Tight Vs. Might II

Our last post looked at the idea of playing poker aggressively - and whether a believer in God and Jesus Christ should do such a thing.

King David wrote psalms praising God for making him a strong fighter. And there were times long ago when God called on ancient Israel to go to battle against other countries. Here's one famous example....

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.... the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." - Joshua 6:2, 5

The walls "came a-tumbling down," to borrow from a classic song. But at least one fighter sinned against God in the process, so God did not grant victory in the next battle (Joshua 7:1-5). So one key issue in being aggressive (we're emphasizing poker here) is whether you're living properly under God's rules.

Another issue is self-defense. We go back to King David for this....

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. - Psalm 35:1

"I will defend the Big Blind," we've said in a poker room more than once - trying to sound noble as we do. This brings up a key point: letting God fight your battles....

With him [the king of Assyria] is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles"... - II Chronicles 32:8

Examine yourself and pray carefully, to be sure God is on your side. Leaders of ancient Israel did this often, before taking cities or countries.

The problem with aggressive three-betting is that other poker players might have watched the same video you did. They'll over-aggressively four-bet, leading to a game of (to borrow from the judge on the People's Court) "Quien es mas macho?" That can be devastating, if you don't have the best hand.

In a similar way, Jesus didn't fight His arrest because He knew He had ultimate backing - which was part of His purpose for being on Earth in the first place:

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? - Matthew 26:53-54

The death of Jesus was planned long in advance, in Heaven. So was His resurrection. So is His return, promised throughout the Bible. You don't have to fight for it now (something attackers on mosques and synagogues sadly don't seem to grasp). Wait for the moment in God's timing, then seize upon it - whether you're in the Big Blind or the big moments of life.

The Worst of Times

"I had trip Kings," the man told us about a recent poker night. "He made an inside straight on the flop." And thus the man lost a hand he thought sure he'd win.

If you've played poker for any length of time, you probably have a story like that. Bad beats happen. And when they happen to us, they sting - perhaps for a long time. They might even be enough to drive you away from ever playing poker again.

Yet we heard a minister say on radio the other night that if you fail once, that does not mean you're an absolute failure. A lot depends on how you respond to that failed moment - and that moment of setback could be a springboard to future success. Take this historic moment....

So about three thousand men went up, but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about 36 of them.... At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water. - Joshua 7:4-5

This defeat in battle brought the leader of Israel to his knees (verse 6). Then God bluntly told him what was the problem:

Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. - Joshua 7:11

God refused to support Israel anymore until the sin and sinner were removed (verses 12-13). Once that happened, God was back on Israel's side:

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land." - Joshua 8:1

The rest of the chapter shows Israel gaining victory there. But can it really be that easy for us? Well, at least it's a good place to start....

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. - Psalm 139:23-24

As much as we don't want to admit it, sometimes we're the problem - in the poker room and in life. It takes some courage to ask God to show you where you're wrong. But if you ask Him to do so in a loving way, He can do that - and He can put you back on the road to success, if you'll do what He says.

The Choice Is Yours

"Can I see that?" a man to our left asked during our last live tournament. We happily showed him our card protector - a "Lord's Supper" depiction given to us years ago by a man at a poker night in Alabama.

The man then pulled out a gold-looking coin of his own. He wasn't using it for a protector, but apparently carried it around in case he needed one. "They say it's gold, but I think it's bronze," we recall him saying. (We don't think ours is gold at all.)

But then the man pondered about what we were showing him. "Are you a Mennonite?" he asked. We're not sure what led him to think that. No, we're not - although we've met in their church buildings for worship several times.

We explained we attend a Sabbath-keeping group called the United Church of God. Sabbath (Saturday) services allow us to play poker on Sunday afternoons. But a comment by our Pastor this weekend reminded us of this conversation. He said we have no choice in what way of life we live. Is that really true?

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.... - Deuteronomy 30:19

Moses actually did set a choice before Israel in his farewell address: life or death. The late singer George Michael and his group Wham wore "CHOOSE LIFE" T-shirts in their first hit song. Whether they realized it or not, they promoted God's choice for humans. But that's not the only choice we have....

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable for you, then choose for yourselves this day who, you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

This world offers all kinds of "gods" to follow. In the U.S., you can also choose from many church denominations (even different Sabbath-keeping groups). Joshua made his choice to "serve the Lord." What does that mean?

