Our Little Garden

After a couple of busy months where we didn't have much time for poker, we hope to return to the table this week. But we have found time to take advantage of a casino's temptation.

Jack Casino has offered us two free $10 table bets each week during March and April. We've taken that offer to blackjack tables ten times so far - and the score stands at six gains, four losses.

Our profit: $28. It's not much because we tend to play small and bet small. We minimize our losses that way - even if it means minimal wins as well. Did you know that's a Biblical principle?

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. - II Corinthians 9:6

It's only logical, after all. Plant a lot of seeds, and you should get a big crop. But let's make something clear - the apostle Paul is not talking here about plunking down $100 at a time on blackjack. Keep reading....

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - II Corinthians 9:7

The focus here isn't about you taking home a big wad of money. It's about giving. This was written to a church group which wanted to make a "generous gift" to another part of the world (verse 5). And God rewards a giving attitude....

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. - II Corinthians 9:10-11

Excuse us for asking - but how giving are you? Yes, we know that's not the proper mindset for winning poker. But if you practice a giving spirit in your life, God (the true "he who supplies seed") is ready to bless your effort.

Our blackjack "profit" really is less than $28, because we've tipped our dealer several times. That's giving on a small scale, too. But who knows - maybe that's why we're modestly succeeding. We're certainly thanking God for it.

Poker Day 564: Going Up

The drive from our home to Jack Casino today was the fastest yet - only six minutes. But then came a jolt, and the day's first big decision.

"That's $120," the cashier said.

The normal price for a morning tournament is $80. So we wondered if this was a special New Year's event. Sadly, no. Without any advance notice (it's not yet posted on the casino website as we write this), Jack started a new 2019 poker schedule today. Morning tournaments will cost either $100 or $120, based on the day of the week.

"The price of playing poker just went up," we told a man sitting to our left as we reviewed the schedule. And this time, we did not mean higher blinds. But we paid the buy-in, anyway - and suddenly found ourselves in one of those higher-priced Jack tournaments. Could we make it worth the trouble?

BLINDS: 50/100/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace of clubs-Jack of spades

Oh yes - the rules for the morning tournament have changed as well. Now it's a "Big Blind Ante" game, with the player in the Big Blind paying an extra ante. In this hand, that's us. A few early feelers have failed, but this game also lets us start with 25,000 chips and 20-minute blinds.

So we can be patient - but not with these cards. No one raises, so we go up to 500. Three players at the table of seven call.

ON THE FLOP: Jc-9c-6s (last two cards may not be precise)

Top pair + top kicker = green light. "I'll bet the big one," we say - as in 700 chips, borrowing from a legendary Cincinnati radio station. Two men across from us call, but the fourth one folds. We think they're speculating, and we're in front.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This puts three clubs on the board. But we still have top pair, and one more club would give us the nuts. So why wait? We bet 1,000. The other guys call again.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Are the flush-chasers happy or frustrated? We need to know, so we bet another 1,000. A man across from us calls; the other opponent folds.

"He has a Jack," we say as the other man shows.... J-10. "And I have a Jack." But our kicker is superior, and we win several thousand chips.

A few big gains in the first period (now one hour, 40 minutes) brought us to a high of about 30,500. But we reached the break at 24,625. Then a couple of all-in wins kept us going in the second term, including an A-10 which beat A-7. But we had a precarious 18,100 at the second break.

The third term brought a dramatic win over a man with a huge stack, as our K-K beat his Q-Q. That allowed us to reach the final table at 29,600. But then we pushed again with A-J of hearts. That same man had pocket 7's, and they won the race.

We finished in tenth place out of 33 players, with money only going to the top four. We left thankful to make a final table against what we consider quality competition. But if Jack is going to keep the poker prices high, we'll be making many more drives to the competition in Indiana.

MINISTRY MOMENT: One awkward part about the Big Blind Ante format is that the ante doesn't always match the Big Blind. That requires a lot of shuffling of chips among players to make correct change.

