the table today, but ultimately he can't save you. Jesus can. Which one is YOUR rock?