If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. - John 7:17

Now we have the words of Jesus Christ - the One who claimed to be the Son of the true God (John 8:54). He invites you to choose to "do God's will." Finding that will requires some study. In fact, it can take a lifetime. But examining the Bible to find it truly is worth the time and effort.


Poker players have many choices these days - playing in person or online, in a tournament or a cash game, then raising pocket Kings pre-flop or trapping with a call. When it comes to the bigger choices of life, may you make the correct ones. The denomination we attend is ready to help.

A King on the River

Today is a holiday in the U.S., marking the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Do a search for his name and "poker," and you might find "bonus points" offers at casinos or special holiday tournaments.

If you really want to "honor King" by playing poker, you can order a King Memorial deck of playing cards online. For only ten dollars, he can stare at the other players for you. And if you really wanted to have a holiday theme, we suppose you could have a poker game where Kings are wild.

People old enough to remember Dr. King's causes and campaigns probably would find these things tacky at best, and insulting at worst. But some people invoke Dr. King's name in support of poker cash games and similar gambling. One casino website put it this way several years ago:

The Reverend spoke of equality, and the freedom of every American to have choices. Gambling is a choice that Americans should have the right to decide whether they want to take part or not.

If Dr. King made a direct statement on gambling in a speech or sermon, we could not find it. (If you know of one, please let us know in a comment.) But that website strikes us as turning words out of context. In fact, Dr. King's semi-rival of the time Malcolm X gave up gambling because he thought white people had "forced" it on black people to keep them economic slaves.

Yet the website has a valid point about choices. As a minister by trade, Dr. King might have said God gives humans choices. For instance....

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.... - Deuteronomy 30:19

God does more than offer a choice. He tells humans the right answer. For instance, "choose life" - a phrase we're sure would get the late George Michael in some trouble, if he wore it on a T-shirt in a music video today.  But back to our point....

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable for you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

You can serve "the Lord" - the God of the Bible - or some other god that is fake and false. Joshua chose to follow the Lord which led Israel into a land of promise. We face that same choice today. If you make poker your "god", as in the thing you worship and idolize more than anything else, consider this...

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.... - Proverbs  8:10

Will you pay attention to what God instructs, or your desire for money and riches? In reality, living God's way could lead you to all these things. We'll develop that concept in an upcoming post.

One Game or Another

The bet on the river was substantial - 600 or more, as we recall. And we missed our shot at the best hand.

"As they say on that show," we said pointing at the giant TV screen across the table, "'That's too much!'"

A man to our left knew what we meant right away. We were in a mid-morning poker game where for a change, the casino did not show talking heads discussing sports. They put The Price is Right on the big screen - a game show we admitted in advance would make things awfully distracting for us. (Although, come to think of it, some of the sound effects on The Price is Right would make poker games more entertaining to watch.)

For many big-time poker players, the key to success is staying focused - getting locked in on every hand, including your cards and your opponent's tendencies. An event nearby with people jumping up and down over winning "A new!!!! CAR!!!!!!" certainly doesn't help.

But if you think about it, our lives are full of distractions. Sometimes players even bring them to the tables, in the form of smartphones (even if they have their favorite music loaded for their earbuds). We need to follow some timeless advice along these lines....

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. - Joshua 1:7

A new leader named Joshua was receiving guidance from the Lord (verse 1). While the focus of this "pep talk" was about having courage, Joshua was advised against going off-course in his life. The key to that was in obeying the "law of Moses" - a law really given by God years before.

Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. - Joshua 23:6

 Joshua clearly remembered the lesson, because he repeated God's guidance in his farewell address. The world is filled with things that can take you off-course, away from a focus on God (I John 2:15-16). That's why, even today....

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

Jesus stayed focused as well - on His purpose for coming to Earth, and for eventually rejoining His Father in heaven.

We hope you focus well - on the cards and conditions as you play poker, and on God's ways as you walk throughout the week. But before you do that, please comment for us. What's the worst distraction you've ever faced at a poker tournament - and how did you deal with it?

High-Volpe

As we start writing this late on Sunday night Las Vegas time (even though we're not in Las Vegas), the World Series of Poker Main Event has 30 players remaining. And there's one "breakout star" who could be in line for Player of the Year honors.