After one such shuffle in our Big Blind where we lacked change, we told the dealer, "To borrow from an old song: 'From whence, from whence shall come my help?'" In this case, another player provided the change. "But ultimately," we added, "my help comes from the Lord."

"That's where my help comes from, too," the dealer said. Hooray - someone else who looks to the Lord! But is that where your help lies? If not, consider this....

I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:1-2 (NLT)

This world teaches a self-reliant spirit - that you should take charge of your own life. Poker games reinforce that, because no collusion or tag-team action normally is allowed. But there's a problem with that. We can't live forever.

It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate.... The living at least know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing.... - Ecclesiastes 9:3, 5 (NLT)

Life can look very helpless - but it doesn't have to be that way. Believers in God and Jesus Christ should have a hope that help is coming....

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13 (NLT)

The believer's hope is in a resurrection to eternal life when Jesus Christ returns. May that hope fill you in the months and years to come. What other hope beyond this life do we really have?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 213 final tables in 564 games (37.8%) - 45 cashes.

Slot, Pop and Play

Casinos are filled with them. We tend to walk right by them. But this evening, we were challenged to be successful at them - for two minutes.

Jack Casino invited us to its August "Birthday Bash". (Now you know our birthday month.) The main event was a free-entry slot tournament, with $2,500 in free play at stake. All we had to do was post one of the five highest scores in a two-hour span.

Our game time was 6:20 p.m. We stood behind the early leader, who racked up more than 100,000 points at 6:05. Doris's strategy was simple: pound the "play" button on the slot machine as quickly as you could, and watch the screen to touch balloons that occasionally appeared for thousands of bonus points.

"May the best button-pusher win," we said to a man next to us when our turn came.

Our tongue was only partly in-cheek. This tournament reminded us of why we avoid slots and prefer playing poker. Slot machines tend to be mindless, with no real skill involved. If you think religion is that way as well.... well, it really shouldn't be. Consider what Jesus told one man:

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'....." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:27-28

Jesus was talking about how to obtain eternal life (verse 25). It's an "all-in" process - and that includes loving God with "all your mind." Does that mean turning your brain off at the church door? We believe it's exactly the opposite....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

For instance, it means thinking over whether poker players are telling "true stories" in the way they play their hands. It also means thinking carefully about what God really expects of your life....

...But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. - I Thessalonians 5:21 (NLT)

Sometimes the "gospel truth" well-intentioned people bring you is really "fake news." You can prove fact from fiction by comparing those comments with the Bible. If you're not a Bible reader, we recommend doing it daily to understand God properly.

But we digress....

The countdown went to zero, and our "two-minute drill" was on! We pressed the slot machine's "play" button with our right hand about six times a second, while saving our left hand for balloons to pop. We saw "second place" on our screen at one point early, and noticed we were above 60,000 points at the one-minute mark (everyone starts with 10,000).

"We want balloons!" we said to the machine several times, changing hands for the "play" button to avoid slowing down. To our knowledge, we didn't miss any balloons. But were we strong enough to win?

"You beat me!" we said to the man on our right after the clock reached zero. Our final score: 82,035 points. He was above 88,000. Based on the early results, 100,000 or more probably would be required to "make the money" - and we were only sixth in our group.

With our daily exercise (as we called it) completed, we walked over to the birthday party area. Jack's email promised cupcakes, but Jack topped that (for a change) with a full two-flavor cake, cookies and punch.

"If I had eaten the cake before the game, I might have done better," we joked to people around us. Perhaps a "sugar rush" would have made us press buttons faster. Instead, we settled for a consolation prize of a small win at a blackjack table.

In contrast to this, Hollywood Casino Indiana awarded us $15 in "birthday comps" on our card - good for a couple of free meals at one of the restaurants. Which deal do you think was better? Use your mind to comment - and even to worship the God who makes these moments possible.

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.