Paul Volpe is still in the running for the final table, after making the money in not two, not four.... but seven earlier WSOP events! That includes two final tables and one first-place bracelet, with total winnings so far in the $400,000 range.

We had to put "breakout star" in quotes because Volpe actually is down a bit from last year's WSOP. All he did there was cash six times, but he made four final tables and finished second twice. Total winnings: around $560,000. And in 2014, Volpe cashed five times with one win at the WSOP.

He's easily a WSOP millionaire. Yet to be honest, we didn't know about Volpe until we prepared this post. The "star power" doesn't seem to be there in the poker world these days, unless you hit it big in the Main Event - and we doubt a place in poker's Hall of Fame can be yours, either.

You may be a big name in your local poker community. You may be an also-ran. But there's One who ultimately is the most famous of all....

"We are your servants," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where did you come from?" They answered, "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God."... - Joshua 9:8-9

Joshua was talking to a group of Hivites. Even though Joshua is a big name for Bible students, the Hivites didn't come to marvel at him. The things God had done made Him famous - as in God.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known....  - Habakkuk 3:2

Many people today don't think God exists - much less performs any deeds. But here's the thing: the Bible expected those people to show up.

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.... But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. - II Peter  3:3, 5

The perfection in creation, such as Earth's rotation around the sun, stands as evidence of God's great work. So are the small blessings that may come every day to a believer.

As we finish this post (it didn't take that long), Paul Volpe has just been eliminated from the WSOP''s biggest tournament. He finished 29th, and will add about $216,000 more to his bank account. The fame of a Main Event bracelet eluded Volpe. But are you giving thanks to the most famous One of all?

River Without Rats

The last card that's dealt in a Texas Hold 'em poker hand has a name with more symbolism than you might think.

Why is it called "the river"? One theory we found online says that card actually was a cheater's card long ago - and gamblers would throw it over the side of a riverboat if they got caught. Into the river, you see.

But big things happened at rivers long before poker came along. Consider a few examples....

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them... as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.... So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. - Joshua 3:14-16

The nation of Israel entered God's "promised land" by crossing the Jordan River. Decades of wandering ended, and a payoff was achieved.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John... As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." - Matthew 3:13-17

The Son of God agreed to be baptized in a river, and God used that moment to make a major statement about Him.

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. - Acts 16:13

The apostle Paul went to the riverside to pray - and more baptisms followed (verse 15).

So historic events can happen at rivers. Perhaps you can think of more from the Bible. But we've been reminded of this lately by a big song on Christian radio - ironically, by a singer with "Jordan" in his name. It talks about a "river" offering something far more valuable than poker pots.

Shall We Gather at No-River?

Some poker pros are described on TV as "cash game specialists" -- which apparently means their record in tournaments isn't very good.  In the last couple of years, we've found one particular form of online tournament which could be our "specialty."

We won with it Friday afternoon at National League of Poker!  A huge comeback from about 320 chips (helped by quad 5's and some timely Ace pairs) brought us victory in a 97-player "No-River Hold 'em" tournament (formerly called Knockout Hold 'em, when UFC was a sponsor).  The winning hand was pocket Jacks -- not usually much in this format, but good enough heads-up.  It's our second win with this format since we started it in February 2011.

No-River Hold 'em deals each player three cards, instead of two.  There's a flop and a turn card -- but no river card (thus the name).  Yet in a way, we think it removes some Biblical symbolism from poker.  Consider what we mean....

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead.  Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them -- to the Israelites." - Joshua 1:1-2

After decades of wandering, the "promised land" awaited Israel on the other side of that river.  When the people crossed it, they saw miraculous help:

Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.  Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.  It piled up in a heap a great distance away.... So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. - Joshua 3:15-16

It was a "dry ground" crossing (verse 17) without any makeshift bridges -- and not unlike what occurred decades before when leaving Egypt.

Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back.... Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.... Psalm 114:5, 7

Many songs have been written comparing that journey to our own lives.  For instance, believers walk with God until death, then trust Him to lead them across "the river" to eternal life.  You may be able to think of other comparisons.

The river card in poker is decisive.  It can determine winners and losers - who thrives and survives, and whose hopes will end in heartbreak and disappointment.  Are you seeking God's help in dealing with the "rivers" of your life?  Even the greatest one of all, waiting at the end?

Poker Night 382: Target Dog

At least one African-American man at The Red Barn didn't realize what holiday it was tonight -- the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  But plenty of poker players showed up, perhaps because of the holiday.  After all, you're not likely to find poker tables around the dance floor at an inaugural ball.

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-J

We won an early pot with three 4's, then split another with Q-9.  So we come to this hand in fairly good shape, with 6,400 chips.  We're first to act and limp in -- but at this table of six, the man to our immediate right has been joking a bit about making us a target.  When the play calls to him, he raises 1,500 from the Big Blind.  At other times we've folded, but not now.

"I'll take you on this time," we say as we plunk down our chips.

"Oh oh," our opponent responds as one other player calls.

"Sometimes you've got to take a stand," we tell him.  He seems to accept that.

ON THE FLOP: Q-7-5 (last two cards might not be exact)

A card above our pair concerns us.  But the Big Blind checks.  So do we, along with the third player.

ON THE TURN: K

Now we could turn the "oh oh" around.  Things look even worse for our hand -- and the Big Blind decides it's time to bet, offering 1,000.  Yet something tells us this is a bluff to run us off, so we call.  The third man folds.

ON THE RIVER: 9

The Big Blind responds to this with a bigger bet, tossing out 2,000.  Calling this would leave us with a measly 1,500 chips.  The more we ponder it, the more we become convinced he means what he says.

"I'll fold," we say.  Sure enough -- the pot winner turns over K-9.  He made running cards for two pair, and claims a Red Barn "Rodney" bonus of 5,000.

We never recovered from that loss, although we made it to the second hour of play.  An all-in bet with 9-9 led to a King on the flop and an Ace on the turn.  A man with a King took the pot, and sent us home in a lowly 22nd place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: That man in the Big Blind asked a curious question before we were eliminated.  "Are you a Tasmanian devil?"

He didn't seem to be drunk.  But his screwball question opened a door of witness for us.  "No, I'm not a Tasmanian devil.  I try to live like an angel.  Live like an angel, and you'll keep the devil away."

The man seemed to agree with our answer.  But perhaps you're asking: how can we live like angels?  We certainly can't make ourselves invisible, and fly between the heaven of God's throne and Earth.  But consider what a New Testament writer asked....

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? - Hebrews 1:14

Angels are servants -- and they're not simply serving God.  They're serving people who will inherit salvation.  That can mean angels are serving you!  And by extension, we should be serving other people.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. - I Corinthians 12:5-6

Martin Luther King Day has become a "day of service" for many people and organizations in the U.S.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But we'd ask what sort of service you've been doing for God lately.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

We think the best way to serve God is to follow His commands.  Start with the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20, then review how Jesus explained them early in the book of Matthew.  Consider yourself and your ways carefully.  Are you serving God like an angel -- or perhaps inadvertently serving someone else?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 131 final tables in 382 nights (34.3%) - 20 cashes.  That makes five missed final tables in a row.

Double Your Fun?

This time it was NLOP's fault.  The poker site's computer had some kind of hiccup during a tournament, and everyone was locked out.  National League of Poker suspended play for about 30 minutes, then resumed where things stopped - an Internet poker version of a "rain delay."

But when we returned to the action, suddenly we faced more action than we expected.  Somehow we were entered into not one sit-n-go table, but three - and a separate "point play tournament" on top of that.  We left one game, and came back to about five!

We decided to forgo the sit-n-goes, but kept trying in the two tournaments.  That meant we were at multiple tables simultaneously, which we never had tried before.  This is nothing for some online poker pros, who have computers set up for four or five games at once.  But that would be an easy day for some chess masters; we've read about exhibitions where they go from table to table, taking on 20 opponents or more at a time.

There's a reason why we've tried to avoid MPD - what we jokingly might call Multiple Poker Disorder.  Believe it or not, it's found in Scripture....

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. - James 1:8 (KJV)

 No servant can serve two masters,.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.... - Luke 16:13

It's better to stay focused on one thing at a time, if at all possible.  That may sound old-fashioned in an era when "multi-tasking" is common and almost expected, but it's what the Bible recommends.  But the verses we quoted actually go far beyond that.  To finish the words of Jesus:

....You cannot serve both God and Money.... What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. - Luke 16:13b, 15

Some poker games include "straddling," where players post double the big blind before the flop -- often without looking at their cards.  It might make pots more interesting, but it's an approach God will not allow when it comes to spiritual matters.  We can't straddle the fence; we must come down on one side or the other.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom, you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

Joshua came down on the side of "Jehovah," the Lord who led Israel out of Egypt.  That's the side we recommend as well -- because when the day of judgment comes, there still will be no straddlers.

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. - Matthew 25:32-33

Read on through the end of chapter 25 to see what a difference it makes to be a "sheep" or a "goat."  The difference is enormous.

So how did we do on our two-tourney night?  Better than we expected, actually.  The point play tournament had 83 players, and we almost won points by finishing 12th.  But our top priority was the game for money we originally entered -- and a couple of Tuesday nights ago, we went all the way to second place out of 398 players to win cash!

So yes, we could engage in a little MPD and be successful at it.  But it's not what we recommend, and not what the Bible seems to recommend.  Besides, what if the games have different break times and you need to use the restroom?

4-ti-2-de

Our last post focused on a hand where our dream of a flush was close on the flop -- but a big bet by an opponent ran us off, because the flush-making card came on the river.

A poker tournament can be filled with emotional tests -- including the moments that can test your courage. If you commit a lot of chips to a potentially big hand, do you hang tough when someone challenges you with a big bet? With potentially an all-in bet? Or do you step back from the edge of the diving board?

We're talking about times that test your courage. And the Bible offers several cases where people are en-couraged by God to have courage.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous.... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -- Joshua 1:6-9

God tells Joshua to be courageous four times in this chapter (and two times before that, in Deuteronomy 31). I've read that over the years and concluded Joshua must have had a "fraidy-cat," easily-scared personality. Otherwise, why would God use this language over and over? The apostle Paul gave similar advice centuries later:

Be on your guard; stand firm in the truth; be men of courage; be strong. -- I Corinthians 16:13

A minister in Florida has put it well: Christianity isn't for cowards. We're reaching the conclusion that successful poker isn't, either.

So we ask: what advice would you offer for building courage -- in yourself or others?

Poker Night 137: A Trip to the River

We're not sure how the last card on the board in a poker hand came to be called "the river." The Christian side of us guesses it comes from the Jordan River, which Israel finally crossed to enter the promised land (Joshua 1:2). Yet earlier today, we heard a deceased radio pastor declare people who build close to rivers are guilty of "greed and avarice." (He somehow pulled that out of James 1:13-15.)

At Club Eighty-Five tonight, we saw several cases where people may have come to the river card thinking greedily of winning a pot -- only to see someone else cross on to victory. Take this case....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 9-10

We started with 5,500 chips, but haven't won a pot yet and are down to 4,350. A player to our immediate right raises to 400. Looking for something to mount a comeback, we call. So do a couple of others.

ON THE FLOP: 9-3-9

The man who raised before is being incredibly quiet -- except to tell people to watch him, instead of waiting for him to say something. Now he simply sets his stack of 1,025 chips on the table.

"I've gotta call," we say. No one else does. We show our set of 9's. The bettor doesn't turn his cards over.

ON THE TURN: 6

"That's good," we say.

ON THE RIVER: K

That's bad. The opponent flips over K-K -- still saying nothing. The cards speak volumes, as he hits the river and more than doubles up. (Oh yes -- we weren't greedy. Simply hopeful.)

The cards eventually came our way in one hand -- as a King on the turn gave us a K-9 straight. Our all-in bet of 2,125 came through as a triple-up. We held on from there to finish ninth on the night -- and in the process, making the final table on Monday night for the sixth week in a row!

MINISTRY MOMENT: A young man we'll call Hubert grabbed our "Jesus as your Savior" coin from our seat during the evening, and gave it a close look.

"Do you believe that message? Is Jesus your Savior?" we asked.

"Yes. Absolutely," he said.

Hubert stunned the poker room with something else tonight -- he's decided to give up alcohol. During a break, he explained he reached this decision after a recent DUI arrest. "I decided it was either give up beer, or give up driving. And I can't give up driving." We think Hubert made a wise decision -- and maybe that's why he lasted at the final table longer than we did.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 56 final tables in 137 nights (40.9%) - 10 cashes.

That's four final tables in our last five nights - but it appears a busy schedule will require us to take a break from live tournaments for the next week or so.